Movement Disorders Foundation

06/03/2026

Researchers funded by the New Mexico VA Health Care System, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, and the Mind Research Network have identified a potential non-drug approach to treating Parkinson’s disease by stimulating the brain’s natural waste-clearing system while patients are awake. The study, published in NPJ Parkinson’s Disease, was led by Sephira Ryman.

Researchers used carefully timed pulses of carbon dioxide (CO2) to mimic the breathing patterns associated with deep sleep, when the brain’s glymphatic system normally removes toxic proteins such as alpha-synuclein. In experiments involving older adults with and without Parkinson’s disease, MRI scans showed that rhythmic CO2 exposure altered cerebrospinal fluid movement, suggesting activation of the brain’s waste disposal pathway.

Blood tests also detected increased levels of waste proteins leaving the brain. Researchers caution that the work is still preliminary, but future studies will explore whether breathing practices such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong may produce similar benefits naturally. Click below to learn more.

The underlying idea is striking in its simplicity.

06/03/2026

A new Phase III clinical trial suggests that ecopipam may become the first medication developed specifically for children with Tourette syndrome. Researchers found that continued treatment with the investigational drug reduced the risk of tic relapse by 50% compared with placebo over 24 weeks. The study, published in JAMA Neurology, involved 216 participants across 77 clinical sites.

The trial was led by Donald Gilbert of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Unlike currently approved medications, which target dopamine D2 receptors and can cause weight gain and Parkinson-like side effects, ecopipam works through dopamine D1 receptors. Researchers reported that participants experienced significant improvement in motor and vocal tics without developing additional movement disorders or substantial weight gain.

“I hope this will be the first drug approved specifically for Tourette syndrome in the US,” Gilbert said. Drug developer Emalex Biosciences plans to seek U.S. FDA approval for the treatment. Click https://u8kdxrabb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nXs6gzkmw0n20vS8n7jUedei2OvKQGBN-g__QuBsPZgWNc-PGkwZWxSP39QY21lGTDJdUhBYYqGHe4qjTt4C8N1tUq5b_yM3SdzgqVezusxvAx3JoISG8ZgLZvy3KZqEi3VnFbyWjcanAmHd4HA--H5PA4CFn53kztF5vbcZQaOym_VcaVkCnvJnB9O0OoXEl3RVXPWPttwPQ5hDPpR6o67jsEoHplZ77WkO8e6h2uqnGEC4aHAxXD92gImtnzeL1iHiZPXgykKm-HOh95-mYA==&c=&ch= to learn more.

06/01/2026

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have identified distinct brain circuits linked to different symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, a discovery that may help guide more personalized treatments. In a study led by neuroscientist Aryn Gittis, investigators examined activity in the motor thalamus, a brain region that coordinates movement signals between the basal ganglia and cerebellum.

Using two mouse models, researchers compared brain activity associated with tremor and slowed movement, or bradykinesia. First author Shruti Nanivadekar of the University of Pittsburgh found that bradykinesia involved widespread disruptions across motor circuits, while tremor-related dysfunction was concentrated in cerebellum-linked regions.

“Different Parkinson’s symptoms may emerge from different brain circuits,” Nanivadekar said. The findings may explain why dopamine-based therapies often improve slowed movement but are less effective for tremor, and could support development of more targeted therapies and refined deep brain stimulation approaches. Click below to learn more.

Research from Carnegie Mellon University’s Aryn Gittis and colleagues suggests the most recognizable symptoms of Parkinson's disease — tremor and slowed movement — result from disruptions in different motor circuits of the brain, an insight that could help explain why current treatments don’...

05/31/2026

A new study from Chonnam National University Hospital suggests that coffee consumption may be associated with better executive function in people with early Parkinson’s disease. Researchers evaluated 149 patients with early Parkinson’s between 2022 and 2024 using detailed neurological and cognitive testing, including the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery.

Led by Hak-Loh Lee, the study found that patients who drank coffee performed significantly better on the Go-No-Go test, which measures executive function such as attention, impulse control, and decision-making. Participants who consumed more than one cup of coffee daily also showed stronger performance on calculation tasks compared with those drinking one cup or less.

The investigators cautioned that the findings should be interpreted carefully and confirmed in larger studies. The research was published April 15 in Parkinsonism & Related Disorders. Click https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1353802026001513 to learn more.

05/29/2026

A growing body of research is reshaping how clinicians understand essential tremor (ET). Once considered a benign condition causing only shaking of the hands or head, ET is now increasingly recognized as a complex neurological disorder with both motor and nonmotor symptoms. Recent consensus guidelines distinguish “ET” from “ET plus,” which includes additional neurological signs such as mild gait impairment or memory changes.

The reviewed research found that ET affects an estimated 0.9% to 2.2% of the U.S. population, with prevalence rising sharply with age. Neuroimaging studies suggest tremor arises from dysfunction within the brain’s motor control network, particularly involving the cerebellum, thalamus, and motor cortex. Investigators also identified links between ET and cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and reduced quality of life.

The study concluded that ET is likely “a family of disorders rather than a single homogeneous entity,” underscoring the need for continued neuroimaging and clinical research into disease mechanisms and patient-specific phenotypes. Click below to learn more.

PsychiatryOnline.org is the platform for all American Psychiatric Association Publishing journals, DSM, and bestselling textbooks, as well as APA Practice Guidelines, and continuing medical education.

05/28/2026

Prilenia has withdrawn its European application seeking approval of pridopidine, marketed as Nurzigma, for the treatment of Huntington's disease after regulators concluded that the available clinical trial data did not sufficiently demonstrate effectiveness. The decision follows review of the Phase 3 PROOF-HD trial, which evaluated whether pridopidine could slow functional decline in people with early Huntington’s disease.

Although researchers later identified possible signals of benefit in a subgroup of participants not taking antidopaminergic medications, the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use determined that neither the overall study nor the subgroup analysis met the standards required for approval.

Prilenia requested a re-examination after the initial recommendation to refuse authorization in 2025 but withdrew the application before that process was completed, stating that additional clinical data are needed.

The withdrawal does not affect individuals currently participating in clinical trials or compassionate-use programs involving pridopidine. The company stated it may pursue future applications after gathering additional evidence. Click https://en.hdbuzz.net/prilenias-application-for-european-approval-of-pridopidine-withdrawn/ to learn more.

05/27/2026

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a protein that may help drive the spread of Parkinson's disease (PD) in the brain, opening a possible new avenue for treatments aimed at slowing disease progression.

The study, published in Neuron, focused on glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma B (GPNMB), an immune-related protein produced by microglia, the brain’s immune cells.

Researchers found that GPNMB appears to help harmful alpha-synuclein protein clumps spread from one neuron to another. In laboratory experiments, monoclonal antibodies designed to block GPNMB significantly reduced this spread. Lead investigator Alice Chen-Plotkin said, “These early results are a promising step towards developing this type of treatment.”

The team also analyzed more than 1,600 human brain samples and found that higher GPNMB activity was linked to more widespread PD-related brain pathology. Researchers say additional studies will be needed before the approach can be tested in patients. Click below to learn more.

A newly identified immune-related protein may help drive the spread of Parkinson’s disease in the brain.

05/26/2026

Researchers are reporting encouraging results for a synthetic compound that may help slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and multiple system atrophy.

The experimental therapy, known as SK-129, is a “foldamer” designed to block the harmful clumping of alpha-synuclein and tau proteins in the brain — a hallmark of several movement disorders.

In studies using cells, mice, and Caenorhabditis elegans, SK-129 reduced toxic protein buildup, crossed the blood-brain barrier, improved survival in mice, and showed no apparent toxicity.

Researchers also found that the compound blocked the spread of disease-related protein aggregates derived from patients with Parkinson’s. The findings suggest SK-129 may represent a potential future therapy for neurodegenerative diseases linked to abnormal protein buildup.

The work builds on ongoing research at University of Denver, where MDF Young Investigator Pilot Grant recipient Emily Oldani, Ph. D. collaborates with researcher and MDF grant recipient Sunil Kumar, Ph. D. on therapies targeting protein aggregation in neurodegenerative disease.

Clickhttps://irp.cdn-website.com/6c098a1e/files/uploaded/Foldamers+rescue+synucleinopathy+phenotypes+in+multiple+in+vitro+and+in+vivo+models.pdf to read or download the study published in Science Translational Medicine.

Click below to learn more about Dr. Oldani's research.

$50,000 goal - Small-molecule therapy to slow progression of Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases

05/26/2026

Researchers at Jinan University have identified a possible new immune-related mechanism involved in Huntington's disease (HD) by studying genetically engineered pigs whose brains more closely resemble those of humans than traditional mouse models. Led by Sen Yan, the team found that the HD pig brains showed neuron loss and increased inflammation similar to that seen in patients with Huntington’s disease.

Most notably, researchers discovered cytotoxic T cells — immune cells rarely found in the brain — clustered near vulnerable neurons and producing proteins capable of damaging cells. The investigators traced this immune response to a signaling molecule called CCL8, released by activated brain immune cells known as microglia.

In mouse experiments, increasing CCL8 levels allowed T cells to enter the brain and worsened neuron loss, while blocking CCL8 reduced T-cell infiltration. The findings suggest the immune system may play a larger role in Huntington’s disease progression than previously understood and could represent a future therapeutic target. Click https://en.hdbuzz.net/intruders-in-the-brain-what-a-pig-model-reveals-about-immune-cells-in-hd/ to learn more.

05/23/2026

Researchers at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a mechanism that may help explain how gene misplacement inside the cell nucleus contributes to Friedreich’s ataxia. Published in Molecular Cell, the study found that a balance between gene activity and DNA-folding machinery determines whether genes remain active near the center of the nucleus or become silenced at its outer edge.

Using CRISPR-based tools, investigators studied the FXN gene, which is abnormally silenced in Friedreich’s ataxia. In patient-derived cells, the FXN gene was found more frequently at the nuclear periphery, where genes are typically less active.

Researchers showed that reducing cohesin, a protein complex involved in DNA organization, moved FXN away from the nuclear edge and partially restored gene activity despite the underlying mutation remaining intact.

“This work shows that it’s not an either-or situation,” said Rajan Jain. “Gene activity and the machinery that folds DNA work together like adjustable dials.” Click below to learn more.

Researchers have uncovered a fundamental rule that governs how genes are physically arranged inside the cell nucleus, and how disruptions to that organization can contribute to human disease. Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that a balance betwee...