News

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) has awarded more than $8.8 million in wide-ranging grants to scientists aiming to better understand, diagnose, and treat Parkinson’s disease (PD). The 49 grant awards align with the Foundation’s mission to find a cure for this progressive neurodegenerative disease, and…

The number of people with early-stage Parkinson’s disease who reported sleep disturbances increased over the course of a five-year longitudinal study, with insomnia being the most common sleep problem among this patient population. The frequency of other sleep problems such as…

Scientists have discovered new aggregates of alpha synuclein of various shapes that may play a key role in the onset of Parkinson’s disease. These new aggregates, which are larger than those described in previous studies, form in the presence of phospholipids — large fatty molecules that are…

A diet rich in fruit, vegetables, and nuts appears to lower the risk of several non-motor symptoms that tend to be associated with a later finding of Parkinson’s disease, a study reported. The study, “Diet pattern and prodromal features of Parkinson’s disease,” was published in the journal …

Highly rhythmic, Brazilian dance shows promise as a physical therapy for Parkinson’s disease, according to the results of a small clinical trial. Over a 12-week period, practicing a dance program inspired by samba and forró (derived from the English “for all”) improved patients’ functional mobility and gait.

The Shake It Up Australia Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, together with its partners worldwide, has pledged to cover up to 50% of the costs associated with opening a clinical trial into oral Anavex 2-73 (blarcamesine) as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Anavex Life Sciences, the developer of Anavex…

A speech therapy called the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD) can lessen difficulties in communication for people with Parkinson’s disease, a new study shows. The study, “The Impact of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD) on Voice, Communication, and Participation: Findings from a Prospective, Longitudinal…

Women and underweight individuals with Parkinson’s disease are more likely to experience troublesome episodes of dyskinesia when receiving levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel, a formulation of levodopa and carbidopa infused into the intestines, a study has found. According to researchers, this sub-group of patients should be carefully…

Computer-based analyses of the voice could be used for at-home monitoring of symptom severity in people with Parkinson’s disease, a small proof-of-concept study suggests. The study, “Prediction and Estimation of Parkinson’s Disease Severity Based on Voice Signal,” was published in the Journal of Voice.

The natural compound kaempferol — which acts as a potent antioxidant — can reduce the physical and behavioral symptoms of Parkinson’s in a fruit fly model of the disease. According to the researchers, this molecule may exert its protective effects by…