Brain scan reveals why Parkinson's drugs don't always work: Study
Washington:
Simon Fraser University
Researchers are using an advanced
brain imaging
method called MEG to understand why Parkinson's drug
levodopa
doesn't work equally well for everyone.
By mapping patients' brain signals before and after taking the drug, they discovered that it sometimes activates the wrong brain regions, dampening its helpful effects.
This breakthrough could pave the way for personalised treatment strategies, ensuring patients receive medications that target the right areas of their brain more effectively.
The new study by the Simon Fraser University (SFU) researchers, published in the journal Movement Disorders, looks at why levodopa - the main drug used in dopamine replacement therapy - is sometimes less effective in patients.
The drug is typically prescribed to help reduce the movement symptoms associated with the
neurodegenerative disorder
.
While it is effective in improving symptoms for the vast majority of patients, not everyone experiences the same level of benefit.
In order to find out why this is the case, an SFU collaboration with researchers in Sweden has used magnetoencephalography (MEG) technology to determine how the drug affects signals in the brain.
"Parkinson's is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease worldwide and it is the most rapidly increasing, in terms of incidence," says Alex Wiesman, assistant professor in biomedical physiology and kinesiology at SFU.
"Treating this disease, both in terms of helping people with their symptoms, but also trying to find ways to reverse the effects, is becoming more and more important. If clinicians can see how levodopa activates certain parts of the brain in a patient, it can help to inform a more personalised approach to treatment," added Wiesman.
The study was a collaboration with researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden, who used MEG to collect data from 17 patients with
Parkinson's disease
- a relatively small sample size.
Researchers mapped participants' brain signals before and after taking the drug, in order to see how and where the drug impacted brain activity.
MEG is an advanced non-invasive technology that measures the magnetic fields produced by the brain's electrical signals.
It can help clinicians and researchers to study brain disorders and diseases, including brain injuries, tumours, epilepsy, autism, mental illness and more.
Using this rare brain imaging technology, Wiesman and team developed a new analysis that lets them "search" the brain for off-target drug effects.
"With this new way of analysing brain imaging data, we can track in real time whether or not the drug is affecting the right brain regions and helping patients to manage their symptoms," says Wiesman.
"What we found was that there are sometimes 'off-target' effects of the drug. In other words, we could see the drug activating brain regions we don't want to be activating, and that's getting in the way of the helpful effects. We found that those people who showed 'off target' effects are still being helped by the drug, but not to the same extent as others," said Wiesman.
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, meaning parts of the brain become progressively damaged over time.
It affects predominately the dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain called the substantia nigra.
People with Parkinson's disease may experience a range of movement-related symptoms, such as tremors, slow movement, stiffness and balance problems.
Wiesman hopes that a better understanding of how levodopa affects an individual's brain signals could improve how drugs are prescribed to treat Parkinson's.
This new type of brain imaging analysis is not only for studying Parkinson's disease; any medications that affect brain signaling can be studied using the method developed by Wiesman and colleagues. (ANI)
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Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
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Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects movement. It is characterized by the degeneration of nerve cells in the brain, specifically those producing dopamine, a neurotransmitter crucial for coordinating movement. This leads to a range of symptoms, including tremors, stiffness, and slowness of movement. While there is no cure, treatments and therapies can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life. Globally, Parkinson's disease (PD) affects millions. A study published in The BMJ in March 2025 projects that 25.2 million people will be living with Parkinson's by 2050. But what if we can detect Parkinson's disease with an easy hack? No scans, no invasive tests – imagine being able to early diagnose Parkinson's with a gentle swab of your ear. Recent research reveals that earwax – or cerumen – may carry subtle chemical signals pointing to Parkinson's disease (PD) long before traditional symptoms appear. By analyzing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in earwax and feeding that data into artificial‑intelligence systems, scientists have achieved detection accuracy as high as 94%. This promising approach could offer an easy, non‑invasive, and cost‑effective screening method. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Read on to know more. What does the study say? The new research, published in Analytical Chemistry , has found that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in earwax could carry chemical signals of the neurological disease. The work builds on earlier findings suggesting that Parkinson's subtly alters body odor, through changes in sebum, the oily substance that naturally moisturizes our hair and skin. The problem with trying to analyze sebum on the skin is that its exposure to air and the external environment makes it less reliable for clinical testing. Scientists led by a team from Zhejiang University wanted to take a look at earwax, which is better protected. The researchers took ear canal swabs from 209 study participants, 108 of whom had been given a Parkinson's disease diagnosis. By charting differences in earwax composition between people with and without Parkinson's, four VOCs stood out: ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal, and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane. As the researchers mentioned in their published paper, "Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for Parkinson's disease treatment," adding, "This study proposes a diagnostic model… that analyzes VOCs from ear canal secretions." According to the scientists, those VOCs can be altered by inflammation, cell stress, and neurodegeneration in the brain. With the right tests, the team hypothesized that subtle signals for Parkinson's could show up in the ears. These could potentially be used to identify Parkinson's in the future, acting as a foundation around which tests can be developed. First, though, this same analysis needs to be run on larger groups of people over longer periods of time. Earwax: An unexpected diagnostic window Earwax, medically known as cerumen, is more than just debris – it contains sebum, an oily secretion from skin glands, along with waxy fatty acids and dead skin cells. Sebum's chemical composition reflects our skin's metabolic activity. Earlier studies found that people with Parkinson's often emit a distinctive musky odor, traced back to sebum on their skin, caused by inflammation, oxidative stress, and neurodegeneration. Yet, skin-mounted sebum exposed to pollution and humidity can muddy chemical signals. Enter the ear canal – a more protected environment. Wax from the ear canal remains sheltered, making it a more stable source for detecting sebum-based chemical markers. The findings: Four key VOCs The team, led by Hao Dong and Danhua Zhu at Zhejiang University, collected earwax samples from 209 participants –108 diagnosed with Parkinson's and 101 healthy controls. Using advanced separation techniques (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and GC with surface acoustic wave sensors), they analyzed the chemical makeup of the samples. Out of hundreds of detected VOCs, four stood out – chemicals whose levels consistently differed in Parkinson's patients: Ethylbenzene 4‑Ethyltoluene Pentanal 2‑Pentadecyl‑1,3‑dioxolane Statistical analysis showed these chemicals were significantly altered in Parkinson's patients. These differences likely stem from underlying processes in Parkinson's: neurodegeneration, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and changes in fat metabolism. 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The findings could also help the ongoing study to understand how Parkinson's gets started and how it might be stopped. Identified VOC changes could possibly be used as a chemical fingerprint, identifying other changes happening because of – or perhaps leading to – the disease. Why early detection matters: Currently, Parkinson's is diagnosed based on motor symptoms – tremors, muscle rigidity, slowed movement – when significant neurological damage has already occurred. Conventional diagnostic methods, like brain imaging or dopamine transporter scans, are expensive, time-consuming, and not always precise Earlier detection through earwax offers three big benefits: Preventive timing: Intervene sooner to potentially slow disease progression and preserve quality of life. Accessibility: Ear swabs require minimal training and equipment, less costly than imaging. Consistency: Earwax sebum isn't easily contaminated, unlike skin sebum. 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Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Brain scan reveals why Parkinson's drugs don't always work: Study
Washington: Simon Fraser University Researchers are using an advanced brain imaging method called MEG to understand why Parkinson's drug levodopa doesn't work equally well for everyone. By mapping patients' brain signals before and after taking the drug, they discovered that it sometimes activates the wrong brain regions, dampening its helpful effects. This breakthrough could pave the way for personalised treatment strategies, ensuring patients receive medications that target the right areas of their brain more effectively. The new study by the Simon Fraser University (SFU) researchers, published in the journal Movement Disorders, looks at why levodopa - the main drug used in dopamine replacement therapy - is sometimes less effective in patients. The drug is typically prescribed to help reduce the movement symptoms associated with the neurodegenerative disorder . While it is effective in improving symptoms for the vast majority of patients, not everyone experiences the same level of benefit. In order to find out why this is the case, an SFU collaboration with researchers in Sweden has used magnetoencephalography (MEG) technology to determine how the drug affects signals in the brain. "Parkinson's is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease worldwide and it is the most rapidly increasing, in terms of incidence," says Alex Wiesman, assistant professor in biomedical physiology and kinesiology at SFU. "Treating this disease, both in terms of helping people with their symptoms, but also trying to find ways to reverse the effects, is becoming more and more important. If clinicians can see how levodopa activates certain parts of the brain in a patient, it can help to inform a more personalised approach to treatment," added Wiesman. The study was a collaboration with researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden, who used MEG to collect data from 17 patients with Parkinson's disease - a relatively small sample size. Researchers mapped participants' brain signals before and after taking the drug, in order to see how and where the drug impacted brain activity. MEG is an advanced non-invasive technology that measures the magnetic fields produced by the brain's electrical signals. It can help clinicians and researchers to study brain disorders and diseases, including brain injuries, tumours, epilepsy, autism, mental illness and more. Using this rare brain imaging technology, Wiesman and team developed a new analysis that lets them "search" the brain for off-target drug effects. "With this new way of analysing brain imaging data, we can track in real time whether or not the drug is affecting the right brain regions and helping patients to manage their symptoms," says Wiesman. "What we found was that there are sometimes 'off-target' effects of the drug. In other words, we could see the drug activating brain regions we don't want to be activating, and that's getting in the way of the helpful effects. We found that those people who showed 'off target' effects are still being helped by the drug, but not to the same extent as others," said Wiesman. Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, meaning parts of the brain become progressively damaged over time. It affects predominately the dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain called the substantia nigra. People with Parkinson's disease may experience a range of movement-related symptoms, such as tremors, slow movement, stiffness and balance problems. Wiesman hopes that a better understanding of how levodopa affects an individual's brain signals could improve how drugs are prescribed to treat Parkinson's. This new type of brain imaging analysis is not only for studying Parkinson's disease; any medications that affect brain signaling can be studied using the method developed by Wiesman and colleagues. (ANI)
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Time of India
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Image credits: Getty Images Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second-most neurodegenerative disorder in the United States. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, as many as 1 million Americans have Parkinson's Disease. Until now it was believed that Parkinson's disease begins with a gradual loss of nerve cells in the brain, particularly those producing dopamine, a neurotransmitter vital for movement. This leads to a decline in dopamine levels leading to symptoms such as tremors, stiffness and slow movement. Now, a new study published in Nature Neuroscience, suggests that the disease actually begins from a shocking body part- the kidneys. The team of researchers from Wuhan University in China performed the study primarily focused on the alpha-synuclein (a-Syn) protein, which is closely associated with Parkinson's. When the production of this protein becomes uneven, it creates clumps of misfolded proteins that interfere with brain function. As per the research, the clumps of this protein can develop in the kidneys as well and thus the researchers are of the belief that these abnormal proteins might actually travel from the kidneys to the brain, triggering the disease. "We demonstrate that the kidney is a peripheral organ that serves as an origin of pathological α-Syn," wrote the researchers in the published paper. The shocking study Image credits: Getty Images To carry out the study, the team ran multiple tests to analyse the behaviour of the protein in genetically engineered mice and human tissue that included samples from people with Parkinson's disease and chronic kidney disease. The team found abnormal a-Syn growth in the kidneys of 10 out of 11 people with Parkinson's and other types of dementia related to Lewy bodies. In another sample batch, similar protein malfunctions were found in 17 out of 20 patients with chronic kidney disease, even though these people had no signs of neurological disorders. In animals, mice with healthy kidneys cleared out injected a-Syn clumps, but mice whose kidneys weren't functioning faced protein built-ups that eventually spread to the brain. The study also analysed the fact that these proteins move through the blood and if they are reduced in the blood, the damage to the brain can be decreased. This point needs to be noted as an inspiration for new strategies of treatment.
