Lindsey Shapiro, PhD, science writer —

Major problems with sensation in the airways — essential in preventing the dysphagia or swallowing difficulties that can lead to complications like aspiration pneumonia — were not observed between Parkinson’s disease patients and healthy adults in a small recent study. But given the proposed relationship between airway sensory impairments…

Surgical Information Sciences (SIS) has opened a clinical trial to evaluate whether its visualization technology system for locating brain structures can enhance the accuracy of implant placement during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in people with Parkinson’s disease. Called VISION (NCT05774041), the observational and postmarketing study…

Engaging in regular physical activity before and after being diagnosed with depression can lower a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, while stopping to exercise increases that risk, a large study that followed patients in South Korea for about five years reports. Becoming more active only after a depressive…

Blood levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), an inflammatory molecule, and phosphorylated alpha-synuclein, a Parkinson’s disease biomarker, could be used to distinguish Parkinson’s patients with or without fatigue. Those findings from a recent study suggest the two markers may be  “promising biomarkers in discriminating PD [Parkinson’s disease] with…

Recent research in mice has revealed possible mechanisms by which alpha-synuclein protein is transported from blood cells in circulation to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, where the protein is then thought to travel to the brain to drive Parkinson’s disease. Cellular carriers called extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from red blood…

Gender norms and stereotypes substantially can impact the well-being of men and women living with Parkinson’s disease, highlighting a need for more gender-sensitive care, according to a small study into patients’ views. People with Parkinson’s in the Netherlands indicated that their behaviors and experiences were affected both by masculine…

Botulinum toxin was found to be relatively safe and effective for treating excessive drooling in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of previous clinical trials. While side effects usually were mild, the researchers believe larger and longer studies are needed to establish the…

Damage to the genetic material in mitochondria, cells’ energy production centers, may trigger the spread of nerve cell death in Parkinson’s disease, according to recent research. Faulty mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was observed in patient tissues and mouse models. In lab studies, the damaged mtDNA was found to be released…

A year of treatment with levodopa plus benserazide led to greater clinical improvements among Parkinson’s disease patients who were also using add-on Azilect (rasagiline), according to a small Chinese study. The use of Azilect was also associated with greater reductions in homocysteine (Hcy), a biomarker associated with…

Cognition tests given virtually showed results similar to in-person evaluations for Parkinson’s disease patients with no or mild cognitive impairments, but more work clearly is needed to overcome their technical limitations and improve their reliability, according to a recent study. “In-person cognitive testing with a neuropsychologist remains the gold…