Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

Men who have played American football are at increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. That’s according to the study, “American Football Play and Parkinson Disease Among Men,” published in JAMA Network Open. “I would say that I was surprised by the strength of the effect…

Using machine learning to analyze a patient-derived cell model may help to identify different molecular subtypes of Parkinson’s disease, a new study shows. “Using a model of the patient’s own neurons, and combining this with large numbers of images, we generated an algorithm to classify certain subtypes – a…

People with Parkinson’s disease are nearly twice as likely to experience delirium — acute confusion and difficulty with attention — after surgery. They also tend to have longer hospital stays and higher medical costs following surgery, according to a study, “Association of Postoperative Delirium and Parkinson…

People with Parkinson’s disease who are hospitalized for fractures due to falls or other traumatic injuries are not likely to stop being prescribed medications that can increase a fall risk, a study reports. Findings were similar in patients hospitalized for other Parkinson’s-related reasons, like pneumonia or urinary tract infections.

A group of immune cells called border-associated macrophages, or BAMs, have a central role in driving inflammation in the brain in Parkinson’s disease, a new study reports. “The results point to a critical role for BAMs in neuroinflammatory responses and highlight the need for disease-modifying therapeutic targeting of BAMs…

Digital tools, such as wearable devices and video calls, may help people with Parkinson’s disease in managing their nutrition — but barriers will need to be overcome before these tools can be used optimally by patients and caregivers. That’s according to the study, “The Facilitators and…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Aspen Neuroscience clearance to launch a clinical trial of ANPD001, an experimental stem cell therapy designed to replace the nerve cells that are lost in Parkinson’s disease. As planned, the open-label Phase 1/2a trial will test the safety,…

The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) has launched a free online course to help healthcare workers better understand advanced Parkinson’s disease and how to best manage the challenges that come with caring for their patients with the disease. The educational module, titled…

The experimental oral therapy UCB0599 — now in clinical trials — improves motor coordination and reduces inflammation and levels of the disease-related protein alpha-synuclein in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. “This comprehensive package of [Parkinson’s]-relevant improvements supports the rationale of directly targeting misfolded [alpha-synuclein] with the small molecule minzasolmin…

Activating a specific group of nerve cells in the brain leads to a sudden and total halt in movement in mice, a study shows. Since freezing and slowed movement are common motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, scientists think these nerve cells may play a role in the condition.