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Source: Ulaval nouvelles – See the full article in French here

Could Parkinson’s disease be diagnosed with a simple eye exam?
A study published in the journal Neurobiology of Disease by a team from Université Laval suggests that this possibility deserves serious consideration. Indeed, the retina of individuals with Parkinson’s appears to respond differently to light stimuli compared to that of healthy individuals, according to the group’s findings.

Today, Parkinson’s is still most often diagnosed when a person consults a physician for motor symptoms such as tremors. “By that time, the disease has already been present for several years, and the brain neurons involved are already undergoing irreversible degeneration. This is why it’s essential to identify biomarkers that can detect Parkinson’s at an early stage,” explains the study’s lead author, Martin Lévesque, a professor in Université Laval’s Faculty of Medicine and a researcher at the CERVO Research Centre.

Yves DE KONINCK, Professor at ULaval’s Faculty of Medicine and Director of the CERVO Research Center, talks to us about DecodePain, a Franco-Canadian research project launched in January 2025 that he co-directs with Marc LANDRY, University Professor at the University of Bordeaux, within the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CNRS/University of Bordeaux). Click here to learn more.

Felipe Da Gama, scientific coordinator of Chercheur d’un jour, recently took part in the filming of the television show Luka and Léo. During this episode, he had the opportunity to answer a fascinating question posed by Charles: “How does a brain work?”

With his expertise in neuroscience, Felipe captivated the audience by explaining the complex mechanisms of the human brain. He discussed key concepts such as neurons, the nerve cells that transmit electrical signals, and how different parts of the brain work together to process information, regulate emotions, and control our daily actions.

Watch episode here. The segment begins around 15:50

Click here to learn more

Strokes can cause severe after-effects. A molecule, whose role has just been clarified, could reduce the damage by facilitating natural repair processes.

This discovery by Dr. Ayman ElAli, one of our members, is among the 10 most important discoveries of the year according to Québec Science! We invite you to vote for your favorite discovery!

To read the original article in Québec Science: Réparer le cerveau après un AVC

To vote: 32e édition des découvertes de l’année de Québec Science