Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

People with Parkinson’s disease have lower-than-normal levels of certain fatty acids in their blood, which is not explained by dietary differences, a new study shows. The low levels of some of these fatty acids among Parkinson’s patients are associated with more severe motor symptoms, while high levels of…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) has released a new guide that aims to help people with Parkinson’s disease and their loved ones make informed decisions about deep brain stimulation (DBS), a surgical treatment for the disorder’s motor symptoms. The 22-page guide, which is freely available online,…

In Parkinson’s disease, DNA that leaks out of mitochondria — small organelles that generate energy — leads to cell death and inflammation, according to a new study. The finding indicates that getting rid of this mitochondrial DNA could be a promising therapeutic strategy. The study, “Cytosolic dsDNA of…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected an application from Verily Life Sciences that sought to add a Parkinson’s disease symptom assessment tool to the company’s clinical research-focused smartwatch. In its response letter, the FDA said there was not enough evidence that the criteria evaluated…

The first patient has been dosed in a still-recruiting Phase 1 clinical trial testing DA01, an investigational cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease. A separate Phase 1 trial of a potential gene therapy for Parkinson’s is also recruiting eligible patients in the U.S., according to a press release from…

The use of antipsychotics by people with early Parkinson’s disease (PD) has fallen substantially since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings about treating dementia with these medications, according to a database study of patients in Wales. Black-box warnings, which indicate a risk of death or serious…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Medtronic‘s SenSight Directional Lead System, which offers both sensing and directional capabilities allowing for more precise use of deep brain stimulation (DBS), a widely approved surgical treatment for Parkinson’s disease. The first SenSight directional lead systems were implanted in a…

Treatment with Nuplazid (pimavanserin) can ease symptoms of Parkinson’s disease psychosis (PDP) for up to 10 weeks, and is generally safe and well-tolerated, according to new clinical trial data. The findings were published in Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, in the study, “Efficacy results of pimavanserin…

Treatment with a low dose of the immune-modulating medication sargramostim was well-tolerated and eased motor symptoms in a small clinical trial of people with Parkinson’s disease. The results “provide the basis for larger scale assessments to determine clinical efficacy of a reduced sargramostim regimen within the [Parkinson’s] population,” according…

Limitations in functional abilities due to advanced Parkinson’s disease result in billions of dollars of lost economic value in the U.S., but effective treatments that restore some essential abilities can lessen this lost value, a study reports. Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel, sold in the U.S. under the brand name…