Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease progressively affects control of movement. Major symptoms include tremor, rigidity of the trunk and back, slowness of gait and movement, and difficulty in maintaining balance and posture.

Hope Center Scientists and Clinicians who Work on Parkinson's Disease

Robert H. Baloh M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurology

Neurodegenerative diseases of the peripheral nervous system

Nigel Cairns Ph.D., MRCPath
Research Associate Professor of Neurology and Pathology & Immunology; Director, Betty Martz Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research

Protein misfolding, inclusion formation and neurodegeneration in Frontotemporal Dementias

Carl Frieden Ph.D.
Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics

Protein folding, structure

James E. Galvin M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Professor of Neurology

Clinical and pathological correlates of neurodegenerative disease

Eugene M. Johnson Ph.D.
Professor of Neurology and Developmental Biology; Hope Center Steering Committee

Biological function and pharmacological potential of GFL neurotrophic factors

Paul T. Kotzbauer M.D., Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Neurology

Mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease and related disorders.

Jeffrey D. Milbrandt M.D., Ph.D.
James S. McDonnell Professor and Head of the Department of Genetics, Professor of Neurology; Professor of Pathology & Immunology and Internal Medicine; Hope Center Steering Committee

Axonal degeneration, regulation of myelination, neuronal energetics and mitochondrial function in neuropathy and neurodegenerative disease

Karen L. O'Malley Ph.D.
Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology

Mechanisms underlying the specification, regulation, and neurodegeneration of dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems.

Rohit V. Pappu Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Alzheimer's disease; biophysics; mathematical modeling; thermodynamics

Joel S. Perlmutter M.D.
Elliot H. Stein Professor of Neurology; Professor of Radiology and Anatomy & Neurobiology; Head of the Movement Disorders Section

Pharmacology, physiology and pathophysiology of basal ganglia and movement disorders.

B. Joy Snider M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurology

Mechanisms of protein degradation and intracellular calcium homeostasis in neurodegenerative disorders

Read about Hope Center research on Parkinson’s Disease

Perlmutter uses PET imaging to find Parkinson's treatments

Using PET technology, Joel Perlmutter, M.D. is examining the brain's interior to discover better treatments for diseases such as Parkinson's, essential tremor, and dystonia. Read More >

Karen O'Malley seeks clues to Parkinson's Disease

Pioneer in Progress against Parkinson's Karen O'Malley, Ph.D., is ferreting out the facts about dopamine in leading-edge research Read More >

Fox Foundation backs trial of protein discovered by Hope Center researchers

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) announced a grant of approximately $370,000 over three years to Ceregene, Inc., a biotechnology company based in San Diego, that will partially fund the first clinical trials for CERE-120, a breakthrough gene therapy product shown to slow or stop progression of Parkinson's disease in pre-clinical trials. Read More >

Study of default network shows promise for neurodegenerative disorders

Using novel technique of resting-state functional connectivity MRI, Brad Schlaggar and colleagues find connections between brain regions involved in the default network firmer in adults. Findings show promise of improving assessment and treatment of brain disorders. Read More >

Initial trial of trophic factor therapy yields promising results for Parkinson's

A clinical trial in Parkinson's Disease showed promising results for a gene therapy based on a discovery by Hope Center scientists. Read More >

Novel gene therapy shows promise in clinical trials for Parkinson's Disease

Scientists today released results of a trial of neurturin in gene therapy for Parkinson's Disease patients. Neurturin is a brain cell growth factor first discovered by Hope Center faculty members Drs. Paul Kotzbauer, Eugene Johnson, and Jeff Milbrandt. Read More >

Using PET technology, Dr. Joel Perlmutter is examining the brain's interior to discover better treatments for diseases such as Parkinson's, essential tremor, and dystonia.

Information About Parkinson's

Parkinson's symptoms are caused by a gradual loss of nerve cells in particular areas of the brain. Among these, cells that produce a chemical called dopamine that transmits neural messages die in a small brain area called the substantia nigra. Researchers don’t yet know what triggers the death of these nerve cells.

How is Parkinson’s diagnosed?

There are currently no blood or lab tests to diagnose Parkinson’s positively. Diagnosis is based on medical history and a neurological exam. Doctors may request brains scans to rule out other conditions.

What are some active areas of investigation in Parkinson’s?

In the short term, control studies that compare people with and without Parkinson's disease can provide valuable information about environmental risk factors and the interaction of genetic and non-genetic factors.

Genetic factors may be involved in a small percentage of Parkinson’s cases, and investigators are exploring how they interact with environmental factors in the genesis of Parkinson’s.

Prospective studies--which follows people who do not yet have the disease--might help identify causes of Parkinson's disease and provide epidemiological information. Including other disorders in such a study would be efficient and cost-effective.

What are some challenges in understanding Parkinson’s?

While we have achieved progress in understanding how the normal brain controls movement, we still do not understand how Parkinson’s disease disrupts these systems to produce its major symptoms. A variety of studies is needed, using anatomical, electrophysiological, neurochemical, and imaging methods.

U.S. Government Sites

NINDS Parkinson’s Disease Page