News

University of São Paulo researchers have found that Parkinson’s patients with dementia sleep less and less efficiently, which affects their overall cognitive performance. The study with that finding, “Global cognitive performance is associated with sleep efficiency measured by polysomnography in patients with Parkinson’s disease,” was published in…

Using Azilect (rasagiline) as an add-on therapy to levodopa was safe and improved motor function over one year in Parkinson’s patients with off periods, according to a Phase 3 trial in Japan. The study, “Long-term safety and efficacy of adjunctive rasagiline in levodopa-treated Japanese…

A smartphone application using a touch-based model is able to accurately identify early signs of motor disorders, according to a new study. The app, developed for patients with Huntington’s disease, is also intended for people with Parkinson’s and other neurological disorders. The study, “A…

A new approach to deep brain stimulation (DBS) was able to reduce both motor and cognitive impairments in a patient with Parkinson’s disease, a case study reports. Described by the researchers in Spain who conducted the study, this alternative to conventional DBS involves a single electrode that is placed…

Sirion Biotech and Denali Therapeutics have agreed to partner on the development of gene therapies for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. According to the license and collaboration agreement, the two companies will pursue the development of harmless, next-generation adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV) able to cross the blood-brain barrier…

An oral medicine approved to treat pseudobulbar affect — involuntary outbursts of laughing or crying — in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis  or multiple sclerosis  is most often prescribed to treat those with Parkinson’s disease or dementia, a study based on U.S. health databases reports. The study “Assessment of Use…

Scientists have found that an abnormal version of brain cells called astrocytes contribute to the accumulation of alpha-synuclein protein, the main component of Parkinson’s disease hallmark Lewy bodies. Their study, “Patient-specific iPSC-derived astrocytes contribute to non-cell autonomous neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Stem Cell…

Researchers have found that Parkinson’s patients whose cognitive ability is intact, but who have a specific genetic variant, have significantly less gray matter in the regions of their brain that are related to dementia. The study with that finding, “Reduced gray matter volume in cognitively preserved COMTÂ 158Val/Val Parkinson’s…

Changes in gait and cognition precede a diagnosis of idiopathic (without known cause) Parkinson’s disease, and may occur earlier than typical non-motor symptoms, a study has found. The study, “Prediagnostic markers of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease: Gait, visuospatial ability and executive function,” was published in Gait & Posture. Motor symptoms in …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Inbrija (levodopa inhalation powder)‎ for the treatment of Parkinson’s off periods in patients on a carbidopa/levodopa regimen. Acorda Therapeutics’ therapy is expected to be available by prescription in the first quarter of 2019. It will be distributed through a…