The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) has received the Advocacy/Policy Award from the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in recognition of its role in Parkinson’s disease research and in shaping public health policy. The MJFF is only the second organization to receive this award. “This…

A multiyear McCamish Foundation funding commitment is expected to enhance the scope and reach of Parkinson’s disease research at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. It also could help make the state of Georgia a hub for collaborative research on neurological diseases. The McCamish pledge — an unspecified amount…

Scientists have created a tomato enriched in levodopa, or L-DOPA, a standard therapy for people with Parkinson’s disease.  These tomatoes could represent a scalable, low-cost alternative L-DOPA source for Parkinson’s patients, particularly those in developing nations where treatment cost is prohibitive.

Every once in a while, the urge to crochet washes over me. It usually happens when the temperatures start to dip into the 30s when Christmas is just around the corner. During a recent visit home, the desire to make something with my hands emerged…

Using non-invasive, dry-electroencephalography (EEG) and machine-learning computer algorithms, researchers were able to distinguish between Parkinson’s disease patients with and without mild cognitive impairments with 80% accuracy, early results of a study found.  Follow-up assessments will be…

Teva has discontinued Spiroco (ropinirole) 4mg XL prolonged-release tablets due to factors out of the company’s control, according to an announcement from Parkinson’s UK. The company — which outside the U.S. manufactures ropinirole XL as a generic formulation in three concentrations — is still marketing Spiroco…

“Dealing with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s is not easy and there is no one, single technique that will ease the pain and no magic pill that will miraculously enable you to cope with it.” — John Baxter Parkinson’s treatment is a lifelong commitment that involves much more than just taking…

Metabolic pathways involving uric acid and homocysteine may play a role in the onset of peripheral neuropathy in patients with Parkinson’s disease, a study suggests. The study, “Peripheral Neuropathy in de novo Patients with Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in the Yonsei Medical Journal. Peripheral…

A poor performance, due to cognitive impairments, on the Rookwood Driving Battery (RDB) — a set of tests aiming to evaluate specific neuropsychological skills that are important for safe vehicle operation — is the best predictor of poor driving among patients with Parkinson’s disease, a study has found.

Sometimes we can get confused with all the abbreviations used to communicate in the different Parkinson’s communities. It can be frustrating, especially if you are newly diagnosed or beginning to gather information about the disease. That is why I try to spell out words instead of resorting to shortcuts. (Although…