Steve Bryson, PhD,  science writer—

Steve holds a PhD in biochemistry from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada. As a medical scientist for 18 years, he worked in both academia and industry, where his research focused on the discovery of new vaccines and medicines to treat inflammatory disorders and infectious diseases. Steve is a published author in multiple peer-reviewed scientific journals and a patented inventor.

Articles by Steve Bryson

Plant-based diet may lower Parkinson’s risk

Adhering to healthy plant-based dietary patterns was associated with a reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, especially among older people, according to a large-scale U.K. study. A higher intake of vegetables, nuts, and tea in the regular diet is linked to the lowest Parkinson’s risk, data show. “These results…

Parkinson’s may be autoimmune disease in part, new study shows

Exposure to alpha-synuclein, a protein that accumulates in the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients, led to inflammation and damage to nerve cells in the gut of mice carrying a human gene associated with several autoimmune disorders, a new study showed. Alpha-synuclein-related autoimmunity also induced constipation — a gut-related…

Racial disparities revealed in use of DBS, study shows

Racial disparities exist in the use of deep brain stimulation among people with Parkinson’s disease, a real-world claims study concluded. Compared to the proportion represented in the Medicare database, more people who identified as white, and fewer Black and Hispanic patients, underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s.

NT-0796 reduced inflammatory markers in older adults in 7 days

NodThera’s NT-0796, an investigational oral therapy for Parkinson’s disease, reduced several inflammatory markers in elderly volunteers in seven days, according to initial data from a Phase Ib/IIa study. Parkinson’s patients are now being recruited for the trial’s second phase to determine the therapy’s impact on a panel of clinical…

Naturally occurring UDCA improves motor abilities over 1 year

A year of daily treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a naturally occurring bile acid, led to small but significant improvements in motor abilities in adults with early Parkinson’s disease, a small Phase 2 study suggests. UDCA, already approved to treat a bile duct condition, also improved the function of…

Blood test may help diagnose Parkinson’s, similar conditions

A highly sensitive blood test accurately identified people with synucleinopathies, disorders caused by the abnormal aggregation of the protein alpha-synuclein, such as Parkinson’s disease. The test, called immunoprecipitation-based real-time quaking-induced conversion (IP/RT-QuIC), detected early-formed alpha-synuclein fibrils — or seeds — that eventually grew into disease-causing aggregates. Microscopic analysis detected…

Autonomic impairment linked to sleep problems in Parkinson’s

In people with Parkinson’s disease, sleep disturbances and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) were associated with the impairment of the autonomic nervous system that controls involuntary bodily functions, a study shows. Depression and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), or dream-enacting behavior, also contributed to problems sleeping at night…