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News Articles: Parkinson's disease

Two new studies suggest that stem-cell treatments may be getting closer to becoming widely available for Parkinson's patients.

Stem cells to treat Parkinson's? 2 small studies hint at success

Two new studies suggest that Parkinson's disease can potentially be treated with stem cells placed in a patient's brain.

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  • Jon Hamilton
Ekemeni Riley is the managing director of Aligning Science Across Parkinson's, a research initiative that worked on an effort to bring a more diverse population into a study on genes that carry a greater risk for the disease. A team that included scientists from Lagos, London and the U.S. found a previously unknown gene variant that can nearly quadruple the risk for people of African ancestry.

Risk factor for Parkinson's discovered in genes from people of African descent

An effort to diversify genetic studies has led to a discovery about Parkinson's disease in people of African descent.

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By:
  • Jon Hamilton
runners

Parkinson’s breakthroughs remind RaceTrac runners — and Michael J. Fox — to keep going

Since 2011, Georgia’s second-largest private company has partnered with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to fight Parkinson’s disease.  

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In Huntington's disease, proteins form toxic clumps that kill brain cells.

Huntington's spreads like 'fire in the brain.' Scientists say they've found the spark

Diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's spread through the brain like a forest fire. A new study suggests how the fire starts.

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  • Jon Hamilton
Dr. Daniel Cobb and Chris Griffin, his patient, speak at the counter in the lobby of the Neuro Center in Gainesville, Georgia.

I can name my demon, says patient whose neurologist confirmed Parkinson's with new biopsy test

Georgia patient Chris Griffin says the Syn-One test biopsy results brought him peace of mind, and helped him make lifestyle changes and treat his Parkinson’s disease early. 

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Anumantha Kanthasamy wears white lab coat in a laboratory.

UGA brain center to study genetic and environmental factors in developing Parkinson's disease

Federal funding for Parkinson's research will support the forthcoming Johnny Isakson Center for Brain Science and Neurological Disorders at the University of Georgia,

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham added $5 million in tribute to the late senator as part of the omnibus spending package passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden on March 15.   

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GPB News NPR

Art and music therapy seem to help with brain disorders. Scientists want to know why

Arts therapies appear to ease brain disorders from Parkinson's to PTSD. Now, artists and scientists have launched an effort to understand how these treatments change the brain.

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By:
  • Jon Hamilton
GPB News NPR

A brain circuit tied to emotion may lead to better treatments for Parkinson's disease

The symptoms of Parkinson's disease can vanish briefly in the face of stress or a strong emotion. Now scientists are searching for a treatment based on this phenomenon, a form of the placebo effect.

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By:
  • Jon Hamilton