News

Finger Tapping on Smartphone May Measure Parkinson’s Severity

Finger tapping data from Parkinson’s patients using smartphone screens were linked with disease severity in a large-scale analysis that used standard assessment methods. Given that current Parkinson’s severity measurements are based on clinical observations by trained movement disorder specialists, these findings suggest that approaches such as finger tapping analyses…

Exablate Neuro for Advanced Motor Symptoms Now Offered in Maryland

Exablate Neuro, a non-invasive ultrasound treatment of motor symptoms in advanced Parkinson’s patients, is now available at the University of Maryland Medical Center, part of the school that led a pivotal trial of the technology. Based on trial findings, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the Insightec device…

Aripiprazole at Low Dose Eases Parkinson’s Psychosis, If Tolerable

A low daily dose of aripiprazole, an antipsychotic therapy, significantly eased hallucinations and delusions in people with Parkinson’s disease and psychosis treated in a small, open-label study. Because one-third of the trial’s participants discontinued treatment due to a worsening of disease symptoms, patients using aripiprazole should be monitored closely for tolerability,…

NIH $2.8M Grant Funds Work Into Differing Alpha-synuclein Strains

A $2.8 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant will fund research into the molecular mechanisms underlying multiple system atrophy (MSA), a progressive disorder driven by protein misfolding and clumping similar to Parkinson’s disease. Differences in the shape of the misfolded protein are being seen to distinguish the two neurodegenerative diseases,…

Study: SMARTfit May Outperform Traditional Physiotherapy

SMARTfit gym equipment, which combines movement with cognitive tasks in a playful way, may lead to better motor and cognitive functions than  conventional physiotherapy, according to a small study in people with Parkinson’s disease. The equipment can be used easily and safely by anyone, researchers say, and the training…