Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

A new device, worn like a wristwatch to help control tremor in people with Parkinson’s disease, is now available in the U.S. from its developer, Cala Health. Called the Cala kIQ System, the wearable device is the first to be cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration…

Combining a singing program with conventional speech therapy could help to lessen the vocal problems facing people with Parkinson’s disease, according to findings from a small clinical trial. Therapy sessions were conducted using smartphones, and given to patients at the home. The study, “Voice improvement following…

Kynmobi (apomorphine hydrochloride), an under-the-tongue therapy approved to help manage off episodes in Parkinson’s disease, is being discontinued in the U.S. as of June 30. Sunovion, which developed the treatment, is voluntarily withdrawing the drug from the U.S. market “due to limited utilization,” according to an announcement…

Use of certain anti-depressants may increase the risk of life-threatening clotting problems in elderly people with Parkinson’s disease, a new report highlights. The study, “Deep venous thrombosis and hyponatremia associated with citalopram use for behavioral symptoms in Parkinson’s disease: a case report,” was published in BMC…

The Phase 2 LUMA clinical trial, which is testing the experimental LRRK2 inhibitor BIIB122 in people with Parkinson’s disease, is expanding to open enrollment of patients who have a mutation in the LRRK2 gene, in addition to patients without mutations. Meanwhile, the Phase 3 LIGHTHOUSE study, which had been…

Many people with Parkinson’s disease who take antipsychotic medications begin them shortly after being hospitalized, a new study shows. The finding implies that poorly managed psychiatric problems likely contribute to hospitalizations. The data emphasize the importance of appropriately supporting and monitoring people with Parkinson’s so psychiatric issues can be…

Patterns of brain damage in Parkinson’s disease differ based on whether or not individuals have REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), a new study suggests. Study findings indicate that patterns of brain damage are similar among Parkinson’s patients who develop RBD before or after Parkinson’s motor symptoms. Based on…

A new digital tool called MAP DBS may help improve the efficiency of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for people with Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests. “We showed that MAP DBS can improve the time spent at the initial DBS programming visit when compared to [standard-of-care] procedures, which has…

Several people with Parkinson’s disease were able to improve their ability to walk by using a “wearable cyborg” over their torso, a study reports. The study, “Gait improvement with wearable cyborg HAL trunk unit for parkinsonian patients: five case reports,” was published in Scientific Reports. The work…

A 12-week virtual music therapy program was found to reduce apathy and depression among people with Parkinson’s disease — and to help ease feelings of burden for their caregivers, a new study reported. “Group music therapy is an effective treatment for apathy in PD [Parkinson’s disease] and may improve…