Axonal defects linked to rare form of Parkinson's disease

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A study links a genetic mutation associated with a rare form of Parkinson’s disease to defects in a subset of nerve cells. The findings may help explain how the neurodegenerative disorder begins and progresses.

A genetic mutation linked to Parkinson's disease produced abnormalities in a subset of nerve cells, offering a clue about the disease's causes, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The findings offer new clues about how the neurodegenerative disorder begins and progresses, said D. James Surmeier, Ph.D., the Nathan Smith Davis professor and chair of neuroscience, who was a co-author of the study.