José Lopes, PhD, managing science editor —

A new exploratory study intends to assess the benefit of art therapy in improving visuospatial function and gait in Parkinson’s disease patients. The ExplorArtPD study (NCT03178786) is currently recruiting participants in New York City. More information on enrollment can be found here. The study’s experimental protocol, “…

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) — recurrent discomfort and the urge to move the legs at rest — may be associated with an increased frequency of constipation and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), two premotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, a study suggests. The study, “The…

A gene editing approach targeting a specific part of the SNCA gene was able to lower alpha-synuclein levels and protect from Parkinson’s characteristic cellular changes, according to preclinical results. The study, “Downregulation of SNCA expression by targeted editing of DNA-methylation: A potential strategy for precision therapy in…

Using a new screening strategy, researchers have identified compounds that block the clumping of alpha-synuclein protein, a key event in Parkinson’s. The study, “Potent α-Synuclein Aggregation Inhibitors, Identified by High-Throughput Screening, Mainly Target the Monomeric State,” appeared in the journal Cell Chemical Biology. Aggregated alpha-synuclein is…

Patients with Parkinson’s disease have a higher incidence, longer duration, and greater severity of low back pain than individuals without the disease, according to a study. These findings also show that Parkinson’s patients with low back pain have a greater disability correlated with the severity of motor impairments.

A plant-derived compound called perillyl alcohol restored cell survival and lowered oxidative stress and DNA damage in a cell model of Parkinson’s disease, according to researchers. The new study, “Evaluation of phytomedicinal potential of perillyl alcohol in an in vitro Parkinson’s Disease model,“ was published in the…

The anti-inflammatory molecule interleukin (IL)-4 contributes to the neurodegeneration observed in Parkinson’s disease, a study in rats reports. The research, “Interleukin-4 Contributes to Degeneration of Dopamine Neurons in the Lipopolysaccharide-treated Substantia Nigra in vivo,” was published in the journal Experimental Neurobiology. Parkinson’s is characterized by the progressive…

Specific microRNAs that are contained in tiny, cell-derived vesicles called exosomes may be biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease, according to a study. The study, “Circulating exosomal miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in the journal European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. MicroRNAs (miRNAs)…

A modified form of a protein called Nurr1 that is able to protect against nerve cell death and restore dopamine production in a preclinical setting may pave the way for a possible new Parkinson’s therapy, a study reports. The study, “Lethal Factor Domain-Mediated Delivery of Nurr1 Transcription…

Long-lived macrophages in the mouse gut are crucial for the survival of nerve cells in the gastrointestinal tract and for proper digestion, a finding that sheds new light not only on neurodegenerative conditions of the intestine, but also of the brain, researchers believe. The study, “Self-Maintaining Gut Macrophages Are…