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

See more featured articles »

Parkinson's Disease and the Gut Microbiome

Parkinson's Disease and Helicobacter Pylori

Does Exercise Slow Parkinson's Disease Progression?

Human brain may stay active for hours after death

Neurophysiotherapy for Parkinson's Disease

Thalamotomy, Pallidotomy and Subthalamotomy

Estrogen as a Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease

Latest Parkinson's Disease News and Research

People with metabolic syndrome may be at higher risk for second stroke, death

People with larger waistlines, high blood pressure and other risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome may be at higher risk for having a second stroke and even dying than people who do not have metabolic syndrome, according to a meta-analysis published in the July 28, 2021, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Jul 2021

Foods high in flavonoids may lower risk of cognitive decline

A new study shows that people who eat a diet that includes at least half a serving per day of foods high in flavonoids like strawberries, oranges, peppers and apples may have a 20% lower risk of cognitive decline.

28 Jul 2021

Natural compound prevents, reverses brain damage linked to Parkinson's disease in mice

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have added to evidence that the compound farnesol, found naturally in herbs, and berries and other fruits, prevents and reverses brain damage linked to Parkinson's disease in mouse studies.

28 Jul 2021

Novel microfluidic device used to manipulate major whey protein

After gaining world attention by 'unboiling' egg protein, Flinders University scientists have now used an Australian-made novel thin film microfluidic device to manipulate Beta-lactoglobulin (β-lactoglobulin), the major whey protein in cow's, sheep's and other mammals.

26 Jul 2021

Study reveals the implication of lysosomes in the spread of Parkinson’s disease

Over the last few decades, neurodegenerative diseases became one of the top 10 global causes of death. Researchers worldwide are making a strong effort to understand neurodegenerative diseases pathogenesis, which is essential to develop efficient treatments against these incurable diseases.

23 Jul 2021

Investigational antipsychotic treatment offers sustained benefits for people with dementia-related psychosis

Evidence of the sustained benefits of an investigational antipsychotic treatment for people with dementia-related psychosis has been published.

22 Jul 2021

New digital health technologies could lead to better care for Parkinson’s disease

The use of digital health technologies across health care and drug development has accelerated. A new paper titled "Digital Progression Biomarkers as Novel Endpoints in Clinical Trials: A Multistakeholder Perspective," co-authored by experts across diverse disciplines, highlights how new remote monitoring technologies present a tremendous opportunity to advance digital medicine in health care even further, specifically in Parkinson's disease.

20 Jul 2021

Component derived from turmeric essential oil exhibits neuroprotective effects

Researchers from Kumamoto University, Japan have found that a component derived from turmeric essential oil, aromatic turmerone (ar-turmerone), and its derivatives act directly on dopaminergic nerves to create a neuroprotective effect on tissue cultures of a Parkinson's disease model.

14 Jul 2021

Static magnetic field from MRI scanner decreases blood-brain barrier opening volume

MRI-guided focused ultrasound combined with microbubbles can open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and allow therapeutic drugs to reach the diseased brain location under the guidance of MRI.

13 Jul 2021

Gene therapy shows promise in children with devastating genetic disorder

Children with a devastating genetic disorder characterized by severe motor disability and developmental delay have experienced sometimes dramatic improvements in a gene therapy trial launched at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals.

12 Jul 2021

Malfunction in the cell’s powerhouse causes sporadic Parkinson disease

The major cause of Parkinson’s Disease is a dysregulation of immune genes central for fighting against viruses, a new study reveals.

9 Jul 2021

Non-toxic derivative of tetanus neurotoxin may help treat depression, neurodegenerative diseases

Depression has been treated traditionally with inhibitors of serotonin reuptake in the central nervous system.

9 Jul 2021

Researchers identify potential new treatment targets for Alzheimer's disease

A research team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified potential new treatment targets for Alzheimer's disease, as well as existing drugs that have therapeutic potential against these targets.

8 Jul 2021

Dance training with music can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease

A new study published in Brain Sciences today, shows patients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease (PD) can slow the progress of the disease by participating in dance training with music for one-and-a-quarter hours per week.

7 Jul 2021

New screening method tests the effectiveness of drug compounds that 'glue' proteins together

A new screening method that can test the effectiveness of therapeutic molecules designed to 'glue' proteins together in the body has been developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham and the University of Leicester.

7 Jul 2021

Researchers identify early functional deficiencies in neurons derived from Parkinson's patients

Researchers from IDIBELL and the University of Barcelona have described that neurons derived from Parkinson's patients show impairments in their transmission before neurodegeneration.

7 Jul 2021

Adults with ADHD at higher risk of many physical conditions, finds study

Adults with ADHD are at higher risk of a wide range of physical conditions, including nervous system, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and metabolic diseases, according to a large register-based study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

7 Jul 2021

IU researchers developing noninvasive brain stimulation technique to treat neurological disorders

Indiana University School of Medicine researchers are developing a new, noninvasive brain stimulation technique to treat neurological disorders, including pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and more.

2 Jul 2021

Study finds a neural circuit for spirituality and religiosity

More than 80 percent of people around the world consider themselves to be religious or spiritual. But research on the neuroscience of spirituality and religiosity has been sparse.

1 Jul 2021

Study provides renewed hope for treating Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases

Nanosized molecules of a particular chemical element can inhibit the formation of plaque in the brain tissues. This new discovery by researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, in collaboration with researchers in Croatia and Lithuania, provides renewed hope for novel treatments of, for instance, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease in the long run.

1 Jul 2021