News

Parkinson’s Foundation Awards 33 Grants Worth $5.7M

Note: This story was updated Aug. 18, 2022, to reflect researchers awarded The Stanley Fahn Junior Faculty Award will receive a total maximum grant of $300,000 over three years.  The Parkinson’s Foundation announced it is investing $5.7 million across 33 research grants as part of its commitment to speed innovative…

New Roadmap of Dopaminergic Neurons May Improve Cell Therapy

Scientists have created a roadmap of the maturation steps of dopaminergic neurons — the nerve cells progressively lost in Parkinson’s disease — from human stem cells. Their work may help identify potential ways to optimize this process in the lab for new Parkinson’s cell therapies. “Our findings provide valuable…

High Levels of Levodopa Found in Mucuna Pruriens Supplements

Very high levels of levodopa — a compound commonly prescribed to treat Parkinson’s disease — were detected in some over-the-counter supplements with extracts from Mucuna pruriens, a type of bean that naturally contains levodopa, a study has found. In many of the tested supplements, the amount of levodopa…

Exercise Eases Motor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Early-to-mid Stages

At least six months of physical therapy helps to ease motor symptoms, possibly allowing for lower medication doses among people with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease, according to findings from a recent meta-analysis of published clinical trial data. Beneficial changes in Parkinson’s motor symptoms were observed regardless of whether patients…

Patients’ Depression Often Carries Over to Care Partners

More disability and higher levels of depression in Parkinson’s disease patients predicted an increase in burden and depression of their care partners, such as family and friends, over two years, a study concluded. The findings underscore the need to monitor the burden of care partners over time. Treatment targeting disease severity,…

Brain Training App Useful in Early Parkinson’s Cases: Pilot Study

The cognitive exercise smartphone app NeuroNation, which combines personalized tasks and gamification, is useful and feasible for adults with mild Parkinson’s disease, a pilot study concluded. The researchers noted the app was a success in terms of the patients’ perception of its usability and in achieving cognitive improvements,…