Lewy Bodies News and Research

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Targeting multiple proteins may be key to treat neurodegenerative disorders

Nearly all major neurodegenerative diseases - from Alzheimer's to Parkinson's - are defined and diagnosed by the presence of one of four proteins that have gone rogue: tau, amyloid-beta, alpha-synuclein, or TDP-43.

6 Jul 2018

Scientists find key biomarker of Parkinson's disease in the retina

A research involving scientists from the University of Alicante and the United States notes that the accumulation of a protein known as alpha-synuclein in the retina is a key Parkinson's biomarker that could help detect the degree of severity of the disease.

8 Jun 2018

Researchers discover link between tuberculosis and Parkinson's disease

The mechanism our immune cells use to clear bacterial infections like tuberculosis (TB) might also be implicated in Parkinson's disease, according to a new collaborative study led by the Francis Crick Institute, Newcastle University and GSK.

22 May 2018

Scientists uncover genome variation linked to increased risk of developing Alzheimer's

An article published in Nature Medicine with the collaboration of the research group of Dr. Manel Esteller, director of the Epigenetics and Cancer Biology Program of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, ICREA Researcher and Professor of Genetics of the University of Barcelona, and Drs. Dave Monk and Isidre Ferrer, from the same center, shows that the inheritance of small changes in DNA alters the expression of the PM20D1 gene and is associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

14 May 2018

UAB researchers unravel brain neuron dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies

A decay of brain function is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, or DLB. Specifically, cognitive dysfunction defines DLB, and nearly eight of every 10 Parkinson's patients develop dementia.

11 May 2018

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

FDA re-examining safety of new drug approved for Parkinson’s disease psychosis

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking again at the safety of a drug Nuplazid that was approved earlier in 2016. This is the only drug that has been approved for the treatment of psychiatric manifestations such as hallucinations and delusions that are associated with Parkinson's disease.

26 Apr 2018

UC San Diego Health designated as LBDA Research Center of Excellence

The Lewy Body Dementia Association, announced today that UC San Diego Health has been named a LBDA Research Centers of Excellence, a partnership of 24 pre-eminent academic medical research centers across the United States. LBDA is a leading advocacy group dedicated to raising awareness and advancing research and treatment of Lewy body dementia.

3 Apr 2018

Researchers uncover link between Parkinson’s disease mutations and plaque formation in the brain

Working with lab-grown human brain cells, Johns Hopkins researchers report they have uncovered a much sought-after connection between one of the most common genetic mutations in Parkinson's disease and the formation of fatty plaques in the brain thought to contribute to the destruction of motor neurons that characterize the disease.

15 Mar 2018

Study uncovers new target in Parkinson’s disease

A new study has uncovered a relationship between the presence of Lewy bodies and neuronal cell death in Parkinson's disease.

6 Mar 2018

TSRI research offers explanation for why neurons die off in Parkinson's disease

An estimated 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson's disease--an incurable neurodegenerative disorder that leads to an increasing loss of motor control.

6 Mar 2018

Low protein levels linked to posture and gait problems in Parkinson’s, finds study

A new study has linked low levels of alpha-synuclein in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Parkinson’s to postural instability and gait difficulty.

21 Feb 2018

Researchers uncover how excess calcium may influence development of Parkinson’s disease

Researchers have found that excess levels of calcium in brain cells may lead to the formation of toxic clusters that are the hallmark of Parkinson's disease.

19 Feb 2018

NIH scientists modify new RT-QuIC assay to detect Parkinson's, dementia with Lewy bodies

National Institutes of Health scientists developing a rapid, practical test for the early diagnosis of prion diseases have modified the assay to offer the possibility of improving early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.

9 Feb 2018

Mitochondrial impairment may actually protect the brain in Parkinson's disease, study shows

A Norwegian study shows that impairment in mitochondria may actually protect the brain in Parkinson's disease.

15 Jan 2018

Key synaptic proteins could be targets for early interventions in patients with dementias

One of the most intriguing properties of the brain is its means to undergo synaptic plasticity which represents the basis for learning and memory, abilities that severely decline in the case of a dementia.

9 Jan 2018

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals announces results from Phase II study of antipsychotic in Alzheimer's disease psychosis

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs in central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced the presentation of data from the Phase II -019 Study of pimavanserin in Alzheimer's disease psychosis at the 10th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease meeting in Boston.

3 Nov 2017

Scientists explore the reason behind impaired sense of smell in Parkinson's disease

The first symptom of Parkinson's disease is often an impaired sense of smell. This neurodegenerative disease primarily causes irreparable damage to nerve cells in a brain area involved in movement control.

30 Sep 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

Bacterial community in the gut of Parkinson's patients differs from that of healthy people

Parkinson's disease is an insidious disease: by the time it manifests as the typical motor dysfunctions such as tremors or muscle rigidity, portions of the brain have already been irreversibly destroyed.

29 Aug 2017