News

Memory-related mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease may be associated with a more severe buildup of alpha-synuclein protein in the brain — such as that observed in more advanced stages of the disease, a study finds. The results of the study, “Neuropathological Findings in Parkinson’s Disease With…

People with Parkinson’s disease reported a need for increased planning in their lives due to limited mobility and restrictions in everyday life caused by a decrease in their balance control, a study shows.  Study participants described using specific movement and cognitive strategies as a consequence of…

Palliative care — focusing on physical, psychosocial and spiritual treatment — for people with Parkinson’s disease and related disorders (PDRD) led to a significantly better quality of life (QoL) than standard care alone, a study finds. Easing of both non-motor and motor symptom…

Activated immune T-cells can infiltrate the brain and promote neurodegeneration in non-human primate models of Parkinson’s during the chronic stages of the disease, a study has found. Results of the study, “Chronic infiltration of T lymphocytes into the brain in a non-human primate model of Parkinson’s disease,”…

Genetic variations in the gene apolipoprotein E (APOE) alter the dynamics of alpha-synuclein protein buildup in the brains of mice with Parkinson’s disease (PD), according to a new study. This suggests suggests that alterations in APOE could affect the occurrence of dementia in humans with the neurodegenerative…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough device designation to nQ Medical’s neuroQUERTY software, which is designed to monitor brain health and Parkinson’s disease progression. Breakthrough device status is given to medical devices that have the potential to be an effective treatment or…

Assessing the shape of alpha-synuclein aggregates in the brain helps to distinguish between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and another progressive neurodegenerative disorder known as multiple system atrophy (MSA), a study suggests. The study, “Discriminating α-synuclein strains in Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy,” was published in Nature. Parkinson’s…

Spinal anesthesia may be safer than general anesthesia for people with Parkinson’s disease undergoing surgery, causing fewer post-operative complications, including a risk of death, a small study suggests. The study, “Spinal versus General Anesthesia for Patients with Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in the International Journal of General…

Two Louisiana Tech University biomedical engineering students designed a wearable medical device that can track and classify Parkinson’s disease tremors and their severity.  Julie Gaudin and Elizabeth Hummel created the Tremor Tracker, a smart watch-like device that captures and immediately conveys information about body…

A three-year project in Europe seeks to develop nanodevices that could be used as brain implants to treat neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. The European Commission is funding the 3-million euro ($3.3-million) project, called Ion Neuromodulation for Epilepsy Treatment (IN-FET), which aims to create new implantable…