Middle-aged and older autistic adults with no intellectual disabilities reported more prevalent Parkinson’s disease-like features — referred to as parkinsonism — compared with the general population, a study found. These findings provide important knowledge about aging disorders such as Parkinson’s among older people with autism spectrum disorder…

People who are gay, bisexual, or transgender with Parkinson’s disease or other movement disorders can be reluctant to disclose their sexual or gender identities for fear of being denied treatment or enrollment in clinical trials, a study found. Research is limited into this growing patient group, and best practice guidelines…

I was 12 when my father died and 17 when my mother passed away. My sister, Beverly, became my legal guardian. I’m not sure she knew what was expected of her at the time while caring for a teen who was devastated by the loss of her parents, but I…

The formation of toxic clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein, a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease, was not affected by reducing levels of tau, a protein that also forms aggregates in both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, a mouse study suggested. These results imply that the role of tau in…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a Phase 3 trial to test multiple infusions of fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells — ones obtained from healthy donors — in people with Parkinson’s disease. The Hope Biosciences Stem Cell Research Foundation (HBSCRF), which received the authorization, already has a…

Smoking history may not influence the severity of symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, a small study suggests. Moreover, in some individuals, exposure to cigarette smoke may worsen motor symptoms, which could lead patients to quit smoking and explain why smoking is more common among people without the disease. The study,…