Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder. It occurs when certain nerve cells (neurons) in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra die or become impaired. When approximately 80 percent of neurons are damaged, the symptoms of Parkinson's disease appear. Parkinson's disease affects 1 in 100 people over the age of 60, with the average age of onset being 60 years. The risk of developing Parkinson's disease increases with age. In the United States, it is estimated that 60,000 new cases of Parkinson's disease are diagnosed each year, with 1.5 million Americans currently living with the disease.

What is Parkinson's Disease?

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease of the brain. It affects parts of the brain that are associated with normal movement and balance.

Parkinson's Disease Pathophysiology

Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis

Parkinson's Disease Treatment

Parkinson's Disease Prognosis

Parkinson's Disease History

Parkinson's Disease Research

Parkinson's Disease Support

Herpes Virus and Parkinson's Disease

Physiotherapy for Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's Compared to Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB)

VPS35 Gene and Parkinson's Disease

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Human brain may stay active for hours after death

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Thalamotomy, Pallidotomy and Subthalamotomy

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Parkinson’s Disease and Sleeping Disorders

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Parkinson's Disease and the Gut Microbiome

Gut Bacteria Affecting Parkinson’s Treatment

Identifying Early Symptoms in Parkinson’s

Do Antioxidants Benefit Patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s?

Insulin Resistance and Parkinson's Disease

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) Versus Parkinson's Disease

Parkinsonism in Spinocerebellar Ataxia

Where Does Parkinson’s Disease Originate?

Is Appendectomy Linked to Parkinson’s Disease?

Bipolar Disorder and Parkinson’s

Gene Therapies for Parkinson’s Disease

Latest Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Study reveals the long-term neurologic consequences of COVID-19

If you've had COVID-19, it may still be messing with your brain. Those who have been infected with the virus are at increased risk of developing a range of neurological conditions in the first year after the infection, new research shows.

22 Sep 2022

In-home device can monitor Parkinson's patient's movement and gait speed

Parkinson's disease is the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease, now affecting more than 10 million people worldwide, yet clinicians still face huge challenges in tracking its severity and progression.

21 Sep 2022

SARS-CoV-2 generates amyloid in cerebral spinal fluid

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, an international team of researchers demonstrated amyloid aggregation due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

20 Sep 2022

Discovery could resolve one of the mysteries of Parkinson's disease

Aggregates of the protein alpha-synuclein spread in the brains of people with Parkinson's disease through a cellular waste-ejection process, suggests a new study led by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers.

20 Sep 2022

Retired MMA fighters and boxers may see some improvement in thinking and memory scores

Boxers and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters may see some recovery in their thinking and memory skills as well as brain structure after they stop fighting, according to a new study published in the September 14, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

14 Sep 2022

Seven healthy lifestyle habits linked to lower risk of dementia in people with diabetes

A combination of seven healthy lifestyle habits including sleeping seven to nine hours daily, exercising regularly and having frequent social contact was associated with a lower risk of dementia in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the September 14, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

14 Sep 2022

Study reveals cellular underpinnings of motor memory acquisition and consolidation

When you are first learning how to ride a bicycle or play a musical instrument, your physical movements are uncoordinated at best.

14 Sep 2022

Age-related changes in microbiome composition affects brain macrophages

Scientists review the impact of age-related gut microbiome composition on age-associated diseases caused by dysfunctional macrophages within the brain.

13 Sep 2022

Exercise hormone reduces protein levels linked to Parkinson's disease

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston have shown that a hormone secreted into the blood during endurance, or aerobic, exercise reduces levels of a protein linked to Parkinson's disease and halts movement problems in mice.

12 Sep 2022

New data analysis approach could help uncover the genetic basis of many diseases

In the era of Big Data, obtaining a huge amount of information is the easy part; knowing what to do with it is another story entirely.

9 Sep 2022

Annual flu shot may be linked with lower risk of stroke

Getting an annual flu shot may be associated with a lower risk of stroke, according to a study published in the September 7, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

8 Sep 2022

Recent developments in the use of nanoparticles to deliver drugs to the brain via intranasal administration

Scientists have recently reviewed research articles related to the application of inorganic nanoparticles in delivering drugs to the brain through the intranasal route.

7 Sep 2022

New tool uses artificial intelligence to calculate harmful effects of medicines

Research led by the University of Exeter and Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust, published in Age and Ageing, assessed a new tool designed to calculate which medicines are more likely to experience adverse anticholinergic effects on the body and brain.

7 Sep 2022

The role of nasal microbiome in Parkinson's disease

A recent study provides an overview of how the nasal bacterial population influences olfactory processing and neurodegeneration.

5 Sep 2022

High-quality human clinical trials needed to determine the benefits of CBD for heart disease patients

As cannabidiol (CBD) use rises, high quality randomized clinical trials are needed to determine if anti-inflammatory benefits of CBD for heart disease seen in preclinical data will work in a real-world setting, according to research presented at ACC Latin America 2022 Together with CardioAcademic.

5 Sep 2022

Circadian rhythm disruption is shared by a broad range of mental illnesses, study finds

Anxiety, autism, schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome each have their own distinguishing characteristics, but one factor bridging these and most other mental disorders is circadian rhythm disruption, according to a team of neuroscience, pharmaceutical sciences and computer science researchers at the University of California, Irvine.

2 Sep 2022