Revamping Parkinson’s research

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Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 14 May 2015

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The Michael J. Fox Foundation has launched a new online clinical study, Fox Insight, that aims to gather the world’s largest dataset on the everyday experiences of living with Parkinson’s – and accelerate research as a result.

The initiative means that anyone, anywhere, with internet access can take part in recording all aspects of their personal experience relating to Parkinson’s via a series of questionnaires.

Fox Insight prompts users to update their responses regularly and so hopes to study and measure unprecedented levels of data.

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‘Dopamine-boosting’ BT13 molecule could be used to slow Parkinson’s

Researchers have discovered that a molecule called BT13 could have potential to treat Parkinson’s. The study, conducted by scientists from the University of Helsinki, Finland, found that mice injected with the BT13 molecule had an increase in dopamine levels in the brain. Their findings also suggested that the molecule could lead to a new drug treatment to protect the brain cells that produce dopamine. Dopamine helps coordinate movement, but people with Parkinson’s have normally lost between 70 and 80% of the brain cells that produce the neurotransmitter when they are diagnosed with the condition. Professor David Dexter, Deputy Director of Research at Parkinson’s UK – which co-funded the study – said: “People with Parkinson’s desperately need a new treatment that can stop the condition in its tracks, instead of just masking the symptoms. “More research is needed to turn BT13 into a treatment to be tested in clinical trials, to…

Students develop wearable device to track Parkinson’s tremors

A wearable device has been developed to monitor Parkinson’s tremors and their severity through the tracking of body movements. The device – Tremor Tracker – was created by two students, Julie Gaudin and Elizabeth Hummel, at Louisiana Tech University, US, as part of a design class project. The students designed an algorithm using data recorded from volunteer participants at Rock Steady, a boxing programme for people with Parkinson’s. They then applied the algorithm to a GENEActiv, a wrist-worn device that has been scientifically validated for clinical research. Hummel, co-creator of the Tremor Tracker, said: “Through supervised machine learning, the device predicts whether a patient’s tremors are parkinsonian or non-parkinsonian, as well as the severity of these tremors. A quantitative analysis of parkinsonian tremors provides a more detailed disease state.”

Can awakening dormant neurons reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms?

Reawakening dormant neurons could help reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms, researchers in South Korea have found. While Parkinson’s is typically believed to be caused by neuronal death, a new study – published in ‘Current Biology’ journal – suggests that dormant neurons could be another cause. After completing an animal test – which treated the subjects with two compounds that block dopamine-producing neurons from becoming dormant – the researchers found these neurons to be “awakened”, allowing them to resume dopamine production. The researchers hope that this will lead to a disease-modifying treatment, especially for people in the early stages of Parkinson’s. Hoon Ryu, a senior author of the study and researcher at KIST Brain Science Institute, South Korea, said: “This research refutes the common belief that there is no disease-modifying treatment for Parkinson’s due to its basis on neuronal cell death.”

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Revamping Parkinson’s research

News

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 14 May 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

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Episodes

Podcast: What’s it like managing your working life with Parkinson’s?

Interviews

The Ray Kennedy Cup: uniting Parkinson’s football teams from across Europe

Health & Fitness

Sex, intimacy and Parkinson’s: an expert guide

‘Dopamine-boosting’ BT13 molecule could be used to slow Parkinson’s

Students develop wearable device to track Parkinson’s tremors

Can awakening dormant neurons reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms?

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Revamping Parkinson’s research

News

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 14 May 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Episodes

Podcast: What’s it like managing your working life with Parkinson’s?

Interviews

The Ray Kennedy Cup: uniting Parkinson’s football teams from across Europe

Health & Fitness

Sex, intimacy and Parkinson’s: an expert guide

‘Dopamine-boosting’ BT13 molecule could be used to slow Parkinson’s

Students develop wearable device to track Parkinson’s tremors

Can awakening dormant neurons reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms?

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