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Neuropharmacology 2020 May 31:108138. Epub 2020 May 31.

Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, 4400 Vestal Parkway East, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA. Electronic address:

The striatum undergoes significant neuroplasticity both in Parkinson's Disease (PD) and following dopamine (DA) replacement therapy with l-DOPA. Unfortunately, these changes also contribute to the emergence of l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). While convergent strategies have demonstrated independent roles for DA D1 -receptors (D1R) and D2-receptors (D2R) in LID, DA receptor cooperativity, either by cellular or circuit mechanisms, has also been implicated in the dyskinetic brain. Read More

Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2020 Jun 3. Epub 2020 Jun 3.

Department of Neurology, General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological degenerative disorder that is partially induced by inflammation in the neural system. To explore the roles of disordered microRNAs in the development of PD, we screened 10 miRNAs in the brain samples of 15 postmortem PD patients and 10 postmortem healthy controls by qRT-PCR. The direct targets of miRNAs were predicted by informatics tools and further confirmed by dual luciferase assay and immunoblotting. Read More

Mov Disord 2020 Jun 3. Epub 2020 Jun 3.

Department of Neurology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.

Background: Identifying individuals at risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD) is critical to define target populations for future neuroprotective trials.

Objective: The objective of this study was to apply the PREDICT-PD algorithm of risk indicators for PD in a prospective community-based study (the Bruneck study), representative of the general elderly population.

Methods: PREDICT-PD risk scores were calculated based on risk factor assessments obtained at baseline (2005, n = 574 participants). Read More

Aging Dis 2020 May 9;11(3):679-691. Epub 2020 May 9.

3University of South Florida Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence, Tampa, FL 33613, USA.

Parkinson disease (PD) is often associated with postural instability and gait dysfunction that can increase the risk for falls and associated consequences, including injuries, increased burden on healthcare resources, and reduced quality of life. Patients with PD have nearly twice the risk for falls and associated bone fractures compared with their general population counterparts of similar age. Although the cause of falls in patients with PD may be multifactorial, an often under-recognized factor is neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH). Read More

Iran J Basic Med Sci 2020 Apr;23(4):483-493

Department of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, North-Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

Objectives: It is known that treadmill exercise has beneficial effects on the nervous system. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a role in such effects. This study aimed at investigating effects of intermittent treadmill exercise-induced behavioral, histology, and immunohistochemistry (H&E, TH) measurement of brain interleukin-10 (IL-10) in a mice male model of Parkinson's disease (PD), which is induced by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), as well as the role of BDNF gene in exercise effects. Read More

J Neurol 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Department of Neurology, Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.

Objective: We sought to evaluate demographic, clinical, and habits/occupational variables between phenotypic extremes in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: Databases from nine movement disorders centers across seven countries were retrospectively searched for subjects meeting criteria for very slowly progressive, benign, PD (bPD) and rapidly progressive, malignant, PD (mPD). bPD was defined as Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage ≤ 3, normal cognitive function, and Schwab and England (S&E) score ≥ 70 after ≥ 20 years of PD (≥ 10 years if older than 60 at PD onset); mPD as H&Y > 3, S&E score < 70, and cognitive impairment within 10 years from PD onset. Read More

eNeuro 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Switzerland

Increasing evidence suggests that crosstalk between α-synuclein pathology formation and mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease and related synucleinopathies. While mitochondrial dysfunction is a well-studied phenomenon in the substantia nigra, which is selectively vulnerable in Parkinson's disease and some models thereof, less information is available in other brain regions that are also affected by synuclein pathology.Therefore, we sought to test the hypothesis that early α-synuclein pathology causes mitochondrial dysfunction and that this effect might be exacerbated in conditions of increased vulnerability in affected brain regions, such as the amygdala. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2020 May 25. Epub 2020 May 25.

Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA. Electronic address:

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a complex clinicopathologic disease with no current cure or disease modulating therapies that can only be definitively confirmed at autopsy. Growing understanding of the phenotypic diversity of PSP has led to expanded clinical criteria and new insights into etiopathogenesis that coupled with improved in vivo biomarkers makes increased access to current clinical trials possible. Current standard-of-care treatment of PSP is multidisciplinary, supportive and symptomatic, and several trials of potentially disease modulating agents have already been completed with disappointing results. Read More

Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Parkinson Research Clinic, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL), Luxembourg, Luxembourg.

The diverse and highly individual presentations of Parkinson's disease (PD) as a complex combination of motor and non-motor symptoms are being increasingly well characterised not least through large patient cohorts applying deep phenotyping. However, in terms of treatment of PD, the approach is uniform and purely symptomatic. Better stratification strategies with better precision medicine approaches offer opportunities to improve symptomatic treatment, define first causative therapies and provide more patient-centred care. Read More

Neuropsychologia 2020 May 30:107504. Epub 2020 May 30.

Department of Psychology, Catholic University, Largo A. Gemelli, 1, 20123, Milan, Italy.

We explored with Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) technique whether the ability to select words among competitive alternatives during word production is related to the integrity of the left Uncinate Fasciculus (UF) in Parkinson's disease (PD). Nineteen PD patients (10 right-sided and 9 left-sided) and 17 matched healthy controls (HC) took part in the study. Participants were asked to derive nouns from verbs (reading from to read) or to generate verbs from nouns (to build from building). Read More

Mov Disord 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, Italy.

Background: It is unknown whether patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are at greater risk of COVID-19, what their risk factors are and whether their clinical manifestations differ from the general population.

Methods: In a case-controlled survey, we interviewed 1486 PD patients attending a single tertiary centre in Lombardy, Italy and 1207 family members (controls).

Results: 105 (7. Read More

FEBS Lett 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Department of Pharmacology and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.

Cav2.2 N-type voltage-dependent Ca channel (VDCC) expressed in neurons is known to be essential for neurotransmitter release. We have shown previously that this channel is also expressed in non-excitable microglia and plays pivotal roles in microglial functions. Read More

Molecules 2020 May 28;25(11). Epub 2020 May 28.

Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease. In recent years, several studies demonstrated that the gastroenteric system and intestinal microbiome influence central nervous system function. The pathological mechanisms triggered thereby change neuronal function in neurodegenerative diseases including dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson´s disease. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 May;99(21):e20363

Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Jiangsu, P.R. China.

Rationale: Parkinson disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative condition often suffered by the elderly. Upper airway obstruction, though rare in patients with PD, can be life threatening and is associated with vocal cord paralysis, laryngeal spasm, and dystonia of jaw and neck muscles.

Patient Concerns: We describe a life-threatening upper airway obstruction caused by bilateral vocal cord paralysis, in an elderly man with PD, during extubation after general anesthesia. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2020 May 24;75:70-75. Epub 2020 May 24.

Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI, Department of Excellence of the Italian Ministry of University and Research), University of Genoa, Largo Daneo 3, 16132, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy.

Introduction: The reduction of background activity and the increase of low-frequency powers on electroencephalogram (EEG) correlate with cognitive impairment and have been suggested to be underpinned by cholinergic deficit. We aimed to investigate the ratio between α and θ band power (α/θ ratio), as a synoptic index of quantitative EEG (qEEG) slowing-down, in a peculiar group of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to an early-stage Lewy body disease (MCI-LBD), as compared to de novo PD patients without cognitive impairment (PD-MOT), to patients with MCI due to Alzheimer's disease (MCI-AD), and to healthy controls (HC).

Methods: Twelve patients with MCI-LBD (8 males; mean age 74. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2020 May 19;75:63-69. Epub 2020 May 19.

Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Centre, Aarhus, Denmark.

Introduction: Noradrenergic denervation is thought to aggravate motor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD). In a previous PET study with the norepinephrine transporter (NART) ligand C-MeNER, we detected reduced NART binding in primary sensorimotor cortex (M1S1) of PD patients. Idiopathic rapid-eye-movement sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD) is a phenotype of prodromal PD. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2020 May 25;75:55-62. Epub 2020 May 25.

Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address:

There is a considerable overlap between Parkinson's Disease Dementia (PDD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). They present a challenge therapeutically, with regard to morbidity and mortality risk. In particular, symptoms of psychosis in these conditions augur a considerably increased burden. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2020 May 16;75:50-54. Epub 2020 May 16.

Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Neuroscience Center, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Background: The present study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prolonged-release melatonin (PRM) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with poor sleep quality.

Methods: PD patients with a global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score > 5 were included. Patients were assessed using the PSQI, a rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder screening questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS), Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life-39 (PDQ-39), and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)-III at the beginning of the study and after 4 weeks of treatment with 2 mg of PRM. Read More

Mov Disord 2020 Jun 1. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.

Background: Several studies have proposed a role for infections to induce an inflammatory response triggering Parkinson's disease. This remains controversial and the influence of severe infections on other α-synucleinopathies (Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Parkinson's disease dementia, and Multiple System Atrophy) has not been adequately investigated.

Objectives: To assess the association between hospitalization-required infections or sepsis and risk of clinically diagnosed α-synucleinopathies. Read More

Phytother Res 2020 Jun 1. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is clinically characterized as memory deficits, altered behavior and impaired cognitive functions. The most important risk factor for AD is aging and mounting. Evidences suggested in different studies that traditionally used plants in Asia, China, and Europe significantly affect aging and AD involved neurodegeneration pathways. Read More

3 Biotech 2020 Jun 20;10(6):261. Epub 2020 May 20.

1Faculty of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology, Shoolini University, Solan, HP 173229 India.

belongs to the family and is ordinarily known as velvet bean, in English cowitch and Hindi Kawaanch. The restorative quality of this bean makes it an excellent component in pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications. Apart from high protein and starch content, these beans contain (l-Dopa) 3, 4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine, which exhibits several medicinal properties. Read More

Biomed Eng Lett 2020 May 16;10(2):227-239. Epub 2020 Apr 16.

Department of Computer Science & Engineering, National Institute of Technology Patna, Patna, 800005 India.

This paper proposes a deep neural network (DNN) model using the reduced input feature space of Parkinson's telemonitoring dataset to predict Parkinson's disease (PD) progression. PD is a chronic and progressive nervous system disorder that affects body movement. PD is assessed by using the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS). Read More

Basic Clin Neurosci 2019 Nov-Dec;10(6):619-630. Epub 2019 Nov 1.

Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

Introduction: Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease affecting older individuals with signs of motor disability and cognitive impairment. Epicatechin (EC) and edaravone have neuroprotective effects most probably due to their antioxidant activity; however, a limited number of studies have considered their role in PD. This research aimed at investigating the neuroprotective effect of EC and edaravone in a neurotoxin-induced model of PD. Read More

Front Neurol 2020 12;11:371. Epub 2020 May 12.

Department of Neurology, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.

The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small brainstem nucleus with widely distributed noradrenergic projections to the whole brain, and loss of LC neurons is a prominent feature of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). This article discusses the hypothesis that in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases, the discharge mode of LC neurons could be changed to a persistent high tonic discharge, which in turn might impair phasic discharge. Since phasic discharge of LC neurons is required for the release of high amounts of norepinephrine (NE) in the brain to promote anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, persistent high tonic discharge of LC neurons could be a key factor in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Read More

Front Neurol 2020 6;11:370. Epub 2020 May 6.

Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States.

We propose a novel pharmacological fMRI (phMRI) method for objectively quantifying disease severity in Parkinson disease (PD). It is based on the clinical observation that the benefit from a dose of levodopa wears off more quickly as PD progresses. Biologically this has been thought to represent decreased buffering capacity for dopamine as nigrostriatal cells die. Read More

Front Neurol 2020 11;11:364. Epub 2020 May 11.

Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Early stage (preclinical) detection of Parkinson's disease (PD) remains challenged yet is crucial to both differentiate it from other disorders and facilitate timely administration of neuroprotective treatment as it becomes available. In a cross-validation paradigm, this work focused on two binary predictive probability analyses: classification of early PD vs. controls and classification of early PD vs. Read More

Front Neurol 2020 12;11:328. Epub 2020 May 12.

Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal.

The satisfactory symptomatic control of the axial symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) remains challenging. As these symptoms are an important cause of disability, new therapeutic strategies should be developed and evaluated. To do this, it is necessary to select the outcomes to be measured and reported in a clinical trial. Read More

Front Neurol 2020 8;11:324. Epub 2020 May 8.

Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States.

Sleep disturbances co-occur with and precede the onset of motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). We evaluated sleep fragmentation and thalamocortical sleep spindles in mice expressing the p.G2019S mutation of the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 () gene, one of the most common genetic forms of PD. Read More

Front Neurol 2020 14;11:314. Epub 2020 May 14.

Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, United States.

Structural brain white matter (WM) changes such as axonal caliber, density, myelination, and orientation, along with WM-dependent structural connectivity, may be impacted early in Parkinson disease (PD). Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) has been used extensively to understand such pathological WM changes, and the focus of this systematic review is to understand both the methods utilized and their corresponding results in the context of early-stage PD. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is the most commonly utilized method to probe WM pathological changes. Read More

Front Neurol 2020 6;11:302. Epub 2020 May 6.

Neurological Department, Antonio Perrino's Hospital, Brindisi, Italy.

Parkinson's disease (PD) starts asymmetrically and it maintains a certain degree of asymmetry throughout its course. Once functional disability proceeds, people with PD can change their dominant hand due to the increased disease severity. This is particularly true for hand dominance, while no studies have been performed so far exploring the behavioral changes of lower limb utilization in PD according to the lateralized symptom dominance. Read More

Hum Brain Mapp 2020 Jun 1. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by overlapping motor, neuropsychiatric, and cognitive symptoms. Worse performance in one domain is associated with worse performance in the other domains. Commonality analysis (CA) is a method of variance partitioning in multiple regression, used to separate the specific and common influence of collinear predictors. Read More

Chin J Integr Med 2020 Jun 31;26(6):405-411. Epub 2020 May 31.

Department of Neurology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201500, China.

Parkinson's disease (PD) was first formally described by James Parkinson in 1817, but the shaking of limbs was described in the literature of several ancient civilizations, such as ancient Chinese civilization and ancient Indian civilization. Historically, botanical drugs were used as the main source for the treatment of such kind of disorders. In Western countries, plant extracts also occupied an important place in the earlier medications of PD. Read More

Aging Cell 2020 May 31:e13163. Epub 2020 May 31.

Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) is a master regulator of diverse biological processes such as DNA repair, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. PARP1 can be activated by aggregated α-synuclein, and this process in turn exacerbates toxicity of α-synuclein. This circle is closely linked to the evolution of Parkinson's disease (PD) that characterized by progressive neurodegeneration and motor deficits. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2020 May 14;75:41-47. Epub 2020 May 14.

Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address:

Objectives: To investigate the potential protective influence of serum uric acid (UA) level on white matter (WM) microstructural changes in de novo Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: We enrolled a total of 184 patients with drug-naïve de novo PD and 59 age and gender-matched controls that underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Based on the distribution, serum UA levels were stratified into tertiles in PD patients by gender. Read More

Neuropharmacology 2020 May 28:108136. Epub 2020 May 28.

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address:

In Parkinson's disease (PD) reduced levels of dopamine (DA) in the striatum lead to an abnormal circuit activity of the basal ganglia and an increased output through the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) and the globus pallidus internal part. Synaptic inputs to the SNr shape its activity, however, the properties of glutamatergic synaptic transmission in this output nucleus of the basal ganglia in control and DA-depleted conditions are not fully elucidated. Using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and pharmacological tools, we examined alterations in glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the SNr of a mouse model of PD, i. Read More

Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2020 Jun;101(6):1098

Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.

Ann Neurol 2020 May 30. Epub 2020 May 30.

Research Unit UMR_1127 at Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.

Studies of the phenotype and population distribution of rare genetic forms of parkinsonism are required, now that gene-targeting approaches for Parkinson's disease have reached the clinical trial stage. We evaluated the frequencies of PRKN, PINK1, and DJ-1 mutations in a cohort of 1587 cases. Mutations were found in 14. Read More

Neurosurgery 2020 May 30. Epub 2020 May 30.

Department of Neurosurgery, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.

Background: Following Bayes theorem, ventriculomegaly and ataxia confer only a 30% chance of idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). When coupled with positive responses to best diagnostic testing (extended lumbar drainage), 70% of patients recommended for shunting will not actually have NPH. This is inadequate clinical care. Read More

Mov Disord 2020 May 30. Epub 2020 May 30.

Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom.

Background: Juvenile forms of parkinsonism are rare conditions with onset of bradykinesia, tremor and rigidity before the age of 21 years. These atypical presentations commonly have a genetic aetiology, highlighting important insights into underlying pathophysiology. Genetic defects may affect key proteins of the endocytic pathway and clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), as in DNAJC6-related juvenile parkinsonism. Read More

Mov Disord 2020 May 30. Epub 2020 May 30.

Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, MHeNS, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Background: Around 50% of PD patients experience motor fluctuations, which are often accompanied by mood fluctuations. The nature of the relationship between motor and mood fluctuations remains unknown. It is suggested that the experience sampling method can reveal such associations on both a group and individual level. Read More

J Neurol 2020 May 29. Epub 2020 May 29.

Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, Neurology Unit, University of Cagliari and AOU Cagliari, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.

Background: Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is highly comorbid with Parkinson's disease (PD). Emerging evidence suggests that dopamine-replacement therapies (DRTs) for PD may modify the course of RBD, yet the nature of the association between DRTs and RBD remains unclear. To begin addressing this issue, we conducted a preliminary retrospective study to document whether DRTs are associated with the occurrence of RBD symptoms in PD patients. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2020 May 27;21(11). Epub 2020 May 27.

Division of Neurosurgery, Department of surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a long-term degenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that primarily affects the motor system. So far there is no effective treatment for PD, only some drugs, surgery, and comprehensive treatment can alleviate the symptoms of PD. Stem cells derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), mesenchymal stem cells derived from dental pulp, may have promising potential in regenerative medicine. Read More

iScience 2020 May 15;23(6):101166. Epub 2020 May 15.

Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China; Institute of Parkinson and Movement Disorder, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China. Electronic address:

The neuropathological feature of multiple system atrophy (MSA), a fatal adult-onset disorder without effective therapy, is the accumulation of pathological α-synuclein (α-Syn) in the central nervous system (CNS). Here we show that pathological α-Syn exists in nerve terminals in detrusor and external urethral sphincter (EUS) of patients with MSA. Furthermore, α-Syn-preformed fibrils (PFFs) injected in the EUS or detrusor in TgM83 mice initiated the transmission of pathological α-Syn from the urogenital tract to brain via micturition reflex pathways, and these mice developed widespread phosphorylated α-Syn inclusion pathology together with phenotypes. Read More

J Neurol Sci 2020 May 20;415:116928. Epub 2020 May 20.

Department of Neurology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.

HS1-associated protein X-1 (HAX-1) and presenilin-associated rhomboid-like protein (PALR) were reported to play an important role in the activation of HtrA2/Omi, which is also designated PARK13, in the mitochondria. To elucidate the role of HAX-1 and PARL in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), we performed immunohistochemical studies on HtrA2/Omi, HAX-1 and PARL using autopsied brains from 8 normal subjects, 10 patients with PD and 5 patients with DLB. In accordance with our previous report, brainstem-type and cortical Lewy bodies were strongly immunopositive for HtrA2/Omi. Read More

Stem Cell Reports 2020 May 14. Epub 2020 May 14.

Center for Genomic and Regenerative Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8431, Japan. Electronic address:

Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the progressive loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, and mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in its pathogenesis. This study aimed to establish an imaging-based, semi-automatic, high-throughput system for the quantitative detection of disease-specific phenotypes in dopaminergic neurons from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from patients with familial PD having Parkin or PINK1 mutations, which exhibit abnormal mitochondrial homeostasis. The proposed system recapitulates the deficiency of mitochondrial clearance, ROS accumulation, and increasing apoptosis in these familial PD-derived neurons. Read More

Bioanalysis 2020 May 29. Epub 2020 May 29.

Clinical Pharmacology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing Key Laboratory of Clinical PK & PD Investigation for Innovative Drugs, No. 41 Damucang Hutong, Xicheng District, Beijing 100032, PR China.

FLZ, a novel promising dopamine neuroprotective agent, is designed to treat Parkinson's disease. F7G and F21G are FLZ major active Phase II metabolites whose exposure are nearly 100-times higher than FLZ, may chiefly produce effectiveness in human. Measurement of F7G and F21G in plasma samples is critical for investigating its pharmacokinetics in clinical studies. Read More