Dopaminergic

Researchers propose that Parkinson’s disease may start in the gut, not the brain

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Scientists propose that Parkinson’s disease may begin far from the brain, where environmental toxins, microbiome disruption, and intestinal barrier damage interact to ignite the biological cascade leading to neurodegeneration. Environmental insults reduce gut resilience and initiate convergent mechanisms that drive Parkinson’s disease. A lifetime of environmental insults (including Western diets and food additives, nano- and microplastics, … Read more

Regulating microglial phagocytosis through immunotherapy could slow Parkinson’s disease progression

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By analyzing tissue from patients with Parkinson’s disease, and animal and cellular models of the disease, a research team from the Institut de Neurociències of the UAB has shown that the main immune cells of the brain become reactive and overexpress certain receptors that promote the elimination of dopaminergic neurons, even when these neurons are … Read more

Iron Over Dopamine? Restless Legs Syndrome Guidelines Revamp

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To reduce the risk for complications, the use of dopaminergic agonists in the treatment of severe restless legs syndrome (RLS) has become less common. RLS is characterized by an irresistible urge to move the legs, often accompanied by unpleasant sensations such as itching, tingling, or electric paresthesia, which typically affect the lower limbs. It affects … Read more

Scientists confirm neurobiochemical link between dopamine and cognitive flexibility

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For the first time, scientists have confirmed a neurobiochemical link between dopamine and cognitive flexibility, according to new research published in the March issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. PET imaging shows that the brain increases dopamine production when completing cognitively demanding tasks, and that the more dopamine released, the more efficiently the tasks are … Read more

Cholesterol metabolite linked to Parkinson’s disease development in mice

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Researchers led by Zhentao Zhang at Wuhan University, China have discovered a cholesterol metabolite that plays a critical role in the development of Parkinson’s disease in mice. Published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology on February 18th, the study shows that this metabolite is responsible for the formation of Lewy bodies and the death of … Read more