Lindsey Shapiro, PhD, science writer —

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…

Long-term treatment with sargramostim, an immune-modulating medication from Partner Therapeutics, was safe and improved motor function for five men with Parkinson’s disease, according to data from a small open-label Phase 1 clinical trial. Evidence suggested the therapy exerted its benefits by boosting the function of anti-inflammatory…

An experimental molecule called ONO-2506 was found to reduce the occurrence of abnormal movements — dyskinesia — resulting from early levodopa treatment without compromising levodopa’s therapeutic effects in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease. The mechanisms by which ONO-2506 was able to ease levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) appeared…

Researchers have identified certain pesticides used in agricultural settings that were linked to Parkinson’s disease risk among people living in California — and that were toxic to nerve cells in laboratory studies. Particularly, a pesticide called trifluralin was a significant driver of nerve cell toxicity, an effect that was…

A new review study found limited evidence that exercise may be beneficial in slowing Parkinson’s disease progression, as assessed by behavioral, neurochemical, and imaging measures. Yet no particular exercise type emerged as superior to the others for Parkinson’s patients, although evidence hinted that a higher intensity training with…

Parkinson’s disease patients in Japan reported a general worsening of their symptoms and less time spent out of the house during the COVID-19 pandemic in a recent survey study. As a result, caregivers reported an increased burden that was accompanied by more frustration and fatigue. “For future emergency control…

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were found to be at a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease or related neurodegenerative conditions, a small meta-analysis suggests. “The small number of studies to date provide preliminary evidence of an association between mid- to late-life onset PTSD and subsequent development of [Parkinson’s]…

Supernus Pharmaceuticals plans to resubmit its application seeking approval of SPN-830, its apomorphine infusion pump for people with Parkinson’s disease, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by the end of this year. The decision comes after a meeting with the FDA last month at which…

Gain Therapeutics has been awarded about $2.8 million to advance the development of GT-02287, its lead therapeutic candidate for GBA1-associated Parkinson’s disease. Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency, granted the 2.5 million Swiss francs to the company under its Swiss Accelerator program, which provides funding for new…

NeuroOne Medical Technologies‘ Evo stereoelectroencephalography (sEEG) electrodes for measuring or stimulating brain activity in people with neurological diseases like Parkinson’s disease or epilepsy are now available commercially in the U.S. The electrodes were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October for less than…