Adaptive deep brain stimulation (DBS) outperformed traditional DBS in alleviating motor symptoms and enhancing the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease, a pilot study shows. In adaptive DBS, nerve signals associated with motor fluctuations are detected in real time and stimulation is automatically adjusted to ease…
Cycling was more effective than electrical muscle stimulation at improving cognitive function, according to a small study. The results have implications for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s in which both movement and cognition can be affected. “Our results suggest that the relationship between exercise and brain activity is crucial for faster…
A complex of proteins involved in cellular trafficking, called the BBSome, plays a role in regulating the transport of dopamine, the nerve cell signaling molecule that’s deficient in Parkinson’s disease, a study reveals. “Given the significant medical impact of altered dopamine signaling in multiple neurobehavioral disorders, further studies of…
Enrollment is complete in a Phase 2 trial of VG081821, an investigational therapy to treat early to mid-stage Parkinson’s disease, the therapy’s developer, Vimgreen, announced. A total of 150 patients have been randomized to receive a low or high dose of VG081821 or a placebo for 12 weeks, or…
Ryan Reynolds is the face of an educational campaign aiming to raise awareness of lesser-known Parkinson’s disease symptoms: the hallucinations and delusions that can be related to the disease. The ‘More to Parkinson’s’ initiative, sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, features a six-part series in which the actor…
Conducting a machine-learning analysis of video recordings may aid in identifying motor symptoms in the early stage of Parkinson’s disease, potentially helping diagnose patients faster than can be done with the human eye, a new study reports. Such computer-based analyses may be able to detect problems with walking and…
Taking levodopa before bedtime can reduce the number of times people with Parkinson’s disease wake up during sleep and the amount of time they remain awake at night — although such differences might not be obvious to patients. The findings, which came from a small study in patients…
A buildup of fat-like lipid molecules may help to promote the inability of dopaminergic neurons, the nerve cells that are lost in people with Parkinson’s disease, to divide and grow as they should, researchers suggest. Further understanding of the role of lipids in neurodegeneration “has the potential to open…
Mutations that inactivate a gene called ITSN1 are associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, particularly at younger ages, a large-scale database study reports. Its researchers speculated that the protein encoded by the ITSN1 gene or related proteins might be viable targets to treat Parkinson’s. The study, “…
Sensor-equipped shoes — called NUSHU smart shoes — that are designed to support people with walking difficulties due to Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions have received the CE mark of approval in the Europe Union (EU). The shoes perform clinical-grade gait analysis in real time, with biofeedback given…
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