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The healthy human appendix contains Parkinson’s disease-related alpha-synuclein aggregates, and removing the organ early in a person’s life reduces the risk of developing the disease, a study has found. The study, “The vermiform appendix impacts the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Science…

While patients with some types of parkinsonism have a shorter lifespan, those with Parkinson’s disease without cognitive impairment have a normal life expectancy, a Swedish population-based study suggests. The study, “Early predictors of mortality in parkinsonism and Parkinson disease: A population-based study,” was published in the journal…

With a focus on self-care and caregiving, the Parkinson’s Foundation is hosting a free bilingual summit for those who attend to the daily needs of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Called Cumbre Para Cuidadores (Summit for Caregivers), the all-day event Dec. 1 at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix in Phoenix,…

Engaging in regular exercise can help preserve the motor and non-motor function of Parkinson’s disease patients, most likely as a result of an increased release of dopamine in the brain, a small study suggests. The study, “Habitual Exercisers Versus Sedentary Subjects With Parkinson’s Disease: Multimodal PET…

Patients with middle-onset Parkinson’s disease have difficulties recognizing negative and neutral emotions, deficits that appear to be even stronger in female patients, a study shows. The study, “Emotion-Specific Affective Theory of Mind Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Parkinson’s disease…

The first patient has been enrolled in Anavex Life Sciences‘ Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the potential and safety of Anavex 2-73 as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease dementia. Now actively recruiting, the study (2017-004335-36) is expected to enroll approximately 120 Parkinson’s patients ages 50 or older…

An investigational herbal product called DA-9805 exerts its neuroprotective activity by preventing mitochondria damage in brain cells, a mouse study has found. This compound is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2a clinical trial (NCT03189563) in early Parkinson’s disease patients. The study, “…

The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command has awarded a four-year, $2.5 million grant to a team of scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to investigate the role of the gut microbiome — the trillions of microorganisms and their genetic material that live in the…

Reduced alpha-synuclein levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord — are associated with more severe non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s patients, according to a study. The study, “CSF α-synuclein inversely correlates with non-motor symptoms in a cohort of PD…

Swelling of brain areas close to where the electrodes that deliver deep brain stimulation (DBS) are placed is a common and transient side effect of this treatment in Parkinson’s disease patients, a study suggests. The long-term impact of such swelling and potential complications are unknown and warrant further analysis,…