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Athletes playing contact sports for longer than eight years are six times more likely to develop Lewy body disease — a neurodegenerative disorder causing Parkinson’s-like symptoms — compared to those playing football, ice hockey or boxing for fewer years, a study reports. Its authors suggest that years of continual injury…

The LRRK2 gene may play an important role in nonhereditary Parkinson’s disease, not just the familial form as previously thought, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine​ have discovered. “This discovery is extremely consequential for Parkinson’s disease because it suggests that therapies currently being developed for a small…

One of the most promising therapeutic avenues for Parkinson’s disease is the use of stem cells to replace dopamine-producing neurons, the loss of which is a hallmark of the disease. This is the focus of a special issue on Parkinson’s disease published in the journal Stem Cells and…

A training program in which patients walk while listening to regular beats can improve the velocity and cadence of Parkinson’s disease patients, while reducing their risk of falling, a study shows. The study, “Rhythmic auditory stimulation for reduction of falls in Parkinson’s disease: a randomized controlled study,” was published…

Machine learning identifies individuals with reduced odor and taste sensitivity as people at risk for developing Parkinson’s disease, researchers from Italy report. The approach could be part of a noninvasive method to study early-onset Parkinson’s, the findings suggest. The study, “Comparative Motor Pre-clinical Assessment in Parkinson’s…

The traditional Chinese compound Zishenpingchan can be used as an add-on treatment to levodopa for improvements in motor symptoms and quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s disease, according to researchers. The study, “Zishenpingchan granules for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial,” was…

A type of immune cell called Th17 may be a key a promoter of neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease by producing the pro-inflammatory molecule interleukin-17 (IL-17), according to a study. Researchers also found that the common anti-inflammatory medication Cosentyx (secukinumab), an antibody against IL-17, seems to prevent this mechanism and the…

How cell surface proteins participate in spreading, from one cell to another, misfolded proteins related to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, possibly aiding in the progression of these disorders, was seen in early research. The study, “Specific glycosaminoglycan chain length and sulfation patterns are required for cell…

A Phase 1 trial will test the potential of ketamine — an analgesic medicine used for depression and pain — at reducing the uncontrollable, jerky movements that arise in Parkinson’s disease patients after long-term treatment with levopoda. Levodopa, probably the most common treatment for Parkinson’s disease, is effective at improving the stiffness…

An anticonvulsant medication called methsuximide may be a new approach for treating a neurodegenerative diseases that include Parkinson’s, because it shows a potential to be neuroprotective at low doses, early research reports. Specifically, this epilepsy treatment’s active molecule — α-methyl-α-phenylsuccinimide — eased movement difficulties, extended lifespans, and showed itself to…