Steve Bryson, PhD,  science writer—

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…

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…