Dopaminergic News and Research

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Neupro reduces PLMS and total NSBP elevations in patients with RLS, study finds

UCB today announced data from a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that found that Neupro (Rotigotine Transdermal System) reduced total nocturnal systolic blood pressure elevations associated with periodic limb movements during sleep and total PLMS in patients with idiopathic moderate-to-severe Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease.

18 May 2013

Research findings shed light on molecular processes involved in initial stages of PD

In a mouse model of early Parkinson's disease, animals displayed movement deficits, loss of tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH)-positive fibers in the striatum, and astro-gliosis and micro-gliosis in the substantia nigra (SN), without the loss of nigral dopaminergic neurons.

2 Apr 2013

Data shows efficacy of MANF in neuroprotection 6-hydroxydopamine rat models of Parkinson's disease

Amarantus BioScience, Inc., a biotechnology company discovering and developing treatments and diagnostics for diseases associated with neurodegeneration and apoptosis, today reported positive preclinical data for its lead therapeutic MANF in neuroprotection 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat models of Parkinson's disease.

28 Mar 2013

Study determines frequency of genetic variants linked to alcoholism for Spanish population

Research done at the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country has determined the frequency of genetic variants linked to alcoholism for the Spanish population, and its incidence not only in individuals with a high level of alcohol intake, but also in individuals with alcohol dependence.

20 Feb 2013

Schizophrenia dampens volition

Patients with schizophrenia and negative symptoms are less likely than mentally healthy people to increase their efforts for higher levels of reward, research shows.

14 Feb 2013

Study illuminates the response of dopaminergic neurons to changes in temperature

While the wooly musk ox may like it cold, fruit flies definitely do not. They like it hot, or at least warm. In fact, their preferred optimum temperature is very similar to that of humans-76 degrees F.

31 Jan 2013

Neurophysiologic mechanisms of deep-brain stimulation unveiled

The beneficial effects of subthalamic nucleus stimulation in patients with Parkinson’s disease are partly down to compensatory activation of nonmotor dopamine pathways during exercise, research suggests.

22 Jan 2013

Team support aids Parkinson’s patients

A randomized controlled trial demonstrates improved outcomes if patients with Parkinson’s disease are cared for by a multidisciplinary team.

22 Jan 2013

Researchers identify and test first blood-based circulating miRNA biomarkers for Parkinson's

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological condition. At present, it is usually diagnosed only when motor features are present. Hence, there is a need to develop objective and measurable biomarkers to improve PD diagnostics during its earlier stage, prior to its motor onset. In this pilot study, researchers identified and tested the first blood-based circulating microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers for PD.

21 Jan 2013

Possible connection between mitochondrial CYP2D6 and Parkinson's

With a new insight into a model of Parkinson's disease, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have identified a novel target for mitigating some of the disease's toll on the brain.

19 Jan 2013

Dopamine synthesis increased in patients at high risk for psychosis

UK study results show that patients at ultra-high risk for psychosis have elevated dopamine synthesis capacity in the dorsal striatum.

17 Jan 2013

Link between Parkinson's and benomyl

For several years, neurologists at UCLA have been building a case that a link exists between pesticides and Parkinson's disease. To date, paraquat, maneb and ziram - common chemicals sprayed in California's Central Valley and elsewhere - have been tied to increases in the disease, not only among farmworkers but in individuals who simply lived or worked near fields and likely inhaled drifting particles.

6 Jan 2013

Link between silent stroke and Parkinson's disease

Scientists at The University of Manchester have for the first time identified why a patient who appears outwardly healthy may develop Parkinson's disease.

19 Dec 2012

LCSB, AxoGlia receive Michael J. Fox Foundation grant for Parkinson's project

AxoGlia Therapeutics SA, a biopharmaceutical company which drives the development of innovative neural stem/progenitor cell differentiation and neuroprotective therapeutics, today announced that it has been awarded a Rapid Response Innovative Award from The Michael J. Fox Foundation, for a project that is performed in collaboration with the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB).

15 Dec 2012

American Association of Anatomist announces winners of Young Investigator Awards

The American Association of Anatomist's (AAA) Young Investigator Awards combine three long-standing AAA awards-Bensley, Herrick, and Mossman-with the Morphological Sciences Award, all recognizing investigators in the early stages of their careers who have made important contributions to biomedical science through their research in cell/molecular biology, developmental biology, comparative neuroanatomy, or the morphological sciences.

12 Dec 2012

Researchers derive dopaminergic neurons from bone marrow stem cells in monkeys

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that is characterized by tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty walking. It is caused by loss of the neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine (known as dopaminergic neurons). One of the primary goals in Parkinson's disease research is to develop a replacement for dopaminergic neurons.

4 Dec 2012

Lewy pathology out of favor as Parkinson’s culprit

Neurodegeneration and cellular dysfunction may precede the appearance of Lewy bodies in the substantia nigra, shows research that challenges the role of Lewy pathology in Parkinson’s disease.

30 Nov 2012

Amarantus demonstrates excellent diffusion profile of MANF in the striatum of rat brains

Amarantus BioSciences, Inc., a biotechnology company developing new disease-modifying treatments and diagnostics for Parkinson's disease and Traumatic Brain Injury centered on its proprietary anti-apoptosis therapeutic protein MANF, today announced that the Company has successfully completed experiments demonstrating that MANF has an excellent diffusion profile in the striatum of rat brains.

27 Nov 2012

IL-13 receptor system could play a major role in Parkinson's

Deciphering what causes the brain cell degeneration of Parkinson's disease has remained a perplexing challenge for scientists. But a team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has pinpointed a key factor controlling damage to brain cells in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

20 Nov 2012

Nonmotor symptoms common in early-stage PD

Nonmotor symptoms occur in nearly all individuals with Parkinson’s disease, Italian study results suggest.

17 Oct 2012