Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Participants are now being recruited for several clinical trials testing investigational treatments for Parkinson’s disease, The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) announced. Clinical trials are well-designed experiments conducted on human participants. Since such trials actually test a treatment in people, these studies are essential for understanding whether a given…

An upcoming clinical trial, known as the AZA-PD study, will test whether limiting the activity of the immune system through the use of an immunosuppressant can slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. The Phase 2 trial (ISRCTN14616801) — officially Azathioprine immunosuppression and disease modification in Parkinson’s disease…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an update to the prescribing information for Nuplazid (pimavanserin) that will allow the medication to be taken more easily by Parkinson’s patients who have difficulty swallowing. Nuplazid, by Acadia Pharmaceutical, is an oral medication that was approved…

Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA) has been approved by Health Canada to treat adults with chronic sialorrhea — excessive drooling — a condition often experienced by people with neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease. “The reality is that uncontrolled salivation is underestimated in many neurological diseases,” Michel…

Aggregates of alpha-synuclein alter the electrical activity of dopamine-producing neurons, demonstrating a mechanistic link between two key features of Parkinson’s disease, a new study reports. The findings also suggest that glibenclamide, a medication used to treat diabetes, can block these effects and, as such, may be useful…

People with Parkinson’s disease who are lonely are more likely to have more severe symptoms and worse quality of life, a new study shows. The findings highlight the importance of social connection for people with Parkinson’s, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and its lockdowns. The study, “…

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, SpeechVive is making remote calibration software and training free for its medical device — also called SpeechVive — which aims to help people with Parkinson’s disease overcome speech problems. “Approximately 89% of people with Parkinson’s disease will have speech issues. Access…

Mutations in the gene TNEM4, previously associated with essential tremor, may also be a cause of Parkinson’s disease, at least in its early onset form, a study reported. However, this finding is only suggestive of a link and further research is necessary, its scientists said. The study, “…

The Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), a study sponsored by The Michael J. Fox Foundation, is expanding to recruit more participants, the Foundation announced. Currently, the study (NCT04477785) is recruiting new participants — both with and without Parkinson’s disease — at Banner Research Institute in…

Mood problems have a greater impact on quality of life among Parkinson’s patients who have had the neurodegenerative disorder for a long time, compared with those who are earlier in their disease course, new findings show. The results were published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, in the study, “Mood…