Stanford PD Community Blog

On April 6, the New York Times reports that the FDA will allow 23andMe to sell genetic tests for disease risk to consumers.  According to the article, customers have to specifically ask to be tested for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s risk.

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From the shaking palsy to alpha-synuclein, the stories behind the science from many of the researchers who played key roles in achieving significant milestones are published.

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Some microscopes today are so powerful that they can create a picture of the gap between brain cells, which is thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. They can even reveal the tiny sacs carrying even tinier nuggets of information to cross over that gap to form memories. And in colorful snapshots made possible by a giant magnet, we can see the activity of 100 billion brain cells talking…. Full Story>

It’s widely recognized that falling poses a significant risk for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), but most scientists thought patients tended to fall in later stages of the disease. Researchers in Norway have found that 25 percent of Parkinson’s patients fell in the first year of their diagnosis.

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In 2001, President George W. Bush issued an executive order banning federal funding for new sources of stem cells developed from preimplantation human embryos. The action stalled research and discouraged scientists…. Full Story>