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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Insulin Resistance and Parkinson's Disease

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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

Insights into the brain's switching mechanism could improve Parkinson's treatment

New USC research offers an unseen insight into how the brain shifts gears. The researchers discovered that our innate ability to make quick changes in motor function are the result of a unique brain mechanism.

28 Apr 2025

Computational biology uncovers RNA changes in ALS patients

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that destroys the nerves necessary for movement. About 30,000 people in the United States are affected, and doctors still don't know what causes it.

25 Apr 2025

Researchers discover brain pathway to ease nicotine withdrawal

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 22% of the global population smokes, with more than 9 million smoking-related deaths reported annually.

25 Apr 2025

New biomarker offers hope for early Parkinson’s diagnosis

A misfolded protein facilitates reliable diagnosis even in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease in body fluids.

25 Apr 2025

iPS cell transplants show early promise for treating Parkinson's disease safely

In a first-of-its-kind human trial, researchers transplanted iPS-cell-derived dopaminergic progenitors into patients with Parkinson’s disease and observed promising motor improvements with no serious safety concerns over 24 months. The therapy showed increased dopamine synthesis without tumor formation or graft-induced dyskinesia.

21 Apr 2025

Mitochondrial pyruvate carrier structure solved after fifty years

Fifty years since its discovery, scientists have finally worked out how a molecular machine found in mitochondria, the 'powerhouses' of our cells, allows us to make the fuel we need from sugars, a process vital to all life on Earth.

18 Apr 2025

Scientists track liquid to solid shift in brain disease proteins

An international research collaboration led by Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientists that examined microscopic blobs of protein found in human cells has discovered that some morph from an almost honey-like substance to a hard candy-like solid.

18 Apr 2025

Smart insoles offer real time gait tracking and early health warnings

A new smart insole system that monitors how people walk in real time could help users improve posture and provide early warnings for conditions from plantar fasciitis to Parkinson's disease.

17 Apr 2025

Harnessing the healing power of music in clinical care

Rhonda Winegar remembers watching the 2014 documentary "I'll Be Me," which chronicled country music legend Glen Campbell's struggles with Alzheimer's disease.

16 Apr 2025

Stem cell therapy shows promise for treating advanced Parkinson's disease

A stem cell–based therapy initially developed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) may lead to a new treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease, according to results from a phase 1 clinical trial reported in Nature.

16 Apr 2025

UVA scientist secures funding to use sound waves for breast cancer therapy

University of Virginia researcher Natasha D. Sheybani, PhD, has received $5.5 million from the federal Department of Defense to support her cutting-edge efforts to use focused sound waves to improve our immune system's ability to battle breast cancer.

15 Apr 2025

Northwestern scientists identify key genes behind Parkinson's development

A longstanding mystery in Parkinson's disease research has been why some individuals carrying pathogenic variants that increase their risk of PD go on to develop the disease, while others who also carry such variants do not.

11 Apr 2025

Researchers explore drug repurposing strategy for Parkinson's disease

Despite significant advances in Parkinson's disease (PD) treatment, it remains incurable, with limited therapeutic options.

10 Apr 2025

WPI researcher receives NSF CAREER Award to create bioadhesives for medical applications

A Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researcher is developing a new class of medical adhesives by bringing together hydrogels and glue-like polymers to safely and reliably connect human tissues to therapeutic devices implanted in the body, such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, and artificial joints.

9 Apr 2025

Protein linked to Parkinson's also found to drive melanoma growth

A small protein involved in neurodegeneration leading to Parkinson's disease also drives a type of skin cancer known as melanoma, new research led by Oregon Health & Science University finds.

9 Apr 2025

Breakthrough nanoparticle delivery method targets brain inflammation for multiple conditions

Oregon State University researchers have discovered a way to get anti-inflammatory medicine across the blood-brain barrier, opening the door to potential new therapies for a range of conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and cancer cachexia.

9 Apr 2025

Experimental drug NU-9 shows promise for Alzheimer's and ALS treatment

Experimental drug NU-9 - a small molecule compound approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical trials for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - improves neuron health in animal models of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new Northwestern University study.

8 Apr 2025

Proteins linked to Parkinson's and ALS found to protect mitochondria

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have discovered how a group of proteins linked to Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis act as "guardians" of mitochondria, small organelles, or subunits, within a cell that make and store energy and are found in almost all plants and animals.

8 Apr 2025

Study reveals high rate of diagnostic changes in Parkinson’s disease

A new study by the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland, found that a significant proportion of Parkinson's disease diagnoses are later corrected.

7 Apr 2025

Targeting a key protein outside of the brain could help manage Parkinson's-related heart issues

Parkinson's doesn't just affect movement and the brain - it may also impact the heart, according to new research from the University of Surrey. Scientists from Surrey's School of Veterinary Medicine suggest that targeting a key protein outside of the brain could help manage Parkinson's-related heart issues.

3 Apr 2025