Lindsey Shapiro, PhD, science writer —

A research lab at the University of Denver in Colorado has received $300,000 in funding from the Parkinson’s Foundation to develop and test potential treatments for Parkinson’s disease. The Foundation’s Stanley Fahn Junior Faculty Award was granted to Sunil Kumar, PhD, an assistant professor of molecular and…

A specific protein associated with sex hormone production may shed light on the sex-related differences in Parkinson’s disease observed between men and women, according to a recent study. Levels of this protein, called retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor alpha (RORA), are higher in the blood of men with the…

Intensive treadmill exercise improved motor and cognitive function in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease and was linked to its ability to restore a cellular process called neuroplasticity in a recent study. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt and re-wire in response to new experiences. “We have…

A digitally delivered dual-task training (DTT) program was just as good as a standard physical therapist-led one at improving gait in people with Parkinson’s disease, a small clinical trial suggests. Eight-week DTT programs, which are designed to improve patients’ ability to multitask when moving, led to significantly increased gait…

Activating the Nurr1 protein eased both motor and smell deficits and showed neuroprotective properties in mouse and cell models of Parkinson’s disease in a recent study. The newly developed Nurr1 activator, called 4A7C-301, also did not induce dyskinesia, the involuntary movements associated with certain standard Parkinson’s treatments,…

Internalized, experienced, or anticipated stigma have significant impacts on employment experiences for people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. In semi-structured interviews with patients, a researcher identified that patients felt hesitant to disclose their diagnosis in the workplace or ask for disability-related accommodations, often due to a…

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…