Thursday, November 2, 2023

Colorado Gives Day is open for early giving!

One hundred percent (100%) of your Colorado Gives Day contribution to the Movement Disorders Foundation General Fund will be designated to support the administration of our education programs, young investigator research grants, and communications like our weekly eNewsletter. Colorado Gives Day donations also can be restricted to research funding.

And don't forget the Colorado Gives Day $1 million Incentive Fund increases the value of every donation proportionally! Click here to make your donation today or on Colorado Gives Day, Tuesday, December 5, and learn more about giving opportunities with Movement Disorders Foundation.

Possible blood biomarkers of Parkinson’s fatigue identified

Fatigue is a common nonmotor symptom of Parkinson’s disease with reports indicating its presence in anywhere from 30%-70% of patients, according to researchers. Yet, the mechanisms by which fatigue arises in the neurodegenerative disease are not completely known, and biomarkers for this troublesome symptom are lacking.

Findings from a recent study published in the Journal of Neuroimmunology suggest that blood levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, an inflammatory molecule, and phosphorylated alpha-synuclein, a Parkinson’s disease biomarker, could be used to distinguish Parkinson’s patients with or without fatigue. Click here to learn more.

Transparency and regulation in transplant studies in movement disorders

At the 2023 International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders in Copenhagen, Cindy Towns, MBChB, PhD, of Wellington Hospital, New Zealand, discussed the need for transparency and regulation in stem cell therapy and transplant studies, highlighting the importance of providing patients with full disclosure of information, particularly in cases where their beliefs may conflict with medical practices. 

In her interview, Dr. Towns emphasized the significance of respecting patients' right to decline participation and underscored the importance of robust regulations and oversight, especially when it comes to for-profit businesses making unproven claims, to protect patients and prevent exploitation in the healthcare industry. Click here to watch Dr. Towns' interview.

Join us on Saturday, November 11, for 2023 HDSA Rocky Mountain Family Education Day - online

"The event provided the ability to speak with others on my situation and how I can utilize resources."

"Very helpful to learn the scientific basis of the different research efforts; the discussions on advocacy and palliative care I found very helpful as well."

"Received a lot of information I can utilize as a caregiver; grateful for the type of event; very much needed in the HD community."

These responses and many others were shared by patients and caregivers alike at the HDSA Rocky Mountain Huntington’s Disease Family Education Day presented on October 21 in Englewood, Colorado. Join us at www.movementdisordersfoundation.org on Saturday, November 11, at 9:00 am MT for a special rebroadcast of the event, featuring presentations by the region's leading physicians and medical experts on Huntington's disease research, social work, advocacy, and palliative and spiritual care. The broadcast is free, but registration is recommended. Click here to register for the streamed event. 

Voice-based analysis may help differentiate FA from other diseases

Analyzing patients’ voices using machine learning may help to identify Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) and differentiate it from other neurological disorders, a new study shows. Changes in voice are a characteristic symptom of FA. In recent years, many scientists have begun to explore whether machine learning could be used for vocal analysis in healthcare settings. 

The study, “Disease Delineation for Multiple Sclerosis, Friedreich Ataxia, and Healthy Controls Using Supervised Machine Learning on Speech Acoustics,” was published in IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering. Click here to read the report.