News

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, 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…

In a final report on the Phase 2 AMBLED trial, scientists detailed the failure of Foliglurax (PTX002331) — once an investigational therapy for Parkinson’s disease — to significantly reduce some of the side effects associated with the long-term use of levodopa. “There was no evidence in this study…

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,…

In an anonymous online survey, 11.3% of Norwegian adults with Parkinson’s disease revealed current or previous use of cannabis or a related product, with a high percentage reporting symptom relief. According to researchers, patients who use the medicinal drug from the marijuana plant — and those interested in trying…

A protein modification that disrupts how cells dispose of “worn-out” proteins may promote the spread of the alpha-synuclein toxic clumps known to cause Parkinson’s disease, a study reported. “We think our findings about this apparent disease-driving process are important for developing compounds that can specifically inhibit the process of…

Kurarinone, a compound derived from a plant in the pea family and part of traditional Chinese medicine, was found to ease Parkinson-like behaviors in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. This compound can lessen neuroinflammation, or inflammation in the brain, by targeting soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), an enzyme that…

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,…

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…

The Parkinson’s Foundation announced six winners of this year’s Nurse Faculty Award and Physical Therapy Faculty Award. Each winner receives up to $10,000 to support projects that might better the lives of those with Parkinson’s disease. The four physical therapists are graduates of the foundation’s Physical Therapy Faculty Program and the two…