Parkinson's doesn't just affect movement and the brain -- it may also impact the heart, according to new research. Scientists suggest that targeting a key protein outside of the brain could help manage Parkinson's-related heart issues.
Scientists have confirmed a neurobiochemical link between dopamine and cognitive flexibility. PET imaging shows that the brain increases dopamine production when completing cognitively demanding tasks, and that the more dopamine released, the more efficiently the tasks are completed. Armed with this information, physicians may soon be able to develop more precise treatment strategies for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Researchers have made a huge leap forward in the fight against Parkinson's disease, solving a decades-long mystery. In a major breakthrough, they have been able to see the human PINK1 protein and how it is switched on for the first time. The discovery is a significant milestone in Parkinson's research that paves the way for developing new life-changing drugs.
For people with a certain sleep disorder, a simple blood test could help predict the development of dementia years before symptoms appear, a new study indicates. Idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) causes people to physically act out their dreams while sleeping. The disorder is also associated with a very high risk of Parkinson's disease and a related condition called Dementia with Lewy Bodies. This is a form of dementia that often causes memory and cognitive loss, as well as vivid visual hallucinations and movement difficulties similar to Parkinson's.
