Dopaminergic News and Research

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PINK1 protects from Parkinson's

Parkinson disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons.

19 Jun 2007

Implanting dopamine generators in brain cells improves Parkinson's in monkeys

Implanting dopamine generators (dopaminergics) in brain cells has produced improvement in the symptoms in Parkinson's, according to the results of tests carried out with monkeys by the Navarra University Hospital, led by Dr Mar'a Rosario Luquin Piudo, neurologist at the Hospital and at the other Navarra University-based medical centre, CIMA (the Research Centre for Applied Medicine).

17 May 2007

Coenzyme Q10 does not improve Parkinson's disease symptoms

Small doses of the antioxidant coenzyme Q10 appear to increase blood levels of this naturally occurring compound in patients with Parkinson's disease, but does not improve Parkinson's disease symptoms, according to an article posted online today that will appear in the July 2007 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

15 May 2007

Avicena files composition of matter patent application for treatment of Parkinson's disease

Avicena Group, Inc. has announced that it has filed a composition of matter patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to cover potential treatments for Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease.

27 Apr 2007

Placebo effect in the pharmacologic treatment of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms

All physicians involved in the treatment of PBS/IC understand that the placebo effect likely plays a major role in treatment, and is important when evaluating drug trials.

19 Apr 2007

Jefferson participates in global study to extend effectiveness of drug for Parkinson's

After Parkinson's disease patients use the drug levodopa or L-dopa for several years as a treatment for restoring the cellular communication that controls muscle movement by replacing lost dopamine, they begin to experience motor complications that include a shortened response to each dose of L-dopa.

19 Apr 2007

Research into Parkinson's Disease receives a boost

Research into Parkinson's Disease at the University of Dundee has received a boost from a fundraising campaign organised by the Falkirk Branch of the Parkinson's Disease Society.

29 Jun 2006

Hierarchical control of dopamine neuron-firing patterns by nicotinic receptors

Understanding what makes people crave the high of nicotine is a key to developing treatment for this highly addictive drug.

14 Jun 2006

Midbrain, striatal and amygdalar dopaminergic dysfunction in ADHD

The brain's dopamine system, which has long been associated with reward learning and reward-related behavior, works differently in treated and untreated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) individuals.

7 Jun 2006

Prefrontal cortex in the brain damaged by both alcoholism and chronic smoking

Alcoholism is commonly associated with chronic smoking, and both alcohol and nicotine are believed to act on the same brain region. Research builds upon previous research that identified four potential alcohol-sensitive genes in the prefrontal cortex, finding that smoking also influences the expression of these genes.

26 Apr 2006

SRY gene directly controls neuronal function in the brain

Shaped by much previous research, the prevailing view regarding sex-specific differences in the brain is that they are caused by circulating sex hormones, which are generated outside the brain and influence certain aspects of brain development, as well as brain function in adults.

23 Feb 2006

Animal model of Parkinson's disease reveals striking sensitivity to common environmental toxins

In findings that support a relationship between agricultural chemicals and Parkinson's disease, two groups of researchers have found new evidence that loss of DJ-1, a gene known to be linked to inherited Parkinson's disease, leads to striking sensitivity to the herbicide paraquat and the insecticide rotenone.

7 Sep 2005

Rotenone study may lead to novel therapies for Parkinson's disease

Neuroscientists from the University at Buffalo have described for the first time how rotenone, an environmental toxin linked specifically to Parkinson's disease, selectively destroys the neurons that produce dopamine, the neurotransmitter critical to body movement and muscle control.

23 Aug 2005

A protein found naturally in the brain may protect against Parkinson's disease

The findings also may lead to an improved understanding of a disorder called early-onset torsion dystonia.

2 Jun 2005

Findings could lead to improved treatments for schizophrenics, amphetamine abusers

An Oregon Health & Science University researcher is among an international team closing in on why many people with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are "supersensitive" to the powerful neurotransmitter dopamine.

10 Apr 2005

Body's 'internal marijuana': A new target for treatment of schizophrenia, Parkinson's?

“Endocannabinoids” is an impressive word that sounds like the name for a group of tribal warriors or an ancient people. Actually, it is the scientific term for beneficial molecules produced in the brain that act as “a sort of internal marijuana in our system

4 Nov 2004

Evidence links cellular iron deficiency to restless legs syndrome

Iron-deficient cells in the brain are mixing up central nervous system signals to the legs and arms causing the irresistible urges to move and creepy-crawly sensations that characterize restless legs syndrome (RLS), a Penn State College of Medicine study reports.

25 Oct 2004

Stem cells and drug design

Victorian College of Pharmacy researchers hope stem cells will help them better understand the action of existing drugs and aid in the discovery of new drugs for illnesses such as depression, obesity and anxiety.

5 Oct 2004

Investigating how young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder process sound

Mary-Claire Hanlon, a Psychology Honours student at the University of Newcastle under the supervision of Dr Frini Karayanidis and Associate Professor Ulrich Schall, is recruiting participants for the study investigating the role of sound and dopaminergic mechanisms (brain chemicals) in people with ADHD.

12 Aug 2004

Clinical study compares treatments in early Parkinson's disease

University of Tennessee Health Science Center professor and vice chair of the Department of Neurology, Ronald F. Pfeiffer, M.D., has been an investigator with The Parkinson Study Group (PSG), which recently reported four-year results of a major long-term, multi-center clinical trial.

21 Jul 2004