News

Dormant Viruses May Cause Parkinson’s

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…

Focused Ultrasound May Help Treat Motor Symptoms, Trial Finds

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,…

Array of Motor Symptoms Seen to Most Bother Patients, Changing Over Time

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…