People with schizophrenia spectrum disorder have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease later in life, according to both regional and nationwide data from Finland. This higher risk may be associated with medication-induced changes in the brain’s dopamine system — also affected in Parkinson’s patients — or disease-associated mechanisms, and…
Dormant viruses lying hidden in the nervous system can give rise to Parkinson’s disease, according to a newly-published biological model. The article describing this finding, “How microcompetition with latent viruses can cause α synuclein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and eventually Parkinson’s disease,” was published in the Journal…
Medtronic has launched a clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of adaptive deep brain stimulation, or aDBS, an investigational feature of its Percept PC Neurostimulator device, in people with Parkinson’s disease. Unlike conventional continuous deep brain stimulation, known as cDBS — in which electrical signals…
With north of 150,000 followers on his TikTok account, elite athlete Jimmy Choi knows his way around social media. After all, the ultra marathoner has competed on four seasons of the popular TV series “American Ninja Warrior.” He’s also had Parkinson’s disease (PD) since 2003. Still, nothing prepared…
The levels of a specific RNA molecule that provides instructions to make the alpha-synuclein protein may help, at an early stage, to distinguish patients with Parkinson’s disease from those with dementia with Lewy bodies, a study has found. Researchers said these results highlight the importance of exploring the potential…
An extract from three plant species reduced signs of motor disturbances in rodent models of Parkinson’s disease and lessened the associated molecular defects of the cellular recycling process known as autophagy, a study showed. Further research is needed to confirm that…
People with Parkinson’s disease with symptoms affecting one side of the body, who were treated with focused ultrasound targeting the affected brain region, showed an improvement in motor features after four months, a small study reported. Side effects included involuntary movements, muscle weakness, speech problems,…
Later age at Parkinson’s disease onset is associated with high adherence to the MIND diet and benefits women more than three times as much as it does men, a study has shown. In contrast, adherence to the Greek Mediterranean diet significantly correlates…
As Parkinson’s disease progresses, the symptoms that are most bothersome to patients change, a survey study reports. Specifically, hallmark motor symptoms like dyskinesia (involuntary movements) and those affecting walking, balance and speech were mentioned most by those with longer disease duration, while tremor ranked high among people at earlier stages. The…
A smartphone application designed to measure and monitor the walking mobility of people with Parkinson’s disease captured a 44% decrease in daily activities during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, a study assessing the app reported. The lack of movement was due to confinement, not worsening disability, the…
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