Thursday, December 28, 2023

Scientists find way to detect Parkinson’s disease 30 years before symptoms

Researchers at The Florey and Austin Health in Melbourne, Australia, have demonstrated the potential to identify early indicators of Parkinson’s disease two to three decades prior to the onset of symptoms. This groundbreaking discovery paves the way for early screening initiatives and proactive treatments that could be administered before any permanent damage occurs from the disease in patients.

According to Florey Professor Kevin Barnham, “Parkinson’s disease is very hard to diagnose until symptoms are obvious, by which time up to 85% of the brain’s neurons that control motor coordination have been destroyed. Our long-term goal is to find a way to detect the disease much earlier and treat people before the damage is done.” Click here to learn more.

Year in review 2023: Top stories in movement disorders

In 2023, NeurologyLive® covered clinical news and data readouts from all over the world - from major study data and FDA decisions to medical society conference sessions and expert conversations. Click here to read some of their most-read content this year on movement disorders, including stories on advances in medical care and therapeutic development.

Positive interim data shown in phase 1/2 trials of Huntington’s disease therapy

uniQure has announced updated interim data from ongoing United States and European phase 1/2 clinical trials of AMT-130 to treat Huntington’s disease. Updated clinical data through 30 months for a low-dose cohort and 18 months for a high-dose showed ongoing evidence of potential dose-dependent clinical benefit relative to the non-concurrent criteria-matched natural history.

“We are observing favorable trends in evaluation of motor skills, functional independence and composite rating scores as compared to a non-concurrent criteria-matched natural history cohort,” according to Walid Abi-Saab, MD, uniQure chief medical officer. Click here to learn more.

Examining biomarkers in extracellular vesicles enriched in the central nervous system for Parkinsonian disorders

Despite diverse cellular and regional damage across Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple system atrophy, early symptoms overlap, hindering diagnosis. Researchers launched a retrospective study to assess whether blood-based analysis of brain-enriched extracellular vesicles could accurately diagnose Parkinsonian disorders.

Results showed moderate diagnostic accuracy for distinguishing patients with PD from HCs and concluded that brain-based blood markers in Parkinson’s offered moderate but unreliable diagnosis, calling for better tools and more extensive studies. Click here to learn more.

Still time to have your gift matched!

At Movement Disorders Foundation, we're fortunate to have supporters who believe in our commitment to funding the most innovative and promising research, as well as offer the highest quality of information in areas of prevention, treatment and cure with our weekly eNewsletter.

In recent months, we received an opportunity from two generous supporters - a combined $5000 challenge grant that will match dollar for dollar contributions made to the MDF General Fund. That means any gift you make now through December 31, 2023, will count double thanks to this offer!

We are grateful for you, for any gift, and for your belief in the power of translational research in the spectrum of movement disorders. Click here and make twice the impact for MDF research and education. All gifts given up to $5000 will be doubled through 11:59 P.M. MST on December 31.