Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder affecting more than 1 million people in the U.S. and more than 10 million globally, is characterized by debilitating symptoms such as tremors, movement difficulties, sleep disturbances and cognitive impairments. While current treatments, including long-term medication and invasive deep brain stimulation (DBS), can alleviate symptoms, they cannot halt progression or cure the disease.
A new international study led by China’s Changping Laboratory, in collaboration with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and others, identifies the region of the brain responsible for the core problems of Parkinson’s disease. Targeting this brain network – the somato-cognitive action network (SCAN) – with a non-invasive, experimental therapy called…