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A new review study found limited evidence that exercise may be beneficial in slowing Parkinson’s disease progression, as assessed by behavioral, neurochemical, and imaging measures. Yet no particular exercise type emerged as superior to the others for Parkinson’s patients, although evidence hinted that a higher intensity training with…

Neuronic has partnered with Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley to develop a research project to study light therapy guided by real-time brain activity. Light therapy, also called photobiomodulation, is painless and noninvasive, and uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to deliver near-infrared light that passes through the skin and…

Bacteria in the group Desulfovibrio may promote the disease-driving clumping of alpha-synuclein protein in Parkinson’s disease, a new study done in nematode worms suggests. “Our findings make it possible to screen for the carriers of these harmful Desulfovibrio bacteria. Consequently, they can be targeted by measures to remove these strains…

An inflammatory protein called ASC was found in laboratory models to help accelerate the toxic spread of alpha-synuclein through the brain in Parkinson’s disease, implying that this protein may be a useful disease target, a new study suggests. “Importantly, … the ASC protein presents as a promising target,” the…

Results from a Phase 1 clinical trial testing the experimental vaccine UB-312 in people with Parkinson’s disease are expected this summer, according to the therapy’s developer Vaxxinity. “Vaxxinity remains on track to meet critical milestones in 2023,” Mei Mei Hu, the company’s CEO, said in a press…

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center are hoping to use digital tools, including the smartphone app mPower, to collect more precise and comprehensive long-term data about Parkinson’s disease. The study, called AT-HOME PD2, is supported by a $4.9-million grant from the National Institutes of Neurological…

Parkinson’s disease patients in Japan reported a general worsening of their symptoms and less time spent out of the house during the COVID-19 pandemic in a recent survey study. As a result, caregivers reported an increased burden that was accompanied by more frustration and fatigue. “For future emergency control…

Many elderly people who do not have Parkinson’s disease nonetheless experience some Parkinson’s-like symptoms, especially slowness of movement, a new study from Sweden highlights. These symptoms, while reported to impact quality of life, typically are not enough to warrant a formal Parkinson’s diagnosis. Instead, they’re often referred to…

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were found to be at a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease or related neurodegenerative conditions, a small meta-analysis suggests. “The small number of studies to date provide preliminary evidence of an association between mid- to late-life onset PTSD and subsequent development of [Parkinson’s]…

A novel machine learning tool, called CRANK-MS, was able to identify, with high accuracy, people who would go on to develop Parkinson’s disease, based on an analysis of blood molecules. The algorithm identified several molecules that may serve as early biomarkers of Parkinson’s. These findings show the potential of…