Smoking more cigarettes or for a longer time is associated with a decreased risk of developing Parkinson’s, according to a population-based study. A reduced risk was also seen in people exposed to passive smoking compared with those who had never smoked. However, the scientists cautioned that rather than encouraging…
A compound that targets two specific dopamine receptors in the brain is safe and can ease motor deficits in Parkinson’s patents, recent clinical data reveals. The study, “Evaluation of D1/D5 Partial Agonist PF-06412562 in Parkinson’s Disease following Oral Administration,” was published in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Pharmacological treatment…
Severe motor, functional, and gait impairment; cumulative levodopa exposure; anxiety, and sex are among the risk factors for developing levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in people newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, according to results from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). The research, “Risk factors of…
Researchers have developed a system — a mobile app and two websites — based on musical stimuli to improve gait and reduce freezing episodes in Parkinson’s disease patients, according to a study describing the design process of the new approach. The project, called BeatHealth, involved patients, caregivers, and health professionals…
Precursors of dopamine-producing cells were implanted into the brain of a Parkinson’s patient for the first time. The patient in Japan is the first of seven to receive this experimental therapy. The approach uses induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are developed by reprogramming cells collected from the skin…
A new, fully personalized tissue implant using a patient’s own materials and cells can regenerate any organ in the body with minimal risk of an immune response, according to researchers who are now exploring the approach as a potential way to treat Parkinson’s disease. The new technique was reported in…
Dopamine depletion in a brain region called the striatum does not correlate with the severity of non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease, according to a new imaging study. The research, “Lack of association between dopamine transporter loss and non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s…
Oral administration of a small molecule specifically blocked the activation of a stress-sensing protein complex called the NLRP3 inflammasome and prevented the loss of brain cells, resulting in significantly improved motor function in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, a study reports. Findings also revealed that the inflammasome is activated in Parkinson’s patients.
While patients with some types of parkinsonism have a shorter lifespan, those with Parkinson’s disease without cognitive impairment have a normal life expectancy, a Swedish population-based study suggests. The study, “Early predictors of mortality in parkinsonism and Parkinson disease: A population-based study,” was published in the journal…
Reduced alpha-synuclein levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord — are associated with more severe non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s patients, according to a study. The study, “CSF α-synuclein inversely correlates with non-motor symptoms in a cohort of PD…
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