Steve Bryson, PhD,  science writer—

Performing cognitive tasks while walking may help distinguish between early Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy (MSA), a neurodegenerative disorder with similar symptoms, a study suggests. MSA patients had more walking impairments alongside higher brain activity during cognitive tasks while walking than Parkinson’s patients, the research shows. “We…

Age-related declines in speech processes do not appear to contribute to the voice disturbances perceived by people with Parkinson’s disease, and are more likely due to disease processes themselves, a study reports. “Reduced self-voice perception in [Parkinson’s] is likely due to [Parkinson’s]-specific sensory feedback deficits, rather than age per…

Vestibular-oriented balance training during the middle stages of Parkinson’s disease can improve postural control and reduce the risk of falls in people with mild to moderate disease, a new study found. Unlike standard balance training, which typically focuses on stretches and strengthening practices, vestibular-based exercises are designed to enhance…

AB-1005, AskBio’s investigational gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease, has been granted regenerative medicine advanced therapy (RMAT) designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). RMAT designation is intended to speed the development and review of therapies that have shown potential to treat serious or life-threatening conditions. Benefits…

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have developed prototypes of wearable devices that use pressure sensors and vibrations to address freezing of gait, a hallmark symptom of Parkinson’s disease. One such device is a specialized shoe sole equipped with sensors. These sensors detect changes in pressure as the wearer takes…

The prevalence of early-onset Parkinson’s disease is six times higher among adults with a genetic condition called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome compared with the general population, an international study reported. Previously known as DiGeorge syndrome, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome is caused by a deletion of a small piece of chromosome 22…

Propranolol, a blood pressure medication, significantly eased tremor in people with Parkinson’s disease, either at rest or during induced stress, according to findings in a small, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The treatment also significantly attenuated tremor-related brain activity, as indicated on MRI scans. “In about forty percent of patients, […

In people with early-stage Parkinson’s disease who had yet to be treated, high levels of the proteins tau and P-tau181 in the cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF — the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord — predicted faster motor and cognitive decline, per a new study with eight years…

Researchers have developed a chemical tag that can detect and measure protein clumping, which is thought to contribute to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, in living cells. The potential diagnostic tool, called TME, readily distinguished living white blood cells derived from Parkinson’s patients over those from healthy individuals, outperforming current…

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…