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Perceived changes in speech due to Parkinson’s, not aging: Study

Age-related declines in speech processes do not appear to contribute to the voice disturbances perceived by people with Parkinson’s disease, and are more likely due to disease processes themselves, a study reports. “Reduced self-voice perception in [Parkinson’s] is likely due to [Parkinson’s]-specific sensory feedback deficits, rather than age per…

Blood test may predict dementia risk in people with REM sleep disorder

Among people with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder, blood biomarkers associated with dementia may help identify those at risk of developing Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), a condition that shares symptoms with Parkinson’s disease. Particularly, blood levels of two proteins — amyloid-beta 42/40 ratio and p-tau…

Genetic disease offers insights for Parkinson’s treatment 

A rare nerve disorder may offer clues to potential Parkinson’s disease treatment targets, a mouse study showed. In giant axonal neuropathy (GAN), buildup of neurofilament proteins trap several cellular organelles and proteins, preventing nerve cells from clearing and recycling waste, the study found. Because neurofilament proteins have also been…

Virtual reality therapy may aid mental health, quality of life

An intervention combining talk therapy with virtual reality may help improve mental health and life quality for people with Parkinson’s disease, a study reports. “The results of this study demonstrated that [virtual reality-augmented cognitive behavioral therapy] significantly enhanced emotional well-being and quality of life in the experimental group compared…

Adapted physical activity eases Parkinson’s motor symptoms

An adapted physical activity program may help ease motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, a study showed. Although patients’ motor symptoms eased immediately after the three-month program, there didn’t appear to be a long-term effect on motor symptom severity, emphasizing a need for longer programs and/or further resources to…