The Science of Parkinson's
@scienceofpd.bsky.social
Personal account of the Director of Research at Cure Parkinson's - All views my own - Kiwi - Kia kaha - 侘寂 - https://scienceofparkinsons.com/
It's only Monday & we already have our weekend reading:
Researchers provide a very thorough review of GLP-1 receptor agonists for neurodegenerative conditions ( #Parkinsons, MSA, DLB, #ALS, HD, MS, everything is covered)
www.jci.org/articles/vie...
Researchers provide a very thorough review of GLP-1 receptor agonists for neurodegenerative conditions ( #Parkinsons, MSA, DLB, #ALS, HD, MS, everything is covered)
www.jci.org/articles/vie...
February 16, 2026 at 10:04 PM
It's only Monday & we already have our weekend reading:
Researchers provide a very thorough review of GLP-1 receptor agonists for neurodegenerative conditions ( #Parkinsons, MSA, DLB, #ALS, HD, MS, everything is covered)
www.jci.org/articles/vie...
Researchers provide a very thorough review of GLP-1 receptor agonists for neurodegenerative conditions ( #Parkinsons, MSA, DLB, #ALS, HD, MS, everything is covered)
www.jci.org/articles/vie...
A cross-species strategy "establishes a causal chain linking #Alzheimers pathology, transcriptome perturbation, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor excitotoxicity, & neurodegeneration"; Additional analyses support a biphasic model
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 16, 2026 at 9:57 PM
A cross-species strategy "establishes a causal chain linking #Alzheimers pathology, transcriptome perturbation, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor excitotoxicity, & neurodegeneration"; Additional analyses support a biphasic model
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Researchers explore experiences of Australians living with #Parkinsons; 7 themes identified: Navigating Healthcare, Diag. experiences, symptom management, optimism & resilience, knowledge of PD, self-advocacy, & community-driven support
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/...
February 16, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Researchers explore experiences of Australians living with #Parkinsons; 7 themes identified: Navigating Healthcare, Diag. experiences, symptom management, optimism & resilience, knowledge of PD, self-advocacy, & community-driven support
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/...
"Synuclein skin biopsy had a meaningful impact in most, but not all, patients, on diagnostic clarification and treatment decisions. Moreover, its optimal utilization & interpretation are still evolving, along with our knowledge about the correlation"
www.prd-journal.com/article/S135...
www.prd-journal.com/article/S135...
February 16, 2026 at 8:36 PM
"Synuclein skin biopsy had a meaningful impact in most, but not all, patients, on diagnostic clarification and treatment decisions. Moreover, its optimal utilization & interpretation are still evolving, along with our knowledge about the correlation"
www.prd-journal.com/article/S135...
www.prd-journal.com/article/S135...
New paper delineates distinct roles of radial glia subtypes, elucidate lineage relationships in the developing ventral midbrain; aiding the derivation of clinically relevant dopamine neurons for cell transplantation in #Parkinsons
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 16, 2026 at 8:33 PM
New paper delineates distinct roles of radial glia subtypes, elucidate lineage relationships in the developing ventral midbrain; aiding the derivation of clinically relevant dopamine neurons for cell transplantation in #Parkinsons
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
New paper presents development of 2 DOPA decarboxylase immunoassays & clinical validation in 3 clinical cohorts (n = 740); Significantly higher in dementia with Lewy bodies & #Parkinsons (up to 2.5-fold vs controls; 1.9-fold vs #Alzheimers)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 16, 2026 at 8:19 PM
New paper presents development of 2 DOPA decarboxylase immunoassays & clinical validation in 3 clinical cohorts (n = 740); Significantly higher in dementia with Lewy bodies & #Parkinsons (up to 2.5-fold vs controls; 1.9-fold vs #Alzheimers)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Amazing opportunity! The @cureparkinsons.org.uk Research Team is looking for a "Clinical Research Manager"
It's a really exciting time for #Parkinsons research & this role will put you are the leading edge, collaborating with researchers, biotechs & other charitable organisations!
It's a really exciting time for #Parkinsons research & this role will put you are the leading edge, collaborating with researchers, biotechs & other charitable organisations!
There’s still time to apply to join our Research team as our new Clinical Research Manager!
Working with the Director of Research, the role will coordinate and drive our clinical research activities.
Applications close Friday 20 February. Apply now: buff.ly/9XvgdOb
Working with the Director of Research, the role will coordinate and drive our clinical research activities.
Applications close Friday 20 February. Apply now: buff.ly/9XvgdOb
February 15, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Amazing opportunity! The @cureparkinsons.org.uk Research Team is looking for a "Clinical Research Manager"
It's a really exciting time for #Parkinsons research & this role will put you are the leading edge, collaborating with researchers, biotechs & other charitable organisations!
It's a really exciting time for #Parkinsons research & this role will put you are the leading edge, collaborating with researchers, biotechs & other charitable organisations!
Researchers find that free water in the external globus pallidus predicts mild cognitive impairment in 114 drug naive #Parkinsons cases (& 102 controls) & is associated with serum neurofilament light chain levels
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 15, 2026 at 2:32 PM
Researchers find that free water in the external globus pallidus predicts mild cognitive impairment in 114 drug naive #Parkinsons cases (& 102 controls) & is associated with serum neurofilament light chain levels
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
New research suggests that lumbar-mounted wearables can provide sensitive, multi-night home-based detection of nocturnal motor patterns associated with isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, with potential utility as part of a staged screening approach
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 15, 2026 at 2:29 PM
New research suggests that lumbar-mounted wearables can provide sensitive, multi-night home-based detection of nocturnal motor patterns associated with isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, with potential utility as part of a staged screening approach
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
New paper explores the neural correlates of gait sequence interruptions with a deep phenotyping approach in #Parkinsons, that is translational & can "easily be generalized to the analysis of other complex movement disorders"
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 15, 2026 at 2:26 PM
New paper explores the neural correlates of gait sequence interruptions with a deep phenotyping approach in #Parkinsons, that is translational & can "easily be generalized to the analysis of other complex movement disorders"
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Researchers propose a hybrid deep learning-based diagnostic framework using T2-weighted MRI scans from the PPMI dataset consisting of 77 controls & 223 #Parkinsons cases, demonstrating a testing accuracy of 99.02%
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 15, 2026 at 1:14 PM
Researchers propose a hybrid deep learning-based diagnostic framework using T2-weighted MRI scans from the PPMI dataset consisting of 77 controls & 223 #Parkinsons cases, demonstrating a testing accuracy of 99.02%
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
ADME properties of SUL-138 (an orally bioavailable 6-chromanol being clinically tested in #Parkinsons) are "characterized by rapid absorption, wide tissue distribution, extensive metabolism & excretion via the renal & faecal route"
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
February 15, 2026 at 1:09 PM
ADME properties of SUL-138 (an orally bioavailable 6-chromanol being clinically tested in #Parkinsons) are "characterized by rapid absorption, wide tissue distribution, extensive metabolism & excretion via the renal & faecal route"
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The patient voice: "For my 80th birthday, I bought myself a new brain: my experiences with adaptive deep brain stimulation to assist my #Parkinsons"
bjsm.bmj.com/content/earl...
bjsm.bmj.com/content/earl...
For my 80th birthday, I bought myself a new brain: my experiences with adaptive deep brain stimulation to assist my Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s does not come at you in a straight line. It circles. It sneaks. It waits. For me, it felt like battling a mythological Greek hydra with 15 different heads: tremor, stiffness, balance, slow...
bjsm.bmj.com
February 15, 2026 at 1:07 PM
The patient voice: "For my 80th birthday, I bought myself a new brain: my experiences with adaptive deep brain stimulation to assist my #Parkinsons"
bjsm.bmj.com/content/earl...
bjsm.bmj.com/content/earl...
New research finds that gait dysfunction may be the most promising predictive biomarker for imminent phenoconversion from isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder to #Parkinsons
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 15, 2026 at 12:58 PM
New research finds that gait dysfunction may be the most promising predictive biomarker for imminent phenoconversion from isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder to #Parkinsons
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Researchers report the identification of "a deep brain stimulation response network that resembles the previously defined MRI network & operates in the high beta band"; Maximal connectivity to this network was associated with optimal DBS outcomes
academic.oup.com/brain/advanc...
academic.oup.com/brain/advanc...
The deep brain stimulation response network in Parkinson’s disease operates in the high beta band
Bahners et al. identify a brain network linked to optimal therapeutic outcomes in patients with Parkinson’s disease receiving deep brain stimulation. This
academic.oup.com
February 15, 2026 at 12:54 PM
Researchers report the identification of "a deep brain stimulation response network that resembles the previously defined MRI network & operates in the high beta band"; Maximal connectivity to this network was associated with optimal DBS outcomes
academic.oup.com/brain/advanc...
academic.oup.com/brain/advanc...
Researchers report that speech impairment in early #Parkinsons is associated with nigrostriatal dopaminergic & motor dysfunction rather than global neurodegenerative biomarker changes
www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15...
www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15...
February 15, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Researchers report that speech impairment in early #Parkinsons is associated with nigrostriatal dopaminergic & motor dysfunction rather than global neurodegenerative biomarker changes
www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15...
www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15...
New paper reports the results of a randomized controlled trial assessing feasibility & potential effectiveness of an exergame program for 37 people with moderate to advanced #Parkinsons; "Findings suggested potential effectiveness for HR-QoL & loneliness"
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
February 15, 2026 at 12:48 PM
New paper reports the results of a randomized controlled trial assessing feasibility & potential effectiveness of an exergame program for 37 people with moderate to advanced #Parkinsons; "Findings suggested potential effectiveness for HR-QoL & loneliness"
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
A retrospective study compared the diagnostic performance of neuromelanin-sensitive MRI & free water imaging in 247 patients with early #Parkinsons (vs 78 controls) finds the former consistently outperformed the later (with independent external validation)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 15, 2026 at 12:44 PM
A retrospective study compared the diagnostic performance of neuromelanin-sensitive MRI & free water imaging in 247 patients with early #Parkinsons (vs 78 controls) finds the former consistently outperformed the later (with independent external validation)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
New review explores research supporting the move towards biomarker-based diagnosis of #Parkinsons; "Integrating clinical, genetic, molecular & imaging biomarkers should enable earlier, more accurate diagnosis of PD"
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 15, 2026 at 12:40 PM
New review explores research supporting the move towards biomarker-based diagnosis of #Parkinsons; "Integrating clinical, genetic, molecular & imaging biomarkers should enable earlier, more accurate diagnosis of PD"
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
New research presents the first in-human, at-home classification of a specific movement state - walking -using a fully implantable, bidirectional neurostimulator
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
February 15, 2026 at 12:35 PM
New research presents the first in-human, at-home classification of a specific movement state - walking -using a fully implantable, bidirectional neurostimulator
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The STEM-PD team publish preclinical data supporting the immunological safety of RC17-human embryonic stem cell-derived dopamine neural progenitors being used in their #Parkinsons trial (NCT05635409); Also suggest in vitro assays for future studies
www.cell.com/stem-cell-re...
www.cell.com/stem-cell-re...
February 15, 2026 at 12:21 PM
The STEM-PD team publish preclinical data supporting the immunological safety of RC17-human embryonic stem cell-derived dopamine neural progenitors being used in their #Parkinsons trial (NCT05635409); Also suggest in vitro assays for future studies
www.cell.com/stem-cell-re...
www.cell.com/stem-cell-re...
Researchers compared the structural variants detection capabilities of optical genome mapping & nanopore in 19 idiopathic #Parkinsons patients; Combo "offers a complementary approach to enable broad detection & robust validation of structural variation"
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
February 14, 2026 at 10:49 PM
Researchers compared the structural variants detection capabilities of optical genome mapping & nanopore in 19 idiopathic #Parkinsons patients; Combo "offers a complementary approach to enable broad detection & robust validation of structural variation"
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Researchers find #Parkinsons is associated with lower mean flow, total cerebral blood flow, & mean velocity across the Circle of Willis network; Altered haemodynamics is associated with both cognitive & motor impairment
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 14, 2026 at 10:40 PM
Researchers find #Parkinsons is associated with lower mean flow, total cerebral blood flow, & mean velocity across the Circle of Willis network; Altered haemodynamics is associated with both cognitive & motor impairment
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In-person motor & cognitive assessments for #Parkinsons face accessibility, scalability, & geographical diversity challenges. Researchers explore large datasets, machine-learning, & videoconferencing with 145 participants from 60+ geographical locations
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 14, 2026 at 10:34 PM
In-person motor & cognitive assessments for #Parkinsons face accessibility, scalability, & geographical diversity challenges. Researchers explore large datasets, machine-learning, & videoconferencing with 145 participants from 60+ geographical locations
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
New review explores the evolution of disease modifying therapy clinical trial design & therapeutic endpoints for #Parkinsons - recommended reading! EJS ACT-PD gets a few mentions
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
February 14, 2026 at 6:11 PM
New review explores the evolution of disease modifying therapy clinical trial design & therapeutic endpoints for #Parkinsons - recommended reading! EJS ACT-PD gets a few mentions
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...