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A research team is the first to reveal that a molecule in the brain—ophthalmic acid—unexpectedly acts like a neurotransmitter similar to dopamine in regulating motor function, offering a new therapeutic target for Parkinson's. The researchers observed that ophthalmic acid binds to and activates calcium-sensing receptors in the brain, reversing the movement impairments of Parkinson's mouse models for more than 20 hours. The disabling neurogenerative disease affects millions worldwide over the age of 50. L-dopa, the front-line drug for treatment, acts by replacing the lost dopamine and has a duration of two to three hours. While initially successful, the effect of...

Brett Favre revealed that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in a congressional hearing on welfare accountability Tuesday. Favre testified at the hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee in the wake of allegations he was part of a scheme to use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) state funds for personal projects. The quarterback told lawmakers that the scandal has hurt him in various ways, and suggested his Parkinson’s diagnosis was caused by concussions during his playing career. “Sadly, I also lost my investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought...

Insulin resistance is associated with 31 different diseases, and in women, is also linked to higher odds of early death. This is according to a study of data on hundreds of thousands of people. There is compelling evidence of links between insulin resistance and conditions as diverse as Parkinson's disease, gout and sciatica. Insulin resistance is also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. To find out more, Ms. Jing Wu and colleagues analyzed data from the UK Biobank. The study involved 429,159 participants. Levels of blood sugar and fats, including cholesterol, were used to calculate each participant's TyG index—a measure...

Video interview from NBC Tom Llamas with Dr. Tom Pitts, Neurologist.

The White House was forced to make yet another embarrassing clarification after Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that a meeting between the president's personal physician and a neurological specialist was not related to Joe Biden's personal care. In fact, it was part of Biden's annual physical, as she later had to admit. It is the most recent gaffe by officials as the nation's oldest president fights for his political life amid questions about his fitness for the job.

A substance naturally occurring in pomegranates, strawberries and walnuts can improve memory and treatment of Alzheimer's disease, a new study concludes. Forgetfulness, difficulty finding words and confusion about time and place. These are some of the most common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Now researchers have discovered that an ordinary fruit can help. "Our study on mouse models with AD shows that urolithin A can alleviate memory problems and other consequences of dementia," says Vilhelm Bohr. "Even though the study was conducted on mouse models, the prospects are positive. So far, research has shown promising results for the substance in the...

Living in areas of the United States with higher levels of air pollution is associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, according to a study. The study looked at fine particulate matter, PM2.5, which is less than 2.5 microns in diameter. Fine particles come from motor vehicle exhaust, the burning of fuels by power plants and other industries and forest and grass fires. People in the highest exposure group had an average annual exposure of 19 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) of fine particulate matter. People in the lowest exposure group had an average annual exposure of 5 µg/m3....

Six minutes of high-intensity exercise could extend the lifespan of a healthy brain and delay the onset of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. New research published in The Journal of Physiology shows that a short but intense bout of cycling increases the production of a specialized protein that is essential for brain formation, learning and memory, and could protect the brain from age-related cognitive decline. The specialized protein named brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to form new connections and pathways) and the survival of neurons. Animal studies have shown that...

The surreal scene shows a Kremlin meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Viktor Zolotov, 68, who is director of the Russian National Guard and has lost thousands of his men in the war. A grimacing Vladimir Putin was seen tightly gripping his desk as his most trusted general reported to him that invaded Ukrainians are showing their “support” for occupying Russian soldiers. The surreal scene shows a Kremlin meeting between Russian President Putin and Viktor Zolotov, 68, who is director of the Russian National Guard and has lost thousands of his men in the war. It is not the...

About a third of the world’s population is chronically infected with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that about 11% of the U.S. population aged 6 years and over is infected with the parasite, while in other countries the infection rate has been shown to be up to 95%. Researchers from 16 institutions across the U.S., Canada, England, Scotland, and Australia have now analyzed genetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data from infected individuals, and from studies in cell cultures, to link T. gondii infection with a number of brain disorders,...

11/6/12: D-4,266,317 voters; R-3,131,144 voters; UAF-1,110,554 voters 9/5/16: D-4,094,000 voters; R-3,175,000 voters; UAF-685,390 voters

Joy Milne has always had a keen sense of smell, so she was unfazed when her husband, Les, began emitting a subtle musky odor. He was an anesthesiologist who worked long hours, and Milne assumed the smell was just sweat. But with the change in scent came a growing tiredness that was explained by a devastating diagnosis six years later: Les had Parkinson’s disease.“I could always smell things other people couldn’t smell,” Milne said during a BBC broadcast Thursday. After attending a meeting for the charity Parkinson’s UK, where the other Parkinson’s patients shared her husband’s musky scent, she realized that the...

WILSON, N.C. (BP) -- When news broke that legendary comedian and actor Robin Williams had died of an apparent suicide, people were saddened that someone who had brought so much joy to the lives of others had taken his own life. Immediately some began to speculate about his ongoing battle with alcohol addiction and depression as the cause of his desperate act. Others began to comfort themselves with the thought that Williams was now at peace from such battles. And a few observed that suicide is the ultimate selfish act. There is little doubt that suicide is a fierce goodbye....

Robin Williams was suffering from the early stages of Parkinson's disease at the time of his death, his wife has said.

Robin Williams was suffering from the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, his widow revealed Thursday, days after the beloved actor and comedian was found dead of an apparent suicide. Susan Schneider said Williams’ “sobriety was intact” at the time of his death, and that he was struggling with “depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson’s disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly.”

Please pray for my friend Joe. He has institutionalized unable to feed himself with Parkinson's disease. Joe was once a football player from the coal region of Pennsylvania. He was a HS football coach, neighbor and friend. My daughter was the baby sitter to his special child. His wife taught my children. A few months ago at Church, he poked me in the back. I turned around, Joe remembered me but did not know me. He was being guided by his wife and was failing rapidly from this terrible disease.

Back in 2004-2005, before he ran for president, when he’d just moved into the Obama/Rezko Mansion, a friend of mine had a meeting with Obama in his study — where piles of papers on Parkinson’s Disease were stacked. Books on Parkinson’s sat on his desk, with printed pages from websites scattered around. Obama is an intellectually incurious man who has never shown the slightest interest in any topic involving anything but himself. In his early 30s, having accomplished nothing, he wrote his autobiography (or, had William Ayers ghost write it, depending on what you believe). Obama is Obama’s favorite subject,...

Topeka (WIBW) - The future of passenger rail service got a boost Wednesday with a few strokes of the Governor's pen. Gov. Mark Parkinson signed a bill creating the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact and establishing the passenger rail service program in Kansas. “Passenger rail service in Kansas would create economic opportunities for the future, but the planning must begin now,” Parkinson said. “A strong public infrastructure system helps attract businesses and jobs to our state, and a high speed rail service is another piece in furthering our economic recovery. I am pleased to sign these two bills that will...

Symptoms of Parkinson's disease in mice disappeared when their brains were stimulated via spinal electrodes A ground-breaking medical device that eliminates the symptoms of Parkinson's disease by electrically stimulating the brain could be tested in humans as early as next year, according to scientists working on the project.The device has produced dramatic improvements in mice with a Parkinson's-like disease, raising hopes that it could transform the lives of the four million people worldwide who have the devastating condition.In tests, mice that suffered constant tremors and were barely able to walk because of the disease started moving around, groomed themselves and...

I've been under a lot of stress in the last couple weeks - I'm not sure what I can say - the other night I got so upset I just wanted to leave FR - I thought I was strong but at the moment I'm really distraught - My father has been sick for a while - he has Parkinson's and something wrong with his liver I'm not sure what it is - a couple weeks ago my mother sent me an email and said they had to call 911 because he was "bleeding from his esophageal varises" and having...