Dinahlee Saturnino Guarino, John-Grey Crosby, Zoe L. Sessions, Dhruva D. Dhavale, John L. Robinson, Theresa Schuck, Edward B. Lee, Paul T. Kotzbauer, Kelvin C. Luk, Virginia M.-Y. Lee, Robert H. Mach
{"title":"New PET ligand 3H-M503-1619 captures α-synuclein in human postmortem LBDs but not in MSA tissue","authors":"Dinahlee Saturnino Guarino, John-Grey Crosby, Zoe L. Sessions, Dhruva D. Dhavale, John L. Robinson, Theresa Schuck, Edward B. Lee, Paul T. Kotzbauer, Kelvin C. Luk, Virginia M.-Y. Lee, Robert H. Mach","doi":"10.1038/s41531-026-01564-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-026-01564-9","url":null,"abstract":"Alpha synuclein (a-syn) is an intracellular protein that is normally present as an alpha helix. Misfolding to form a beta pleated sheet leads to intracellular aggregates having strain diversity, which has presented a challenge to those trying to design a PET imaging agent for this purpose. Here, we describe the in vitro binding properties of a new compound, M503-1619, characterized through radioligand binding studies in amplified Lewy body disease fibrils and in vitro autoradiography using human post-mortem samples from neurodegenerative diseases and mouse models of seeded α-synucleinopathy in conjunction with immunohistochemistry. Potential off-target binding towards monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) was also evaluated. Results suggest high affinity and target engagement with a-synuclein inclusions in LBDs but not in MSA brains. Off-target binding to MAO-B was minimal. Overall, these results indicate that the novel radioligand [3H]M503-1619 has a suitable in vitro profile for detecting α-synuclein pathology in LBDs but not in MSA patients.","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"92 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149010521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gijs Vissers, Anouk Tosserams, Annelien A. Duits, Rick C. Helmich, Bastiaan R. Bloem, William R. Young, Jorik Nonnekes
{"title":"‘Managing the mental state’ to tackle anxiety-related freezing of gait in people with Parkinson’s disease: a randomized controlled trial","authors":"Gijs Vissers, Anouk Tosserams, Annelien A. Duits, Rick C. Helmich, Bastiaan R. Bloem, William R. Young, Jorik Nonnekes","doi":"10.1038/s41531-026-01571-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-026-01571-w","url":null,"abstract":"Freezing of gait (FOG) is a debilitating symptom in Parkinson’s disease (PD), characterized by paroxysmal episodes wherein there is an inability to step effectively, despite attempting to do so. Anxiety is known to exacerbate FOG. Although anxiety-relieving compensation strategies are anecdotally reported to reduce FOG, their effectiveness awaits systematic evaluation. In this randomized controlled trial, we evaluated a personalized, non-pharmacological intervention aimed at reducing anxiety-related FOG. Forty-one participants with PD and anxiety-related FOG were randomly assigned (1:1) to either an intervention group or a waitlist control group. The intervention consisted of four weekly sessions combining psychoeducation with tailored behavioral strategies targeting anxiety in relation to FOG. The primary outcome was the percentage of time spent frozen during a home-based walking task designed to provoke FOG. The intervention did not reduce the time spent frozen during the walking course compared with the waitlist group. Likewise, no differences were found for most secondary outcomes. In preplanned exploratory longitudinal analyses combining both groups, reductions in time spent frozen and improvements in several secondary outcomes were observed over time. This randomized controlled trial shows that a brief, four‑session tailored behavioral intervention did not reduce objectively measured anxiety‑related FOG compared with a waitlist control. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06302309. Registered on March 4, 2024.","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149010522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yun Hwa Roh, Jinyoung Youn, Sang-Young Kim, Hwan Heo, Soohwa Song, Beomseok Sohn
{"title":"Reply to 'The method matters: free water imaging in Parkinson's disease is not a binary verdict'.","authors":"Yun Hwa Roh, Jinyoung Youn, Sang-Young Kim, Hwan Heo, Soohwa Song, Beomseok Sohn","doi":"10.1038/s41531-026-01490-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41531-026-01490-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We reply to the Matters Arising on our study comparing neuromelanin and free water imaging for early Parkinson's disease diagnosis. The authors raised considerations regarding image registration, age imbalance, repetition time, and conceptual framing. We clarify that our registration pipeline is validated for subcortical structures, that age does not account for neuromelanin's superior performance, and that our acquisition parameters meet recommended standards. Our findings reflect comparative performance, not a verdict.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13570882/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148956329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A Enrique Martinez-Nunez, Angelos Barmpoutis, Michael S Okun, David Vaillancourt
{"title":"The method matters: free water imaging in Parkinson's disease is not a binary verdict.","authors":"A Enrique Martinez-Nunez, Angelos Barmpoutis, Michael S Okun, David Vaillancourt","doi":"10.1038/s41531-026-01492-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41531-026-01492-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A recent comparison of neuromelanin and free water (FW) imaging in Parkinson's disease concluded that FW imaging underperforms. We argue this reflects methodological constraints, not biological truth. Three issues compromise FW sensitivity: use of a registration template that degrades substantia nigra localization, an age imbalance between groups that favors neuromelanin detection, and repetition times insufficient to capture the FW compartment. With unmet acquisition requirements, the technique was never correctly applied.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13570883/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148956313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marco Fazzari,Ahssan Sekandari,Macy Stoddard,Christine Odoux,Ese S. Ekhator,Isabella Sanders,Sandra Castro,Stacey J. Sukoff Rizzo,Francisco J. Schopfer,Timothy Greenamyre,Bruce A. Freeman,Roberto Di Maio
{"title":"Fatty acid nitroalkene inhibition of LRRK2 hyperactivation and induction of neuroprotection in a model of Parkinson’s disease","authors":"Marco Fazzari,Ahssan Sekandari,Macy Stoddard,Christine Odoux,Ese S. Ekhator,Isabella Sanders,Sandra Castro,Stacey J. Sukoff Rizzo,Francisco J. Schopfer,Timothy Greenamyre,Bruce A. Freeman,Roberto Di Maio","doi":"10.1038/s41531-026-01551-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-026-01551-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148923197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yihua Ma,Sandrina Weber,Carly M. Farris,Susana Schnell,Jens Ebentheuer,Yannic Saathoff,Jesusa Kalinkara-Gomez,Davan M. Murphy,Brit Mollenhauer,Luis Concha-Marambio
{"title":"Skin α-synuclein seed amplification assay for the identification of multiple system atrophy","authors":"Yihua Ma,Sandrina Weber,Carly M. Farris,Susana Schnell,Jens Ebentheuer,Yannic Saathoff,Jesusa Kalinkara-Gomez,Davan M. Murphy,Brit Mollenhauer,Luis Concha-Marambio","doi":"10.1038/s41531-026-01565-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-026-01565-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"468 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148923202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}