News

Eradicating Helicobacter pylori infections could improve motor function, ease gut symptoms and increase levodopa’s effectiveness in Parkinson’s patients, according to a review study. The research, “Stomaching the Possibility of a Pathogenic Role for Helicobacter pylori in Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.

Treatment with Nuplazid (pimavanserin) does not lead to a different mortality risk compared to the antipsychotic medication Seroquel (quetiapine), or to combination treatment with both medications, in patients with Parkinson’s psychosis, according to results from a large study. The study, “Mortality in patients with Parkinson…

Ohio’s Cleveland Clinic will officially become a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence on Oct. 2, followed by the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston on Oct. 4, and the Cleveland Clinic Nevada in Las Vegas on Oct. 19. Next month’s three plaque unveiling ceremonies will bring the number of…

Grape skin extract improves muscle function and extends the lifespan of flies with Parkinson’s disease, a study shows. The neuroprotective effect of grape skin extract was due to its potential to rescue mitochondria — cells’ powerhouses — from defects caused by the disease. The study, “Skin extract improves muscle…

A newly discovered inhibitor of the immune protein IRAK4, known as the “master switch” in the development of several diseases, could lead to treatments for autoimmune diseases and neuroinflammatory disorders such as Parkinson’s, according to developer Noxopharm and its majority-owned subsidiary Nyrada. Pre-clinical studies are ongoing to find the…

Men who lack physical activity have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease at some point in their lives, a systematic review has found. Importantly, findings revealed that even moderate exercise can be enough to counteract this effect. The review, “Association of Levels of Physical Activity With Risk…

Parkinson’s patients with non-motor symptoms during “wearing-off” periods — when symptoms return as their medication wears off — have a significantly worse quality of life compared to patients who only experience the return of motor symptoms, a new study shows. The study, “Motor and non-motor wearing-off and its impact…

Depression in newly diagnosed Parkinson’s patients is associated with initial motor deficits and worse cognitive function, unrelated to dopamine loss, a study suggests. These patients also require higher doses of medications at follow-up. The study, “The presence of depression in de novo Parkinson’s disease reflects poor motor…

Nearly half a year after news reports surfaced about deaths allegedly linked to Nuplazid (pimavanserin) — a therapy for Parkinson’s patients with disease-related psychosis — the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it could not find any new or unexpected safety concerns with the controversial treatment. The agency said in…

Researchers from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School found more than 70,000 genetic sequences that do not encode proteins — called transcribed noncoding elements (TNEs) — active in dopamine neurons that are gradually lost over the course of Parkinsons’ disease. Their findings indicate there may be…