News

Knowing Patients as People Key to Good Communication, Nurses Say

Nurses emphasize the importance of developing relationships with Parkinson’s patients in their care and getting to know these people as individuals for effective communication in healthcare settings, a study from Australia reports. The study, “Communication strategies used by Parkinson’s nurse specialists during healthcare interactions: A qualitative descriptive study,” was published…

Diet, Agricultural Chemicals May Affect Disease Risk

People who consume more coffee and fish are less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study from Italy. Results also indicate that exposure to agricultural chemicals may increase the risk of Parkinson’s. The study, “Relationships of Nutritional Factors and Agrochemical Exposure with Parkinson’s…

Excessive Sweating Can Affect Patients With Dyskinesia, Anxiety

Excessive sweating, known as hyperhidrosis, is fairly common among people with Parkinson’s and can worsen as the disease progresses, a three-year study of patients in early disease stages reported. Researchers also observed that hyperhidrosis was associated with motor symptoms like dyskinesia (uncontrollable movements) and often accompanied non-motor symptoms…

Study Weighs Multidisciplinary Rehab Against Conventional Care

Multidisciplinary rehabilitation for Parkinson’s disease is associated with reduced disability and better functional status and quality of life relative to conventional rehabilitation, according to a review study. However, these differences failed to reach statistical significance. This means that either of the two approaches provide equivalent benefits, or the small number…

Knee Replacement Offers Little Benefit, Study Suggests

People with Parkinson’s disease who have arthritis in their knees report minimal improvements in life quality after undergoing knee replacement surgery, a new study reports. “Data from this study suggest that [total knee replacement] has no clinical benefit in improving [quality of life] beyond a slight improvement in pain-related…

Canada’s Community Needs Prioritized in Roundtable Report

Improving access and care for Parkinson’s disease patients, increasing the number of practitioners, and improving healthcare providers’ education are three priorities raised in a Parkinson Canada report that explores the advocacy needs of the Parkinson’s community in Canada. The organization, which plans to build a foundation for future…

VGLUT2 Protein May Protect Neurons From Disease-related Degeneration

A protein involved in the transport of brain signaling molecules may confer protection against neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease, a study shows. This transport protein, called vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2), is associated with greater resilience to the toxic effects of alpha-synuclein clumps in dopamine-producing neurons, preventing their death. Dopamine…