Parkinson’s disease tagged posts

Whether Physical Exertion feels ‘Easy’ or ‘Hard’ may be due to Dopamine levels, study suggests

Experimental paradigm. a Association phase; Participants were trained to associate between grip force exerted on a handheld dynamometer and effort levels from 0 to 100 (80% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)). Each trial began with presentation of the target, followed by an effortful grip with real-time visual feedback of the exerted force represented as a bar that increased in height with increased exertion. A target zone was also presented, and participants were asked to maintain their exerted force within this target zone. The target zone turned green when exerted force was within the target and stayed red otherwise. Feedback of success or failure was provided at the end of each trial...
Read More

Researchers uncover Where and Why Proteins Malfunction in Parkinson’s disease

Super resolution image of α-synuclein in mitochondria of neuron (left) and single molecule TIRF image of individual α-synuclein aggregates (right)
Super resolution image of α-synuclein in mitochondria of neuron (left) and single molecule TIRF image of individual α-synuclein aggregates (right).
– Mathew Horrocks

Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, UCL and the University of Edinburgh have uncovered how a build-up of harmful protein starts to happen within neurons in Parkinson’s disease, ultimately causing nerve cell death. By looking at how, where and why this build-up happens, the work provides unique insight into a key biological process driving Parkinson’s.

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes tremors, slowing of movements, stiffness and can progress to cause severe cognitive problems...

Read More

Parkinson’s Protein Blueprint could help Fast-track New Treatments

Microscopy image showing Parkin (cyan)
accumulating at the mitochondrial membrane
(magenta). PINK1 recruits Parkin to help
repair damaged mitochondria.

Researchers have solved a decade-long mystery about a critical protein linked to Parkinson’s disease that could help to fast-track treatments for the incurable disease.

The research, published in Nature, has for the first time produced a ‘live action’ view of the protein, called PINK1, in exquisite molecular detail. The discovery explains how the protein is activated in the cell, where it is responsible for initiating the removal and replacement of damaged mitochondria...

Read More

Quantum Brain Sensors could be crucial in Spotting Dementia after scientists find they can Track Brain Waves

Lead research author Aikaterini Gialopsou with magnetic shield where participant brain signal measurements are taken

New highly sensitive quantum sensors for the brain may in the future be able to identify brain diseases such as dementia, ALS and Parkinson’s, by spotting a slowing in the speed at which signals travel across the brain. The research findings from a paper led by University of Sussex quantum physicists are published in Scientific Reports journal.

The quantum scanners being developed by the scientists can detect the magnetic fields generated when neurons fire. Measuring moment-to-moment changes in the brain, they track the speed at which signals move across the brain...

Read More