News

People who take certain immunosuppressants — medicines that dampen the immune system’s response — appear to have a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, new research shows. These findings support a role for the immune system in Parkinson’s, potentially raise the possibility of developing treatments to alter disease progression, at…

First-degree relatives of Parkinson’s patients are more likely to develop the disease and are at a higher risk for other neuropsychiatric disorders, a study shows. The study, “Familial aggregation of Parkinson’s disease and coaggregation with neuropsychiatric diseases: a population-based cohort study,” was published in Clinical Epidemiology. Most…

A new and experimental deep brain stimulation (DBS) system uses feedback from the brain to fine-tune its signaling in response to signs of dyskinesia, potentially offering a more refined way to ease motor problems in Parkinson’s patients, a small feasibility study reports. The research, “Adaptive deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease…

Slower tongue movement may contribute to the swallowing difficulties experienced by Parkinson’s disease patients, researchers report in a study. Recognition of tongue movement patterns may help to detect and prevent swallowing problems, a condition known as dysphagia, earlier in this population. The study, “Tongue Pressure…

An abnormal brain activity pattern could be a common link between Parkinson’s disease, neuropathic pain, tinnitus, and depression, an international research team suggests. The brainwave abnormality is similar in all these disorders but occurs in different regions of the brain. This discovery could lead to therapies that target all four conditions,…

Impaired intake of neurotransmitters leads to accumulation of toxic dopamine and neurodegeneration in patients with Parkinson’s disease, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study. The study, “LRRK2 phosphorylation of auxilin mediates synaptic defects in dopaminergic neurons from patients with Parkinson’s disease,” appeared in the journal…

Mutations in four specific genes may help to identify those Parkinson’s patients at risk of developing the addictive behaviors known as impulse control disorders, researchers report. Their study, “Dopaminergic and Opioid Pathways Associated with Impulse Control Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in Frontiers in Neurology. People with Parkinson’s…

Even low-level exposure to certain pesticides disrupts cells in a way that mimics the effects of mutations linked Parkinson’s disease — raising a likelihood of the disease developing in people predisposed to it, a new study reports. These findings may also explain why people living near agricultural areas are seen to…

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests. The research, “Inflammatory bowel disease increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease: a Danish nationwide cohort study 1977–2014,” was published in the journal Gut. Inflammation plays a key role…

Pharmacologic compounds that can act on two target molecules show promise as potential therapies for Parkinson’s disease, according to a study that details a new way of finding such compounds. The study, “Docking screens for dual inhibitors of disparate drug targets for Parkinson’s disease,” was published in…