Multiple System Atrophy News and Research

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Multiple-system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurological condition in which specific areas of the brain undergo neural degeneration. The three brain areas primarily affected are the brain stem, basal ganglia and cerebellum, portions of the brain that regulate bodily functions and motor control.

Study: Different strains of same protein may contribute to different Parkinson's-related brain disorders

Different Parkinson's-related brain disorders, called synucleionpathies, are characterized by misfolded proteins embedded in cells.

10 May 2018

Simple bedside test may help doctors diagnose certain degenerative brain diseases

A simple bedside test that matches a change in heart rate with a drop in blood pressure after a patient stands may help doctors diagnose certain degenerative brain diseases.

28 Mar 2018

Researchers use genomics to advance understanding of Parkinson´s disease

It is widely known that genomics has already begun to influence medicine and that bioinformatics holds the key for developing new medical approaches, but how does medical genomics really work?

19 Dec 2017

Researchers discover important link between Parkinson's and prion diseases

Parkinson's disease and prion diseases are very different from each other as regards both origins and course. Nonetheless, a research group of SISSA's, headed by Professor Giuseppe Legname, has discovered an unexpected and important link between the two pathologies.

14 Sep 2017

Mayo Clinic study provides information on survival and death of patients with synucleinopathies

Faced with a serious disease, patients want to know the answer to a difficult question: "How long will I live?"

16 May 2017

Simple blood test may be accurate in differentiating between Parkinson's disease and APDs

A simple blood test may be as accurate as a spinal fluid test when trying to determine whether symptoms are caused by Parkinson's disease or another atypical parkinsonism disorder, according to a new study published in the February 8, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Feb 2017

Researchers shed light on basis of Parkinson’s disease and other ‘synucleinopathies’

Parkinson's disease (PD) and other "synucleinopathies" are known to be linked to the misfolding of alpha-synuclein protein in neurons.

27 Jan 2017

New, non-invasive way to monitor progression of Parkinson's disease may help improve treatment

A new, non-invasive way to track the progression of Parkinson's disease could help evaluate experimental treatments to slow or stop the disease's progression.

16 Aug 2016

Researchers discover novel neuroprotection strategies to slow progression of Parkinson's disease

Using a robust model for Parkinson's disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers and colleagues have discovered an interaction in neurons that contributes to Parkinson's disease, and they have shown that drugs now under development may block the process.

20 Jul 2016

Biopsy of submandibular gland can help identify pathology of Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies

Accurate diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, and the related disease "dementia with Lewy bodies," can be difficult in the early stages of both conditions. While brain biopsies can be more accurate, the risk of complications has been considered too high. New research published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease indicates that a biopsy of the submandibular gland can help identify the same pathology that is seen in the brain, providing some of the increased accuracy of brain biopsy, but not the increased risk.

12 Apr 2016

Newly discovered prion causes Multiple System Atrophy

Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a neurodegenerative disorder with similarities to Parkinson's disease, is caused by a newly discovered type of prion, akin to the misfolded proteins involved in incurable progressive brain diseases such Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), according to two new research papers led by scientists at UC San Francisco.

1 Sep 2015

CSF biomarkers predict dementia risk in PD patients

Early analysis of cerebrospinal fluid could help diagnose parkinsonian disorders and enhance the prediction of dementia in Parkinson’s disease patients, study results indicate.

19 Aug 2015

α-synuclein conformation may underlie neurodegenerative variability

Varying structural conformations of α-synuclein may explain how one protein can give rise to distinct forms of neurodegeneration, say researchers.

12 Jun 2015

UC San Diego Health System's Movement Disorder Center joins NPF Center of Excellence network

The Movement Disorder Center at UC San Diego Health System has been designated the 41st Center of Excellence in the National Parkinson Foundation's global network. This designation is the highest recognition offered by NPF to a Parkinson's specialty clinic. It represents the consensus of leaders in the field that the UC San Diego program is among the world's leading centers for Parkinson's research, outreach and care.

27 Feb 2015

Simple tests can help differentiate between early-stage PD and atypical parkinsonism

Two simple tests conducted during the neurological exam can help clinicians differentiate between early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonism. By asking patients to perform a tandem gait test and inquiring whether they are still able to ride a bicycle, clinicians can ascertain whether medio-lateral balance is impaired, a defining characteristic of atypical parkinsonism.

18 Nov 2014

FDA grants accelerated approval to NORTHERA (droxidopa) for patients with symptomatic NOH

Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval of NORTHERA (droxidopa) for the treatment of symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH). NORTHERA is the first and only therapy approved by the FDA which demonstrates symptomatic benefit in patients with NOH.

18 Feb 2014

'Quest to Cure MSA in Honor of Rex Griswold' drives in-depth genomic investigation of rare nerve disorder

Rex Griswold, Vice President of Sales for Nestl- Waters North America, was a driving force at the company for more than two decades until Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) suddenly struck him.

31 Aug 2013

Study: Different strains of alpha-synuclein may contribute to different types of brain diseases

It only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch, and the same may be true of certain proteins in the brain. Studies have suggested that just one rogue protein (in this case, a protein that is misfolded or shaped the wrong way) can act as a seed, leading to the misfolding of nearby proteins.

4 Jul 2013

Study suggests promising brain-imaging technique to improve diagnoses of people with movement disorders

A new University of Florida study suggests a promising brain-imaging technique has the potential to improve diagnoses for the millions of people with movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

14 Jun 2013

Mouse study shows leukemia halts accumulation of toxic proteins linked to Parkinson's disease

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have used tiny doses of a leukemia drug to halt accumulation of toxic proteins linked to Parkinson's disease in the brains of mice. This finding provides the basis to plan a clinical trial in humans to study the effects.

10 May 2013