José Lopes, PhD, managing science editor —

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests. The research, “Inflammatory bowel disease increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease: a Danish nationwide cohort study 1977–2014,” was published in the journal Gut. Inflammation plays a key role…

A mutation common to familial Parkinson’s was seen in a study focused on tuberculosis to prevent immune cells of the brain from working properly, allowing protein to accumulate in nerve cells — and, potentially, to this specific disease’s development. The study, “LRRK2 is a negative regulator of Mycobacterium tuberculosis…

Non-motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson’s disease are significantly more frequent and differ between men and women, a new study shows. The study, “Frequency of non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease presenting to tertiary care centre in Pakistan: an observational, cross-sectional study,” was published in the journal BMJ Open.

Brain training reduces the severity and duration of freezing of gait and improves cognition and daytime sleepiness in Parkinson’s patients, a study shows. The study, “Cognitive training for freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease: a randomized controlled trial,” appeared in the journal npj Parkinson’s Disease.

Microglial cells in the brain play an essential protective role against prion diseases, a new study shows. The findings could have implications for diseases characterized by protein aggregation, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The study, “Microglia are critical in host defense against prion disease,” was published…

The inability to remember proper sequences of information, such as numbers or events, occurs before cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s patients who have mild motor symptoms, a Chinese study shows. The research “Impaired serial ordering in nondemented patients with mild Parkinson’s disease,” was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Microorganisms living in the gut can influence the progression of neurodegenerative diseases through two types of brain cells, and understanding more about how they suppress inflammation could lead to new therapies for diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s, a study found. The research, “Microglial control…

Using a new tool, researchers were able to see how two different sets of neurons interact in mice to control movement. They believe the method, called spectrally resolved fiber photometry, may help in unraveling what goes wrong in the brains of Parkinson’s patients and those with other disorders. The research,…

Different brain cells determine which form of alpha-synuclein will be responsible for different Parkinson’s-related disorders, a new study suggests. The research, “Cellular milieu imparts distinct pathological α-synuclein strains in α-synucleinopathies,” was published in the journal Nature. Aggregates of the protein alpha-synuclein are characteristic of Parkinson’s, Lewy body…

Blocking an enzyme associated with inflammation and disease progression in Parkinson’s patients may by a promising way of  treating this neurodegenerative disorder, new research suggests. The study, “Soluble epoxide hydrolase plays a key role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease,” was published in the journal Proceedings of the…