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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…

Treatment with the naturally occurring antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) along with standard Parkinson’s therapies improved patients’ motor and mental abilities, possibly by restoring the function of dopamine-producing nerve cells, according to new research. The study, “N-Acetyl Cysteine Is Associated With Dopaminergic Improvement in Parkinson’s Disease,” appeared in…

Veterans of the Gulf War are not, as a whole, more likely to experience Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms, a new study has found. However, veterans with Gulf War illness do appear to be at greater risk of these symptoms. The study, “Do Gulf War veterans with high levels…

Oxidative stress may be a trigger for Parkinson’s and can promote its progression by facilitating the spread of toxic alpha-synuclein protein across cells, researchers report. Their study, “Oxidative stress in vagal neurons promotes parkinsonian pathology and intercellular α-synuclein transfer,” was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Parkinson’s is…