Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Exposure to pesticides, severe head injury with fainting, and consumption of soda, nuts and red meat appear to be risk factors for Parkinson’s disease among people in Cyprus, a Mediterranean island with an interesting genetic mix, a study suggests. Study results further suggest that smoking and…

Inappropriate antipsychotic medications — those approved for ills like schizophrenia but used to treat depression — given to elderly people with Parkinson’s disease increase their risk of pneumonia, a study suggests. The study, “Risk of pneumonia associated with atypical antipsychotic use in nursing home residents with Parkinson’s…

Parkinson’s UK and Alzheimer’s Research UK have teamed up to help fund a project that will test whether a “waste disposal system” in the brain could be exploited to help in the understanding and treatment of these diseases, Parkinson’s UK announced. The new project, which is expected to…

A particular signaling protein in the brain, called melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), was seen to help regulate impulse control in rats, a study reports. This finding may have implications for disorders where impulse behaviors manifest, from binge eating and drug addiction to Parkinson’s disease. The study, “Hypothalamus-hippocampus circuitry…

Both power and strength training can improve muscle performance in people with Parkinson’s disease, but these improvements may not translate to functional movement, a new study has found. The study, titled “Power vs strength training to improve muscular strength, power, balance and functional movement in individuals diagnosed…

A newly developed compound called CM101 helps to clear toxic proteins in the brains of mice, and could be a viable avenue for the treatment of some neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, researchers say. This finding was recently presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience,…

People with Parkinson’s disease are more likely to develop a disabling postural deformity known as Pisa syndrome if they have more severe axial symptoms — such as difficulty with speech or freezing of gait — and a sleep disorder known as rapid eye movement sleep behavior, a study suggests.

The more years of formal education that people with Parkinson’s disease have, the better they seem to respond to deep-brain stimulation — as seen in a greater ability to “dual-task,” or engage in higher-level thought while walking, a study suggests. “Education level affects dual-task gait after deep…

A planned Phase 2 clinical trial will assess the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceutical-grade cannabidiol (CBD) in treating Parkinson’s-related psychosis. The trial was announced by Parkinson’s UK, which is investing £1.2 million (roughly $1.5 million) to support the study, due to begin enrolling patients in 2020. Psychosis…

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has awarded a five-year, $20 million grant to researchers looking for a way to image misfolded proteins in the brains of people with Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, which could greatly advance diagnosis and disease monitoring. Parkinson’s disease is thought…