Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Vercise Genus, a fourth-generation system for deep brain stimulation (DBS) made by Boston Scientific, has received CE marking and is now commercially available in Europe. A treatment approach for Parkinson’s disease, DBS involves surgically implanting a neurostimulator to deliver electrical impulses to targeted regions of…

A speech therapy called the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD) can lessen difficulties in communication for people with Parkinson’s disease, a new study shows. The study, “The Impact of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD) on Voice, Communication, and Participation: Findings from a Prospective, Longitudinal…

Computer-based analyses of the voice could be used for at-home monitoring of symptom severity in people with Parkinson’s disease, a small proof-of-concept study suggests. The study, “Prediction and Estimation of Parkinson’s Disease Severity Based on Voice Signal,” was published in the Journal of Voice.

A new behavioral test called the free-movement pattern Y-maze could be useful in assessing problems with working memory, both in animal models and people, a new study suggests. It may also help with research into neurological diseases like Parkinson’s. The study, “The Free-movement pattern Y-maze: A…

Remote coaching via telehealth could help people with Parkinson’s disease stay physically active, even when in-person events aren’t feasible, a study suggests. The study, “Promoting Physical Activity via Telehealth in People With Parkinson Disease: The Path Forward After the COVID-19 Pandemic?” was published in Physical Therapy.

Inhaled bacterial toxins can cause inflammation in a brain region associated with smell, and this inflammation may help in the initiation and propagation of Parkinson’s-related molecular changes in the brain, a study in mice suggests. The study, “IL‐1β/IL‐1R1 Signaling Induced by Intranasal Lipopolysaccharide Infusion Regulates Alpha‐Synuclein…

People who had a concussion are more likely to be diagnosed later in life with Parkinson’s disease and other neurologic disorders than those who never had this type of brain injury, a database study reports. The study, “Associations between concussion and risk of diagnosis of psychological…

Regular use of aspirin or ibuprofen could lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease associated with mutations in the LRRK2 gene, a new study suggests. The study, “Nonsteroidal Anti‐Inflammatory Use and LRRK2 Parkinson’s Disease Penetrance,” was published in Movement Disorders. Mutations in LRRK2 are one…

Loss of the sense of smell is associated with longer disease duration in Parkinson’s, suggesting this sense increasingly fails as the disease progresses. Its decline may be a clinically useful biomarker of Parkinson’s progression and severity, the study’s researchers said. These findings were in “Association between olfactory…

People with Parkinson’s disease who use passive coping strategies, rather than active ones, are more likely to experience worse depression, motor impairment, and quality of life, a new study indicates. However, the study’s findings suggest that not all individuals can be accurately classified as using either only active or only…