News

Parkinson’s disease research and care should address disparities by sex and gender in patients’ symptoms, treatment responses, and disease progression, scientists across Europe and North America state in a commentary. While sex refers to assigned biological differences between males and females, gender refers to how a person identifies, affecting…

Aging microglia, the immune cells of the brain that protect it by fighting infections and clearing debris, may mount a weaker immune response than younger microglia, according to a study that used lab-grown cells collected from mouse pups. Although both young and old microglia react to inflammation, they appear to…

All patients have completed final follow-up visits in a Phase 2 clinical trial testing pirepemat, an oral treatment designed to reduce falls in Parkinson’s disease, and top-line results are expected in the first quarter, said developer Irlab Therapeutics. The development “marks an important milestone in our clinical development program…

Approximately two-thirds of Parkinson’s disease patients may experience paranoia and unusual sensations, including visual hallucinations, according to a new study from the U.K. People with Parkinson’s may have paranoid thoughts or unfounded fears, as well as abnormal sensory experiences, the study found. Further, many of the individuals who had…

U.S. researchers have identified, as a potential therapeutic target in Parkinson’s disease, a protein that controls part of the function of LRRK2 — a protein known to be overactive in Parkinson’s, including in patients without mutations in its coding gene. This discovery, made using cell and mouse models of…

A nanoparticle-based wireless deep brain stimulation (DBS) system restored the activity of degenerating neurons and increased dopamine release in cellular and mouse models of Parkinson’s disease, a study shows. The technology also eliminated alpha-synuclein clumps, a hallmark feature of the disease, and improved the animals’ motor abilities. According…

C2N Diagnostics and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) are teaming up to study how Parkinson’s disease and similar neurodegenerative conditions overlap with Alzheimer’s disease. With a grant in the amount of more than $1.5 million from MJFF, researchers at C2N will identify and…

A mobile application that detects a person’s natural walking pace and provides real-time, beat-synchronized music for at-home rehabilitation improved walking in Parkinson’s disease patients, both during daily activities and in tests without music cues, a study found. The study, “Gait ecological assessment in persons with Parkinson’s disease engaged…

Blood levels of the fibronectin protein could be used as a predictor of disability in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. Lower levels of the protein, referred to as plasma fibronectin (pFN), associated with a shorter time to reaching the start of a disability milestone like…

Hearing loss may be a risk factor for developing Parkinson’s disease, or may be an early warning sign of the neurodegenerative condition, according to a new study from the U.K. Specifically, the study found that for every 10 decibels of hearing impairment, the risk of developing Parkinson’s increased by…