News

The now-classic 1985 film “Back to the Future” featured actor Michael J. Fox — who would go on to found The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) — and a time machine made from a DeLorean sports car. To support the organization and honor the movie, Discovery+ is bringing…

Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected speech and language therapy in patients with Parkinson’s disease, a survey in the United Kingdom shows. The survey was conducted by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and asked patients to share their experiences from the past year. “There…

Parkinson’s UK has opened a survey aimed at understanding the experiences of caregivers of people who have Lewy body dementia or Parkinson’s disease dementia. The survey seeks to shed light on the support caregivers receive, and caregivers’ and patients’ experiences with the health and social care system in…

Dancing the tango may help people with Parkinson’s disease maintain balance and avoid falling, according to new research from Florida State University (FSU). “Argentine tango involves specific dance techniques that decrease fall risk and are generally not taught in other dances or activities,” Shani Peter, a third-year medical student…

A prototype utensil called the Seal Spoon offers people with tremors due to Parkinson’s disease a less frustrating way to eat, according to a press release from Purdue University Polytechnic Institute. The 3D-printed plastic spoon features a sliding cover that prevents both food and liquid from falling out even…

Differences in the facial appearance and emotional expressions of people with Parkinson’s disease and  healthy adults were evident to a facial recognition software program, researchers in Japan reported. The program’s algorithm consistently overestimated the age of the nearly 100 patients in this study by a few years, particularly for males, and perceived…

Cambridge Sleep Sciences and Parkinson’s Concierge have entered an agreement to tackle sleep problems in Parkinson’s disease. Sleep problems such as difficulty falling asleep, daytime sleepiness, and troubled dreams are among the most common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Sleep also can be indirectly affected by other…

In Parkinson’s disease, iron accumulates in certain parts of the brain that have characteristic genetic profiles, according to a new study. This finding may help to explain the biological processes that cause Parkinson’s, which could be important for developing treatments. The study, “Regional brain iron…

The Parkinson’s Foundation has announced that this year’s Moving Day walk season will include virtual and contactless events. Moving Day, which is the Foundation’s signature fundraising event, aims to increase awareness about Parkinson’s disease, as well as raise money that will fund research and provide expert care for…

People with a sleep disorder marked by the physical “acting out” of vivid dreams — a condition considered an early form of  Parkinson’s disease — show changes in specific immune cells in the blood that directly relate to inflammation and damage to dopamine neurons in the brain, researchers…