Levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein in the bloodstream of people with Parkinson’s disease can independently predict cognitive decline, a recent study suggests. Although p-tau181 concentration, a biomarker in Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common cause of dementia, was higher in Parkinson’s patients, links to cognitive performance…
Difficulty in swallowing medications, either tablets or capsules, was common among people with Parkinson’s disease, a study reports. This impairment in swallowing, called dysphagia, also predicted worse motor complications, and data suggest capsules tended to be easier to swallow than tablets. Evidence of swallowing difficulties for food is a…
Toxic clumps of the alpha-synuclein protein, the underlying cause of neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease, may originate in the digestive tract before migrating to the brain, a study in mice reported, supporting previous work into a gut-brain axis in disease development. Changes to microbes in the digestive tract, known…
Nitrase Therapeutics showed suppressing the activity of an enzyme called synuclein nitrase reduces toxic clumps of the alpha-synuclein protein and normalizes the electrical activity of dopamine-producing, or dopaminergic, neurons derived from Parkinson’s patients. The accumulation of toxic alpha-synuclein clumps is the underlying cause of the progressive death of…
MeiraGTx’s new Phase 1/2 clinical trial of AAV-GAD, its investigational gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease, has started dosing patients, the company announced in a press release. “We are now dosing patients with adeno-associated virus (AAV) encoding glutamic acid decarboxylase (AAV-GAD), an investigational gene therapy product…
Being exposed to insecticides impacts gastrointestinal function and might increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a new study in mice shows. The research also shows exposure to a specific insecticide disrupts dopaminergic brain circuitries, and leads to motor deficits associated with Parkinson’s. When it comes to neurological disorders,…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will review Amneal Pharmaceuticals’ application for IPX203, its extended-release carbidopa/levodopa (CD/LD) tablet for Parkinson’s disease. Results from the Phase 3 RISE-PD clinical trial (NCT03670953) showed IPX203 can control Parkinson’s symptoms safely and effectively for longer periods with less frequent dosing,…
The Parkinson’s Foundation is accepting applications for its 2023 community grants, awarding a total of $1 million in support of local health, wellness, and educational programs helping to address the unmet needs of Parkinson’s disease communities. Awards range from $10,000 to $25,000, and the funding period runs from July…
Transposable elements, a common feature in the so-called “dark genome,” are associated with clinical differences in how Parkinson’s disease progresses among different people, a new study indicates. “Our main finding is that the presence or absence of [transposable elements] changes progression trajectory of [Parkinson’s], and we provided clinical, imaging,…
Dry eye disease (DED) is common in people with Parkinson’s disease, with more than 60% of patients reporting that they experience its symptoms, according to a recent meta-analysis. Clinical signs of this disease, which include a lower rate of blinking, reduced corneal thickness, a lesser tear secretion, and a…
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