Lindsey Shapiro, PhD,  science writer—

Patients with early-onset or familial forms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) had a higher burden of rare mutations in the PPARGC1A gene compared with healthy people, whereas no significant relationship was observed between these mutations and late-onset sporadic Parkinson’s, a study found. While the findings suggest that PPARGC1A could contribute to the…

Sleep disturbances are common in people with diseases marked by alpha-synuclein buildup, but they are especially problematic among Parkinson’s disease patients on dopaminergic medications, a study suggests. Parkinson’s patients tend to have more arousals during sleep and fewer normal sleep cycles than people with isolated rapid eye movement (REM)…

At least six months of physical therapy helps to ease motor symptoms, possibly allowing for lower medication doses among people with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease, according to findings from a recent meta-analysis of published clinical trial data. Beneficial changes in Parkinson’s motor symptoms were observed regardless of whether patients…

Fluctuations in weight, either a loss or a gain, occurred significantly more often in people with Parkinson’s disease than in those without the progressive neurodegenerative disorder, a study has found. Weight loss in Parkinson’s patients was associated with a faster progression of motor and cognitive declines over a five-year…

Researchers have developed a new method of temporarily opening the selective blood-brain barrier (BBB) to allow therapeutic molecules greater access to the brain. Difficulties in developing molecules that can cross this barrier have long hindered the development of treatments for neurological diseases, like Parkinson’s disease. The technique could now…

Buntanetap, Annovis Bio’s investigational oral treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, was safe and showed effectiveness in people with early-stage Parkinson’s disease, a presentation of Phase 2 trial data showed, paving the way for Phase 3 testing in a larger patient group. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently gave the…

Multiple alterations to a class of fat (lipid) molecules called glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are observed in the blood of people with Parkinson’s disease compared with those without the disease, according to a recent study. These changes, some of which are linked to Parkinson’s symptoms such as motor and cognitive…

Women with Parkinson’s disease experience more and worse pain than men with the neurodegenerative condition, according to a new study that highlights sex differences in the prevalence and severity of these symptoms. Chronic pain, pain related to motor symptom fluctuations, mouth/face (oro-facial) pain, and discoloration/swelling were all more prevalent…

More co-existing health conditions in people with Parkinson’s disease is associated with a greater self-perception of stigma and a lower quality of life, a study has found. Thyroid disease, depression and anxiety each were linked to stigma and life quality, with demographic factors — including a younger age, less education…

Researchers have identified distinct changes to introns — a historically understudied component of genes — associated with the presence and progression of Parkinson’s disease. Learning more about these changes and the signaling pathways they impact may help in identifying biomarkers and treatment targets for the neurodegenerative disease, the researchers…