News

The Parkinson’s Foundation has awarded more than $1 million in community grants to fund dozens of local programs that support mental health, exercise, and education in Parkinson’s disease across 38 U.S. states, as part of its ongoing efforts to help patients live better lives. Ninety local programs…

People with Parkinson’s disease who live in disadvantaged communities tend to have more severe motor symptoms and greater motor disability, according to a study that shows that social and environmental factors, many of which may be modifiable, can influence the severity of the disease. “If environmental exposures or other…

Using mathematical models, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) successfully predicted how to adjust deep brain stimulation (DBS) settings to improve gait for people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a study. With these techniques, researchers could improve DBS and other neuromodulatory therapies that influence nerve…

When combined with deep brain stimulation (DBS), a dynamic, cycling-based exercise program for people with Parkinson’s disease produces changes in brain activity indicative of potential neural rewiring, according to a study. The research was conducted at University Hospitals in Cleveland and the Veterans Affairs Northeast Ohio Healthcare System,…

Infection with a common and otherwise harmless virus called human pegivirus (HPgV) might play a hidden role in Parkinson’s disease, particularly for those with specific genetic risks, according to a new study. “For a virus that was thought to be harmless, these findings suggest it may have important effects,…

Neu Health is launching its smartphone-based system to measure tremors in people with Parkinson’s disease in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the company’s digital tool to track Parkinson’s symptoms remotely, which uses only a smartphone to measure tremor severity, reducing reliance on wearables…

Researchers have uncovered how exposure to a common environmental pesticide may disrupt brain function in ways that contribute to Parkinson’s disease. Exposing rats to rotenone, a pesticide mostly banned in the U.S. and Canada, but still used in lake management, triggered changes in the activation of certain genes in…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) has awarded a $5 million grant to Congruence Therapeutics to advance the development of small molecules for Parkinson’s disease associated with mutations in the GBA1 gene. The research grant will support the optimization and clinical development of therapeutic candidates…

Scientists at the University of Rochester have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered screening tool that analyzes a person’s speech patterns to detect subtle signs of Parkinson’s disease. The algorithm could eventually be used to analyze speech patterns at home on mobile phones or household devices, helping to reach people…

A five-year, $3.4 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is supporting research into how manganese exposure may increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Manganese is an essential mineral the body needs in small amounts. However, high-level exposure, such as through certain pesticides, mining, or…