News

Thinning of the eye’s retina appears to be associated with Parkinson’s and, possibly, with disease severity, a study reports, suggesting that an eye scan might be used at some point to detect Parkinson’s in its earliest stages, before motor symptoms begin. The study, “Retinal thinning associates with nigral dopaminergic loss in…

A new online exercise training program for professionals working with Parkinson’s disease patients has been launched by the Brian Grant Foundation (BGF). This free program is geared toward physical therapists, personal trainers, and group fitness instructors to assist them in developing safe and effective training classes for those…

Tiny bleeds in the brain are associated with cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease and risk of Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD), a Japanese study has found. The research, “The presence of cerebral microbleeds is associated with cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in the Journal of…

Low-frequency subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS), but not high-frequency STN-DBS, reduces freezing of gait in Parkinson’s patients while preserving their ability to simultaneously process motor and cognitive information, a recent study shows. The study, “Decreasing subthalamic deep brain stimulation frequency reverses cognitive interference during gait initiation in…

Low levels of a specific chaperone  protein might be implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, according to new research. The protein may be a promising therapeutic target to treat Parkinson’s, with researchers pursuing this possibility in preclinical studies. The study, “…

Patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) were found to have a mortality rate more than three times higher than the general population, according to researchers in Sweden. The 10-year follow-up study, titled “Relative survival in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies…

Alpha-synuclein (aSyn), a protein linked to Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), exerts its harmful effects by disrupting the normal function of protein production, a study has found. This sheds light on the involvement of the aSyn protein in Parkinson’s disease, confirming its potential as a…

Communication difficulties are caused by motor and/or cognitive impairment in people with Parkinson’s disease, a review study highlights. An interdisciplinary approach to assess changes in patients’ daily communications may help detect and monitor motor and cognitive symptoms in this population. The review, “Communication impairment in Parkinson’s disease: Impact…

Biomarkers responsible for extreme exhaustion in cancer patients are also associated with fatigue in Parkinson’s disease, a study reveals. The study, “Inflammation and fatigue in early, untreated Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in the journal Acta Neurologica Scandinavia. Fatigue is one of the most common and disabling symptoms…

The Italian version of the scale most often used to determine quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) — the self-report 39-Item Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) — has been validated for Italian patients, a study reports. The Italian form…