Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

A multi-faceted intervention that included staff education, electronic alerts, and requiring new reports, improved the timeliness with which Parkinson’s disease patients were given medication in a hospital setting, a new study reports. This suggests that similar interventions might aid in the timeliness of Parkinson’s treatments in other hospitals. The study, “…

The first participant has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety of PTC857, PTC Therapeutics‘ investigational therapy for Parkinson’s disease. In addition to safety, the trial, which is being conducted in healthy volunteers, will evaluate how the therapy affects and is processed by the…

A planned Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating ANVS401, Annovis Bio‘s lead investigational therapy for people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, has received approval from a central institutional review board (IRB). An IRB is an administrative body responsible for protecting the rights and welfare of human research…

Many Parkinson’s disease patients in the U.K. feel challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions it has placed on social interaction, reporting problems ranging from canceled appointments and limited exercise to worsening symptoms, according to a survey conducted by Parkinson’s UK and Lancaster University. “Unfortunately this report shows…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Percept PC Neurostimulator by Medtronic, designed to allow for a more individualized use of deep brain stimulation therapy in people with Parkinson’s disease and related disorders. While this device is the fourth deep brain stimulation (DBS) system to…

Coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant supplement that, when taken orally, has shown limited effectiveness, can alleviate Parkinson’s disease symptoms when injected directly into the brain, a study in rats suggests. The study, “Intrastriatal administration of coenzyme Q10 enhances neuroprotection in a Parkinson’s disease rat model,”…

Current Parkinson’s treatments are insufficient for people with late-stage disease, inadequately controlling for many notable motor and non-motor symptoms, a study in these patients across Europe reports. The study, “The late stage of Parkinson’s — results of a large multinational study on motor and non-motor complications,” was…

Integrative Research Laboratories (IRLAB) is planning a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial of its investigational therapy mesdopetam (IRL790) to evaluate the therapy’s ability to reduce levodopa-induced dyskinesia (involuntary muscle movements) in people with Parkinson’s disease. IRLAB is in the process of preparing applications to relevant regulatory agencies, with…

A $3.7 million federal grant is funding a project aiming to clarify how exposure to manganese, a trace metal, affects the brain and causes cognitive problems. Findings from this research may help in better understanding Parkinson’s disease. Manganese is an essential nutrient, a mineral that is necessary in…

Cognitive abilities and problems with freezing of gait in people with Parkinson’s disease do not seem to be significantly related, new research indicates. The study, “Cognitive function in people with and without freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in npj Parkinson’s Disease. Freezing is a relatively…