News

Alpha-synuclein levels in the gut are linked to Parkinson’s disease, indicating that gut alpha-synuclein may be used in combination with other disease biomarkers to facilitate patients’ diagnosis, a review study found. The study, “Diagnostic utility of gut α-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and…

Torso-specific exercises can help improve posture and balance by significantly reducing the severity of forward stoop in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The study with that finding, “Four-week trunk-specific exercise program decreases forward trunk flexion in Parkinson’s disease: A single-blinded, randomized controlled trial,” was published in the journal…

Long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution does not directly contribute to the development of Parkinson’s disease later in life, results from a Dutch study suggest. Still, non-smoking women and people with long-term residential stability were found to be at greater risk of developing the disease, according to the study. The…

Measuring how often a person spontaneously blinks could help predict motor changes in people with Parkinson’s disease being treated with levodopa, a study suggests. The study, “Using Spontaneous Eye-blink Rates to Predict the Motor Status of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in the journal Internal…

One amino acid change in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene, which provides instructions for a protein important to neuronal survival, may be associated with cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease patients, a study has found. The study, “BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s…

Gocovri (amantadine) can effectively reduce the number and duration of “off” periods and dyskinesia (uncontrolled movement) episodes in Parkinson’s patients under long-term levodopa treatment, leading to a good steady “on” state, pooled Phase 3 clinical data show. These findings were reported in a study, “…

Positive preclinical and Phase 1 clinical data support further assessment of Aptinyx‘s investigational compound NYX-458 for the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with Parkinson’s disease in new Phase 2 studies. Aptinyx expects to launch a new Phase 2 clinical study in Parkinson’s patients this year, the company…

Intensive singing interventions have the potential to increase vocal loudness, respiratory muscle strength, and voice-related quality of life in people with Parkinson’s disease, a study suggests. The study, “ParkinSong: A Controlled Trial of Singing-Based Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease,” was published…

Treatment with standard Parkinson’s therapies, such as levodopa or dopamine agonists, can provide effective relief of central parkinsonian pain, but they may fail to manage motor symptoms in these patients, a study has found. As many patients with Parkinson’s disease…

Abbott is partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore the use of its neuromodulation technologies for treating chronic pain and progressive movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. The partnership’s goal is to drive forward the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies initiative, known as…