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Low levels of a specific chaperone  protein might be implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, according to new research. The protein may be a promising therapeutic target to treat Parkinson’s, with researchers pursuing this possibility in preclinical studies. The study, “…

Patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) were found to have a mortality rate more than three times higher than the general population, according to researchers in Sweden. The 10-year follow-up study, titled “Relative survival in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies…

Alpha-synuclein (aSyn), a protein linked to Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), exerts its harmful effects by disrupting the normal function of protein production, a study has found. This sheds light on the involvement of the aSyn protein in Parkinson’s disease, confirming its potential as a…

Communication difficulties are caused by motor and/or cognitive impairment in people with Parkinson’s disease, a review study highlights. An interdisciplinary approach to assess changes in patients’ daily communications may help detect and monitor motor and cognitive symptoms in this population. The review, “Communication impairment in Parkinson’s disease: Impact…

Biomarkers responsible for extreme exhaustion in cancer patients are also associated with fatigue in Parkinson’s disease, a study reveals. The study, “Inflammation and fatigue in early, untreated Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in the journal Acta Neurologica Scandinavia. Fatigue is one of the most common and disabling symptoms…

The Italian version of the scale most often used to determine quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) — the self-report 39-Item Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) — has been validated for Italian patients, a study reports. The Italian form…

The levels of specific protein biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord — can distinguish patients with Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) from those with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) regardless of dementia stage, according to a new study. The research, “…

Nerve cell damage in a specific area of the brain impairs motor function and slows thought, both of which are symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, a mouse study finds. The study, “Loss of glutamate signaling from the thalamus to dorsal striatum impairs motor function and slows the execution…

Neuropsychiatric symptoms, combined with levels of alpha-synuclein, can be used to distinguish dementia with Lewy bodies from Parkinson’s disease dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, a study shows. The study, “Neuropsychiatric symptoms and α-Synuclein profile of patients with Parkinson’s disease dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s…

The 2018 Science & PINS Prize for Neuromodulation was awarded to Nir Grossman, PhD, for his research to stimulate deep and specific regions of the brain without surgery as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease and other disorders. Grossman, who is an assistant professor at Imperial College London and a…