News

Neurologists treating patients with early-stage Parkinson’s disease should prescribe more often therapies that spare patients from starting levodopa too soon in order to delay onset of side effects associated with long-term use of the medicine, findings from a study conducted in Romania suggest. Researchers believe that even if a…

A new test can analyze cerebrospinal fluid samples and help measure how many toxic aggregates of alpha-synuclein can be found in the brains of patients with Parkinson’s disease. The new assessment strategy was developed by Japanese researchers and was reported in a study, “Ultrasonication-based rapid amplification of…

A wearable device called Personal KinetiGraph (PKG) can continuously and objectively monitor motor symptoms in people with Parkinson’s disease, which can help clinicians select the most appropriate management therapy and assess treatment impact, a study finds. The study, “Objective Data in Parkinson’s Disease: A Description of Over 27,000…

In contrast to what was observed in mice, a hypertension medicine called Dynacirc (isradipine) failed to slow Parkinson’s disease progression in humans, according to Phase 3 clinical trial results. However, “the study did not fail,” according to Tanya Simuni, MD, who presented “A Phase 3 study of…

Low levels in saliva of a molecule called substance P may help predict the development of swallowing problems in people with Parkinson’s disease, a small pilot study in Germany found. Since this molecule works as communication signal between nerve cells in the body, this discovery suggests that impaired substance…

Impel NeuroPharma has developed an inhaler to administrate a powder formulation of levodopa (L-DOPA) so people with Parkinson’s disease can more easily manage their symptoms. Evidence of the potential of this new treatment strategy was presented at the 2019 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) annual meeting in Philadelphia,…

Mindfulness-based interventions can improve mental health status, including reduction of stress and anxiety levels, in family caregivers of veterans with Parkinson’s disease and other health issues, a study shows. The study, “A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Caregivers of Veterans,” was published in the…

The last Parkinson’s patient enrolled in Intec Pharma’s Phase 3 ACCORDANCE clinical trial has completed the final required visit, the company announced. Taking place at approximately 90 clinical sites throughout the United States, Europe, and Israel, the trial (NCT02605434) was designed to test the safety and efficacy of…

A single-dose infusion of VY-AADC01, an investigational gene therapy, improves motor function and reduces the need for antiparkinsonian medications in advanced Parkinson’s disease patients, results from the Phase 1 PD-1102 clinical trial show. Trial findings were presented in a scientific poster, titled “PD-1102: A Phase 1 study of…

Treatment with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) — adult stem cells with regenerative effects — is safe and well-tolerated, and improves motor function in people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease, according to early findings from an ongoing small study. The research, “Preliminary Report on the…