Speech impairments appear to associate with freezing of gait symptoms — a sudden inability to walk — in people with Parkinson’s disease, a study reported. Speech assessments, especially during the “on-state” of medication use — immediately after taking dopamine-based medicines — may identify Parkinson’s patients vulnerable to freezing of…
Low levels of the hormone serotonin in the bloodstream of people with Parkinson’s disease were associated with a buildup of iron in the substantia nigra — the brain region most damaged in this disorder, a study reveals for possibly the first time. Researchers found this serotonin-iron relationship was primarily…
The use of several Parkinson’s disease medications was significantly associated with the increased abundance of a bacterial enzyme that converts levodopa to dopamine in the gut, potentially reducing levodopa’s availability in the brain, a study found. In Parkinson’s patients with rapidly progressing disease, the approved therapy Comtan (entacapone)…
No significant correlation was found between the consumption of well water and the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to the results of a pooled analysis of multiple studies. However, there was a high degree of variability — what scientists call heterogeneity — between the selected studies, with some…
Lifestyle factors and co-existing medical conditions influence cognition in people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, with physical exercise and cognitive stimulation shown to have a protective effect, a large study revealed. High blood pressure, diabetes, and psychiatric problems were found to have a negative impact on cognitive…
Longer hospital stays and poorer overall health were evident among Parkinson’s patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in Brazil, but their likelihood of dying in an ICU was comparable to those of other patients, an 18-year analysis of hospital records found. Sepsis and trauma were among the leading causes of…
Greater head motions due to Parkinson’s-related tremors were found to be associated with worse disease severity, a small study in patients reported. As an added diagnostic test in the clinic, measuring the degree of tremors affecting the head may also help in recognizing Parkinson’s early in people, its researchers…
Clinical trials will begin soon in China to evaluate Luye Pharma’s LY03009, a once-a-month, extended-release investigational therapy to treat people with Parkinson’s disease. A Phase 1 safety trial is underway in Australia, and the company said…
Scientists have created wearable, flexible sensors — which can be integrated into fabrics, and detect touch pressure as well as measure body movements — that may be used to gauge motor disease progression in people with Parkinson’s, a study reported. Placing the sensors in the soles of patients’ shoes…
A new tool that analyzes speech using real-world, web-based recordings — participants are recorded via a webcam and a microphone connected to a personal computer or laptop — identified Parkinson’s disease patients with 74% accuracy, a study demonstrated. Moreover, this speech tool — called Parkinson’s Analysis with Remote Kinetic-tasks,…
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