Columbia Psychiatry Reports Important New Finding Re: Parkinson's

(October 22, 2009)  An unprecedented worldwide study has clinched the case that the gene behind Gaucher disease, a rare neurological disorder, is also involved in Parkinson's disease. Gaucher disease affects no more than one in 100,000 people in most populations, with an estimated 5,400 cases in the United States. As many as 3 million to 4 million Americans are estimated to have Parkinson's disease. "Its importance is that it may indicate a new pathway to explore for the etiology [cause] of Parkinson's disease, and ultimately a target for drug discovery," said Dr. Karen Marder, a professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center, and one of the researchers in the trial.  

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