News

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,…

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,…

Enhanced ultrasound signals in the substantia nigra, the area of the brain impacted by Parkinson’s disease, are associated with increased motor disability and gait disturbances, a study concluded. The researchers noted that these ultrasound signals, called hyperechogenicity, may be useful a biomarker that reflects disease severity. “Our results may…

An older age at diagnosis, but also reduced physical activity due to medical or social conditions, were significantly linked with faster motor decline in people with  Parkinson’s disease, a Japanese study has found. According to its authors, maintaining daily physical activity and allowing patients to move freely is paramount…

The change in motor symptoms after deep brain stimulation (DBS) in people with Parkinson’s disease did not differ regardless of whether microelectrode recording was used during their surgery to guide electrode placement, a pooled analysis of published studies suggest. However, the analysis found that a reduction in the…

Nanomaterials with potent antioxidant properties called carbon quantum dots prevented Parkinson’s disease-related neurodegeneration in nerve cells and a worm model, a study reported. These antioxidants, especially those derived from citric acid — a common and nontoxic biochemical — may represent a new treatment approach for Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases,…

People with Parkinson’s disease reported enjoying and benefiting physically and emotionally from a community cycling program — Pedaling for Parkinson’s (PFP) — viewing it favorably in a survey regardless of their age or disease symptoms and severity, a study of patients at five PFP sites reported. The aerobic program’s cost, access…

Koneksa has been awarded a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to investigate the potential of digital biomarkers to evaluate and predict disease progression in people with Parkinson’s disease. Digital biomarkers have the potential to aid in diagnosing Parkinson’s and allowing patients…

Treatment with prasinezumab, a monoclonal antibody designed to break up toxic alpha-synuclein aggregates, failed to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease in a Phase 2 clinical trial. “In this placebo-controlled trial, treatment with prasinezumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting aggregated [alpha]-synuclein, had no meaningful effect on global clinical or…

Physical activity may be beneficial to brain health, including for people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, by promoting increases in brain volume, a long-term follow-up study suggests. “Our study results indicate that even small behavioral changes, such as walking 15 minutes a day or taking the stairs…