News

A wearable motion-tracking device called Personal KinetiGraph (PKG) objectively and effectively assesses Parkinson’s-related motor fluctuations, researchers report. The study, “The role of Personal KinetiGraphTM fluctuator score in quantifying the progression of motor fluctuations in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Functional Neurology. The PKG system, developed…

Mindfulness yoga seems to be better than conventional exercise at alleviating depression and anxiety in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. The study with that finding, which was published in the journal JAMA Neurology, is titled, “Effects of Mindfulness Yoga vs Stretching and…

Continuing its support of a collaborative Parkinson’s disease (PD) study, the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) has awarded the National Centre for Excellence in Research on Parkinson’s Disease (NCER-PD) €6 million ($6.68 million) for its second phase. Comprised primarily of five research partners, the four-year-old Luxembourg-based NCER-PD is…

Women working in fields that include teaching, healthcare, and — especially — social work “defined broadly” may be at a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease, a large observational study has found. The study, “Occupation and Parkinson disease in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study,” was published in…

Treatment with Accordion Pill-Carbidopa/Levodopa (AP-CD/LD) did not provide greater reduction in daily off periods in adults with advanced Parkinson’s disease compared with Sinemet, according to top-line results of a pivotal Phase 3 trial. However, an ongoing analysis shows meaningful decreases in specific subgroups of patients, the team…

Low vitamin D serum levels have been associated with Parkinson’s disease, but the lack of standardized data makes it difficult to determine vitamin D’s exact role in Parkinson’s pathology, according to a recent review article. The study, “Standardized measurement of circulating vitamin D [25(OH)D] and its putative role…

Therapies against motor loss and progression in Parkinson’s’ disease (PD) may need to tackle the imbalance between two neurotransmitters, dopamine and acetylcholine, instead of focusing on dopamine alone, an early study suggests. The study, “Dopamine Deficiency Reduces Striatal Cholinergic Interneuron Function in Models of Parkinson’s Disease,” was published…

Propranolol, a beta-blocker therapy for high-blood pressure, may be associated with an increased risk of developing parkinsonism — any condition that causes a combination of the movement abnormalities seen in Parkinson’s disease, according to a large database study. Scientists also correlated five medications with a reduced risk…

Widening efforts to give Parkinson’s disease patients access to high-quality speech therapy, the Parkinson Voice Project (PVP) has named the Andrews University School of Communication Sciences & Disorders (SCSD) a recipient of this year’s SPEAK OUT! & LOUD Crowd Grant Program. As is the case with all awardees, the…

Bacterial infections in the intestines may trigger Parkinson’s progression by altering the immune system and damaging dopaminergic neurons, according to an early study supporting a “gut-brain” connection in this disease. The findings, “Intestinal infection triggers Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms in Pink1−/− mice,” were published as a letter in…