Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has granted conditional approval to Amchepry, Sumitomo Pharma’s stem cell-derived therapy designed to replace dopamine-producing nerve cells, for people with Parkinson’s disease who do not respond adequately to existing treatments such as levodopa. The approval was based on results from a …

In the 12-plus years since I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, I’ve become increasingly aware of how difficult the world is to navigate physically. When I started having gait and balance issues, I realized how many uneven flooring surfaces there were, all of which had become newly noticed…

A fully implanted brain device can identify when people with Parkinson’s disease are walking during their everyday lives, according to a new study from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). By recording neural activity from movement-related brain regions while patients went about their normal routines at home, researchers…

Impaired cellular energy may interfere with how dopamine — the key chemical messenger that is in short supply in Parkinson’s disease — is packaged and handled inside nerve cells, a new study has found. According to the researchers, such disruptions, and a resulting energy shortage, may promote the formation…

A few years ago, I accompanied my dad, who has Parkinson’s disease, to a neurology appointment to observe how his doctor interacted with him and assessed whether his deep brain stimulation hardware needed adjustment. The doctor asked if he was taking the recommended dosage of levodopa at the scheduled…