News

People with Parkinson’s disease have altered levels of certain metals, including iron, in their hair, according to a new study. Experiments in a mouse model suggest these iron changes may be linked to intestinal changes consistent with a reduced capacity to absorb iron, along with increases in gut bacteria genes…

Depression that starts later in life could be an early clinical manifestation of Parkinson’s disease and the related condition dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), according to a study, which found that people who were diagnosed with either of these conditions had significantly higher rates of incident depression than…

Women with Parkinson’s disease have more uneven and unstable muscle contraction than men, even when their clinical symptoms are similar, a study found. The differences are related to the firing of motor units; a motor unit is a single nerve cell and the muscle fibers it controls, which together…

Breathing carbon dioxide (CO2) for brief periods may help activate the brain’s natural cleanup systems that remove toxic proteins in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study. Researchers stressed that more work is needed to confirm the results and evaluate the clinical relevance of this approach, but…

A smartphone app allowing Parkinson’s disease patients to report their day-to-day symptoms is a reliable tool for improving communication with doctors, a study found. Patients’ self-assessments using the Parkinson’s Image Self Report generally aligned with doctors’ clinical ratings, the researchers said. “Integration with wearables and telemedicine may advance patient-centered [Parkinson’s]…

Spinal cord stimulation appears to be safe and may help people with Parkinson’s disease maintain movement, although it did not improve posture, balance, or gait compared with sham treatment in a small study from Denmark. The STEP-PD study (NCT05110053) involved 12 patients with gait impairments who were randomly…

Targeting a brain network that links thinking and movement may be an effective treatment strategy for easing motor symptoms in people with Parkinson’s disease. The somato-cognitive action network (SCAN) lies within the motor cortex, a brain region that controls body movements. In Parkinson’s, SCAN dysfunction, particularly increased connectivity between…

The University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine is recruiting patients for a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating RNDP-001, an experimental cell replacement therapy being developed by Kenai Therapeutics for moderate to severe Parkinson’s disease. The company-sponsored REPLACE (NCT07106021), which began dosing late last year,…

Merz Therapeutics North America has launched “Celebrating the Fighters,” a nationwide U.S. community campaign honoring the resiliency and courage of people with Parkinson’s disease. The campaign features several initiatives, including a national TV ad, and offers social media and advocacy resources. It leverages the resilience and spirit of…

Parkinson’s disease may actually begin deep in the gut, where immune cells meant to protect the body inadvertently help toxic proteins make their way to the brain, according to a new study. Researchers at the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London (UCL) have identified a specific type…