News

Upon breaking down two decades of research about how the gut affects the brain in Parkinson’s disease, a vision for studying the gut-brain connection for the next two decades has been laid out in a review article published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease. Specifically, the…

A common depression treatment called agomelatine worsens Parkinson’s-related loss of dopamine-producing neurons, motor dysfunction, and protein oxidation, according to research in rats. The study with that finding, “Effects of Agomelatine in Rotenone-induced Parkinson’s Disease in Rats,” was published in the journal Neuroscience Letters. Neuroinflammation, oxidative…

Patients with hypertension may be at a higher risk for Parkinson’s disease, according to a review of population-based studies. The review, “Association between Hypertension and the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Analytical Studies,” appeared in the journal Neuroepidemiology. Hypertension may cause damage…

Invasive treatment approaches for advanced Parkinson’s disease have differential effects on disease-associated motor and non-motor symptoms, a real-life observational study shows. These findings suggest that selection of a treatment should be based on each patient’s particular clinical profile, researchers say. The study, “EuroInf 2: Subthalamic…

Parkinson’s disease-related falls and freezing of gait — when patients are unable to move their feet forward when trying to walk — are associated with changes in a specific type of neuronal communication in different brain regions, a study reports. The study, “Cholinergic system changes of falls and…

A new way of diagnosing Parkinson’s disease based on manifestations that appear decades before motor symptoms — the current hallmarks for diagnosis — might allow early diagnosis and even prevention. The study, “From Prodromal to Overt Parkinson’s Disease: Towards a New Definition in the Year 2040,” was published in…

Warning the reporter accompanying him not to take any pictures, veteran horticulturalist Michael Castleman punches an electronic code and unlocks the door to Room 209, nicknamed the “Mother Room.” Photography is indeed forbidden inside this living vault, which contains 20 phenotypes of cannabis plants thriving under the glare of 25…

Eight weeks of training on a treadmill with continuously varying surface inclines improved gait disturbances, particularly walking speed, in Parkinson’s disease patients, researchers report. Their finding were published in the study, “Exploring gait adaptations to perturbed and conventional treadmill training in Parkinson’s disease: Time-course, sustainability, and…

Loud and alarming sounds can reduce muscle stiffness in Parkinson’s disease patients treated with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS), a study suggests. The study, “Influence of alarming auditory cues on viscoelastic stiffness of skeletal muscles in patients with Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Clinical Biomechanics. Almost…

Continuous monitoring of movement symptoms using a wearable device called the Personal KinetiGraph (PKG) may help clinicians make more appropriate treatment choices for their patients with Parkinson’s disease, according to a real-world clinical study. The study, “Qualitative Evaluation of the Personal KinetiGraphTM Movement Recording System in a…