Lindsey Shapiro, PhD,  science writer—

Higher levodopa doses were associated with a drop in blood pressure among older Parkinson’s patients, those with 65 or more years, in the early and middle stages of the disease, a study reported. Cognitive impairment was identified as a risk factor for a sudden blood pressure drop when…

An approach for treating dysphagia — called effortful swallow maneuver — did not consistently ease signs of swallowing difficulties for Parkinson’s disease patients in a small pilot study. Effortful swallow, or ES, refers to a practice where patients are asked to consciously increase the force they use when swallowing…

Changes in vision and eye health prior to deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery can be a significant predictor of delirium in the hours after this Parkinson’s disease surgery, a study suggests. A post-operative risk of the psychiatric condition was found to be greater in older patients and those with…

Researchers have uncovered new evidence that activity in the gut can directly influence brain function, a relationship that’s been proposed to contribute to Parkinson’s disease. Using specialized fibers with the ability to stimulate nerve cells with light, called optogenetics, the scientists found that by altering cell activity in the…

Certain biomarkers in the blood may help doctors in determining whether a person has Parkinson’s disease or atypical parkinsonism, both of which show similar symptoms, a study reported. Three biomarkers — neurofilament light chain (NfL) and malondialdehyde (MDA), particularly, but also 24S-hydroxycholesterol (24S-HC) — were found at significantly…

A history of using inhaled beta-2 adrenoceptor (B2AR) agonists to treat asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) was not associated with a decreased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent Finnish study. The findings contrast earlier epidemiological studies that found these medications, commonly used to treat…

Following promising new data from healthy volunteers in early clinical trials, NodThera now is testing its oral treatment candidate NT-0796 in a Phase 1b/2a biomarker study involving people with Parkinson’s disease. The biotech company announced the positive results from its first-in-human Phase 1 study (ACTRN12621001082897), which found…

Certain experiences particular to women, from a natural childbirth or pregnancy-related depression to a hysterectomy, could cause their Parkinson’s disease symptoms to be more severe, an exploratory U.S. study suggests. As noted by it authors, the study “sets the groundwork for acknowledging the role [women specific health factors] ……

NeuroOne Medical Technologies is seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its OneRF ablation system, which aims to remove select regions of brain tissue as a way of treating neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease. The company submitted its request in the form of…

Testing for the presence of misfolded alpha-synuclein — the protein that toxically builds up in Parkinson’s disease — in both the nasal passages and skin samples could serve as a sensitive way to detect Parkinson’s early pathology and distinguish its subtypes, according to a small recent study. By using…