Steve Bryson, PhD, science writer —

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) directed at the central part of the subthalamic nucleus (STN), a brain region important for movement, was the best option to improve balance and gait, including freezing of gait, in Parkinson’s disease, a small clinical trial suggests. Targeting the central STN with electrical stimulation…

Researchers have developed a method to detect clumps of alpha-synuclein protein, a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease, within extracellular vesicles (EVs) purified from blood, providing a possible aid to Parkinson’s diagnosis before symptoms appear. EVs are tiny membrane-bound sacs released from cells that can carry a variety of molecules, including…

The frequency of headaches, including tension-type headaches and migraines, is similar among people with and without Parkinson’s disease, according to the findings of a questionnaire-based study from researchers in Italy. Still, headaches, particularly migraines, disappeared more often in patients within three years of symptom onset than in healthy individuals…

Two studies support the safety and tolerability of Nuplazid (pimavanserin) in older or frail adults with psychosis associated with Parkinson’s disease. Safety data on Nuplazid, the only medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat Parkinson’s-associated psychosis, were presented at this year’s International…

Changes in the levels of thyroid hormones in the bloodstream are related to cognitive impairments in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study by researchers in China. “Our findings provided definite proof that changes in thyroid hormone levels have clinical implications for cognitive outcomes” in Parkinson’s,…

Nearly all people with Parkinson’s disease taking part in Medtronic‘s ADAPT-PD trial had symptom-related brain signals strong enough to trigger adaptive deep brain stimulation (DBS), known for short as aDBS, according to early data. Among the findings: that results were similar regardless of disease severity or the location…

About 1 in 5 people with Parkinson’s disease in Italy have a family history of the disorder when the analysis extends beyond first-degree relatives to second- and third-degree relatives, a large-scale study has shown. First-degree relatives are comprise parents, siblings, and children. Second-degree relatives are aunts, uncles, grandparents, grandchildren,…

Scientists have discovered how to therapeutically target a class of molecular switches called GTPases that are involved in Parkinson’s disease and other conditions but have long been considered undruggable. The findings of this work, led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), “create a long-awaited opportunity…

Nearly 1 in 3 people in Japan with Parkinson’s disease also had sarcopenia, a progressive loss of muscle mass and strength, according to a new study. The researchers found that measuring the circumference of the calf, or the distance around the thickest part of the lower leg, was the…

Levels of the trace metal selenium and its associated proteins, called selenoproteins, are altered in the blood of adults with Parkinson’s disease, a study reported. Two of these affected proteins, selenoprotein P (SelP) and selenoprotein S (SelS), were examined, and the researchers suggested that selenium and SelP levels could…