More than three-quarters of people with early-onset Parkinson’s disease (EOPD) experience pain, according to a recent study conducted in Vietnam, with more severe pain reported by older patients and those with nonmotor symptoms such as depression, sexual dysfunction, and hallucinations. Additional studies with well-validated tools are needed to further…
Researchers have developed a way to generate a family of nerve cells implicated in Parkinson’s disease in the lab using human stem cells, according to newly published research. These cells, found in a brain region called the locus coeruleus (LC), produce a signaling chemical called norepinephrine, or NE. While these…
People with Parkinson’s disease at a higher risk of liver scarring, known as fibrosis, experienced faster cognitive declines compared with patients at a lower risk, according to a new analysis. In fact, over a five-year period, liver scarring was tied to a “more rapid decline in scores” across four…
Bifidobacteria, a type of bacteria found at higher levels in the gut of Parkinson’s disease patients, is capable of breaking down levodopa, the gold-standard therapy for the neurodegenerative disease, according to recent laboratory studies. Levels of the bacteria in the guts of Parkinson’s patients correlated with the dose of…
Researchers have discovered a new early-onset movement disorder associated with mutations in the ACBD6 gene, and several symptoms are similar to those observed in Parkinson’s disease. Genetic sequencing across more than two dozen unrelated families uncovered disease-causing mutations in the gene that were linked to a distinct neurodevelopmental disease that has…
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…
Get regular updates to your inbox.