Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

An international team of scientists is calling for more research about how to better care for women with Parkinson’s disease (PD). “Given the millions of women affected worldwide with PD, and the known differences in this disease’s manifestations and effects between genders, remarkably very little has been done to…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a partial clinical hold in response to an application by Yumanity Therapeutics requesting permission to begin clinical testing in the U.S. of YTX-7739 for Parkinson’s disease. With this decision, the FDA is allowing Yumanity to conduct a planned clinical…

The protein alpha-synuclein, which has a well-established role in the development of Parkinson’s disease, is necessary for the body to mount a normal immune response against infections. “This study provides further evidence that αS [alpha-synuclein], the protein intimately linked with the pathogenesis of PD [Parkinson’s disease], is a critical…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation has awarded $5.2 million to scientists at Arizona State University (ASU) to support three research projects exploring new treatment options for Parkinson’s disease. The projects will be led by Jeffrey Kordower, PhD, founding director of the Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center at ASU.

Adding a plant-derived agent called Withania somnifera, used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine and thought to help with disturbed sleep, to the insomnia medicines given a woman with Parkinson’s disease appears to have eased her insomnia and completely alleviated her restless leg syndrome, researchers in India report. The case report, “…

Cantabio Pharmaceuticals has been awarded a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to develop a small molecule that can reduce the aggregation of a protein called tau. The research may have applications in treating Parkinson’s and other brain diseases. “We are proud…

A clinical trial in the U.S. is evaluating whether home visits from healthcare providers might improve the quality of life for people with advanced Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers. The trial’s protocol was detailed in the paper, “Longitudinal, Interdisciplinary Home Visits Versus Usual Care…

Measuring changes in the temperature of the hands after immersion in cold water could be useful in making an early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, a small study suggests. The study, “A Non-Invasive IR Sensor Technique to Differentiate Parkinson’s Disease from Other Neurological Disorders Using Autonomic Dysfunction…

In treating Parkinson’s symptoms that aren’t being adequately controlled by levodopa, monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitors are better than catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors, according to patient-reported assessments in a clinical trial. The real-world study found no difference in effectiveness between MAO-B — like COMT, a dopamine reuptake inhibitor —…

Early treatment with Gocovri (amantadine) may delay the onset of dyskinesia, the uncontrolled movements that are a common side effect of levodopa use, according to a new study. The study, “Amantadine Treatment and Delayed Onset of Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia in Patients with Early Parkinson’s Disease” was published…