Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

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…

A consensus statement from the Parkinson’s Foundation declares there isn’t enough data yet to draw reliable conclusions about whether medical cannabis products might be beneficial in treating Parkinson’s disease, and calls for more research. For people with Parkinson’s who choose to use such products, the statement urges caution,…

Bright light therapy can help improve sleep in people with Parkinson’s disease, likely due to its effects on the body’s “clock” genes that become dysregulated due to Parkinson’s treatment, a new study suggests. The study, “Bright light improves sleep in patients with…

Predictive models can help diagnose Parkinson’s disease in early stages, and could be used to distinguish Parkinson’s from conditions that present similarly, a new study suggests. The findings indicate that losing the sense of smell is particularly significant for predicting Parkinson’s. The study, “Non-motor Clinical and…

A program that teaches Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers techniques to manage day-to-day activities over the course of this disease can help improve both life quality and effective self-care, a study from Sweden suggests. The study, “Self-Management Education for Persons with Parkinson’s Disease and Their Care Partners: A Quasi-Experimental…