Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

All through 2021, Parkinson’s News Today brought you coverage of cutting-edge science and developments in treatment related to Parkinson’s disease. Here are the top 10 most-read Parkinson’s news stories of the year. We look forward to continuing to cover news for the Parkinson’s community in 2022. No. 10 – “…

In a “world-first,” scientists in Australia report in detail what happens to the PINK1 protein when it is activated, helping to clear the “confusion” that has surrounded this support protein for cells that include dopamine-producing neurons. Since mutations in the PINK1 gene that codes for this protein are known to cause…

In the United States, the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease is higher in states with more lead pipes that carry water to households, according to a new study. The results add to a growing body of evidence that exposure to lead could increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s. The…

People with Parkinson’s disease tend to have high numbers of pro-inflammatory bacteria in their noses, according to a new study. Researchers think these bacteria may be a trigger for inflammation in the brain, which could help to set the stage for the development of Parkinson’s. The study, “Deep…

More people with Parkinson’s disease than previously estimated experience pseudobulbar affect, and its emotional outbursts can be especially common in patients with depression, a study in patients at a single U.S. institution reported. “Our data suggest that the prevalence of PBA [pseudobulbar affect] is possibly higher in the PD…

Gout does not increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to an analysis based on insurance data in Korea. The analysis indicates, however, that people who have had a stroke and those with high blood pressure might have a higher Parkinson’s risk. Results were published in the study “…

Although some previous research has indicated that certain variations in the FGF20 gene increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease, a new Chinese study indicates that these mutations don’t increase Parkinson’s risk. The study, “Quantitative assessment of the effect of FGF20 rs1721100 and rs12720208 variant on the…

A new clinical trial is testing a novel noninvasive brain stimulation technology developed by Highland Instruments in people with Parkinson’s disease who have postural instability — difficulty with balance and the reflexes that help a person to stand upright. The trial (NCT03981055), which is funded by the National…

Nearly all participants in the SPARK clinical trial had evidence of abnormal dopamine activity on a brain scan known as DaT-SPECT, for dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography, according to a new study. Thus, these results suggest that DaT-SPECT — sometimes used as a biomarker in recruiting participants for clinical…

The Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) is expanding to enroll up to 100,000 people with and without Parkinson’s disease through an online portal. This expanded PPMI study (NCT04477785) is particularly seeking to enroll people who were diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the past two years and are not…