Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Depression and anxiety can be prevalent among elderly people hospitalized with Parkinson’s disease, and is associated with malnourishment or poor nutrition, a study from Germany suggests. Findings also indicate that malnutrition is more prominent among men with Parkinson’s whose disease is more advanced or of a longer duration. The study,…

A clinical trial that’s multi-arm and multi-stage (MAMS) could quicken development of promising therapies for Parkinson’s disease (PD) by allowing multiple treatments to be tested simultaneously. MAMS trials, most commonly used across cancers, may be a way of advancing work toward a first therapy that can delay or stop Parkinson’s…

The protein RasGRP1 is a key culprit for involuntary movements that arise from dopamine replacement therapies used to treat Parkinson’s disease, a new study done in animals suggests. Targeting this protein may be a therapeutic strategy to prevent these motor problems, while still receiving the benefits of treatment. The…

Certain features of metabolic syndrome may be more prevalent in people with Parkinson’s disease-associated mutations in the gene LRRK2, new research suggests. The research abstract “Metabolic syndrome and genetic Parkinson’s disease, the case of LRRK2 and GBA” was published online. It was to be presented at the 2020 annual meeting…

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough device designation to PhotoPharmics‘s light-based, at-home device as an add-on therapy for Parkinson’s disease. This designation is given to medical devices with the potential to offer more effective treatment for life-threatening or debilitating diseases. It grants…

A new tool, based on multiple signs of disease progression, can help guide healthcare professionals in decisions on when to start palliative care for people with Parkinson’s, researchers report. Their study,”RADPAC-PD: A tool to support healthcare professionals in timely identifying palliative care needs of people with…

MedRhythms, focused on creating treatments that incorporate music to aid people with walking problems due to neurological disorders, announced the issue of a new U.S. patent covering the audio engine of its digital therapeutics platform. The patent awarded by the United States Patent and Trademark Office is called “Enhancing…

A pilot study in Sweden shows the feasibility of testing how exercise benefits neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to adjust and make new connections in response to stimuli or damage — in people with Parkinson’s disease, making a larger and more scientifically rigorous clinical trial possible. An ability to replicate…

A new microscope technology that allows real-time imaging of brain cell activity could have important applications in understanding the biology of the brain, and of brain diseases such as Parkinson’s. The technology was described in Nature Methods, in a study titled “Kilohertz two-photon fluorescence microscopy imaging…

People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who live in rural areas of the United States face unique challenges, such as limited access to experts, according to a study that also suggests that technology could help overcome these obstacles. The study, “Considering Health Care Needs in a Rural…