Depression in newly diagnosed Parkinson’s patients is associated with initial motor deficits and worse cognitive function, unrelated to dopamine loss, a study suggests. These patients also require higher doses of medications at follow-up. The study, “The presence of depression in de novo Parkinson’s disease reflects poor motor…
Nearly half a year after news reports surfaced about deaths allegedly linked to Nuplazid (pimavanserin) — a therapy for Parkinson’s patients with disease-related psychosis — the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it could not find any new or unexpected safety concerns with the controversial treatment. The agency said in…
Researchers from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School found more than 70,000 genetic sequences that do not encode proteins — called transcribed noncoding elements (TNEs) — active in dopamine neurons that are gradually lost over the course of Parkinsons’ disease. Their findings indicate there may be…
A Parkinson’s disease genetic risk variant, called rs1109303, might have a direct impact on the expression of nearby genes INPP5K and CRK, influencing disease risk and progression, a study suggests. The study, “Parkinson’s Disease Risk Variant rs1109303 Regulates the Expression of INPP5K and CRK in Human Brain,”…
Chronic pain is prevalent in Parkinson’s disease patients and its severity considerably impacts their daily life, work, and social relationships, a study aiming to guide physicians in better managing this symptom reports. It also links chronic pain to such psychological ills as depression, low self-esteem, frustration and sleep deprivation. The…
Researchers may have discovered why certain tremors and asthma medications increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Their findings suggest they were caused by the underlying clinical indications that led physicians to prescribe these medications in the first place — tremors and smoking-related lung conditions — rather than the medications…
Olfactory deficits — a diminished sense of smell — affected 95% of Parkinson’s disease patients in a small study, but such problems did not appear to be linked to cognitive impairment or disease-related dementia. The study, “Association between olfactory loss and cognitive deficits in Parkinson’s disease,” was…
Using dance as a therapeutic strategy may benefit patients with Parkinson’s disease by improving their motor function, results of a pilot study suggest. The study, “ ‘Dance Therapy’ as a psychotherapeutic movement intervention in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine. Parkinson’s disease…
A new exploratory study intends to assess the benefit of art therapy in improving visuospatial function and gait in Parkinson’s disease patients. The ExplorArtPD study (NCT03178786) is currently recruiting participants in New York City. More information on enrollment can be found here. The study’s experimental protocol, “…
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) — recurrent discomfort and the urge to move the legs at rest — may be associated with an increased frequency of constipation and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), two premotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, a study suggests. The study, “The…
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