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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…

Deborah W. Brooks, a former vice president at Goldman Sachs, had always had a “tug” toward nonprofit work, and after watching enough gala videos that brought her to tears, she decided to fully invest in a cause. A first meeting with the actor…

Treatment with the antioxidant metal-alloy nanozyme reduced the build-up (aggregation) and transmission of disease-causing alpha-synuclein protein in the nerve cells and brains of a Parkinson’s disease mouse model, a study reported. Investigators believe these findings support further research to evaluate nanozymes as a Parkinson’s treatment.

Note: This story was updated on Jan. 14, 2021, to note that DA01 is derived from ESCs and that the trial will take place at MSK in New York. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared a request to open a Phase 1 clinical trial of DA01, an…

A diet rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and E may lower a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a large long-term study suggests. Titled “Dietary antioxidants and the risk of Parkinson Disease – The Swedish National March Cohort,” the study was published in the journal Neurology.

Xadago (safinamide) — approved as an add-on therapy to ease “off periods” that can accompany levodopa — may also help with urinary symptoms in people with Parkinson’s disease, a small study reports. These early findings support previous studies showing that Xadago may be addressing Parkinson’s non-motor symptoms. Larger studies are needed…