Author Archives: Steve Bryson PhD

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) has released a new suite of free educational resources that focuses on so-called “off” periods when Parkinson’s disease symptoms reappear or worsen as medications wear off. These new resources, available at michaeljfox.org/off, offer patients and their families tips for managing “off” time,…

The antioxidant urate failed to slow Parkinson’s disease progression in newly diagnosed patients over two years, according to data from a Phase 3 clinical trial. “While our study did not rule out a protective effect of urate in Parkinson’s, it clearly showed that increasing urate did not slow disease…

People with Parkinson’s disease who use medications for epilepsy reported a poorer quality of life on questionnaires than did those who do not, a study reported. Quality of life (QoL) was also lower in those who used a higher number of medicines to treat the disease’s non-motor symptoms. “Physicians should…

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, almost doubles the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in people of Han Chinese descent living in Singapore, a case-controlled study found. In contrast, a comparison of similar studies conducted in the U.S. and the U.K. found that hypertension was associated with a reduced risk…

Blood levels of various fat molecules — known as the lipid profile — in people with familial Parkinson’s disease caused by mutations in the GBA gene differ from those seen in people with sporadic Parkinson’s and healthy individuals, a study reported. These findings suggested that problems with lipid metabolism…

Digital health technology, which spans phone apps to telemedicine, is advancing Parkinson’s disease research and clinical care, according to different review studies. “Digital health technology is an important and promising field that is beginning to make a real tangible impact on persons with [Parkinson’s disease],” Anat Mirelman, PhD, a…

Virtual reality video gaming was helpful and useable as an exercise tool, and demonstrated positive patient satisfaction with no adverse effects among four people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease, a case study reported. While previous studies have found limitations with using video games among “more fragile groups,” such…

Mirapex (pramipexole), an approved medication to treat motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, reduced levels of immune proteins in the brain that are associated with inflammation, a rat model study reveals. The study, “Effect of Pramipexole on Inflammatory Response in Central Nervous System of Parkinson’s Disease…

People with Parkinson’s disease experienced significantly more pain during periods without levodopa therapy, a small study concluded. This finding suggests that the presence, or worsening, of pain could might alert doctors to the need to adjust or review current medication use in this patient population. The study, “…

Ineffective stimulation was the primary complaint among people with Parkinson’s disease who use a pacemaker-like device for deep brain stimulation (DBS), according to a 10-year analysis of a federal database that tracks reports of adverse events involving medical devices in the U.S. Battery-related problems, impedance issues, and infections…