News

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…

More people with Parkinson’s disease tend to require higher-level care after experiencing a hip fracture, compared to those who do not have the disease, a study has found. Despite Parkinson’s being a risk factor for hip fracture, most patients do not undergo proper screening or preventive treatment for osteoporosis.

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…

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…

Older age at disease onset is associated with greater motor and nonmotor impairment in people with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, according to a study by scientists in Luxembourg. Nonmotor symptoms such as urinary incontinence and apathy in those diagnosed at older ages were found to be mainly driven by the natural…

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine will use a $9 million grant to generate a detailed map of the “gut-brain axis,” the complex communication route between brain and belly — focusing on the gut microbiome — that is increasingly thought to play a key role in Parkinson’s and other…

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…