Janet Stewart, MSc,  —

Goal-oriented cognitive rehabilitation was better than standard treatment or relaxation therapy at helping dementia patients achieve goals, a study reported. It also led to patients getting more satisfaction from attaining goals, researchers said. And it led to caregivers reporting less stress and a better quality of life. The study was based…

After exposure to the herbicide paraquat, genes that may lead to Parkinson’s disease were identified using an innovative gene-editing technique. The study, “A CRISPR screen identifies a pathway required for paraquat-induced cell death,” was published in Nature Chemical Biology. Exposure to the herbicide paraquat…

GeneFo, an internet resource on genetic diseases, is offering a free online lecture featuring humorist and author Yvonne deSousa, who has a neurodegenerative illness. The topic of the Sept. 27 discussion is how humor and laughter can help you to improve well-being and quality of life and to better manage…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given a green light to Titan Pharmaceuticals to begin a first-in-human clinical trial testing an implant that provides continuous release of ropinirole to treat Parkinson’s signs and symptoms. In the open-label Phase 1/2 trial (NCT03250117), which is now recruiting, roughly 20 Parkinson’s…

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study of more than 12 million people who died in the U.S. between 1985 and 2011 found that deaths from Parkinson’s disease and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) occurred more often in people in higher socioeconomic status (SES) occupations. Findings from the study…

The antipsychotics Clozaril (clozapine, or CLZ) and Nuplazid (pimavanserin, or PIM) are potential treatments for Parkinson’s disease psychosis (PDP) in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (iPD), whose cause is unknown. However, their use is currently limited and further research is necessary, according to…

Italian researchers found that when used along with standard medication, Normast (ultra-micronized palmitoylethanolamide, or um-PEA) helped lower both motor and non-motor symptoms in patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD), and slowed disease progression and disability. The study, “Ultra-micronized palmitoylethanolamide: an efficacious adjuvant therapy for Parkinson’s disease,” appeared in the journal CNS…

Brazilian researchers discovered by accident that the antibiotic doxycycline prevented nerve cell damage in mice with Parkinson’s disease, a finding that was so exciting that they and colleagues from other countries decided to delve further into the subject. They have come up with a number of findings indicating doxycycline could…