In people with Parkinson’s disease, the cerebral cortex of the brain can compensate for disease-related dysfunction in the basal ganglia, the main part of the brain affected by Parkinson’s. Researchers found that patients with milder Parkinson’s symptoms have more compensatory activity in the cerebral cortex, while patients with…
Interfering with the circadian clock, or the body’s internal clock, may make dopaminergic neurons — the nerve cells that become progressively lost in Parkinson’s disease — more prone to damage at night, according to a study in fruit flies. “Our results further suggest that genetic variations in circadian clock…
Pupil light reflex (PLR), the automatic contraction or dilation of the eye’s pupil in response to light levels, was found to be impaired in people with Parkinson’s disease in a small study. Impaired PLR is believed to contribute to the vision problems experienced by some Parkinson’s patients. New data…
Patients who are on long-term levodopa to treat Parkinson’s disease are more likely to experience self-reported freezing of gait, or FOG, than levodopa-naïve (untreated) patients, a study has found. These findings suggest that FOG should be taken into account when studying Parkinson’s, with “the ultimate aim to develop…
Significant alterations in the structure and function of the eye’s retina — the layer at the very back of the eyeball that’s key in transmitting information to the brain — were revealed in adults with Parkinson’s disease in a new study. Data demonstrated a significant impact of disease duration…
The mutated form of alpha-synuclein protein — a key player in the development of Parkinson’s disease — can travel in the brain to various regions using the brain’s immune system before it builds up into toxic clumps, or aggregates, a new study has found.
People with Parkinson’s disease whose electrical brain wave activity declines more slowly during deep sleep develop levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID), or uncontrolled movements, faster, a study has found. These findings confirm a link between sleep-related brain wave activity and LID, and support the development of sleep-targeted therapies that may protect…
Scientists have discovered that long-term changes in a biomarker of nerve damage, called neurofilament light chain (NfL), could be used to predict cognitive decline in people with Parkinson’s disease due to certain mutations. They found that a slower progression of dementia in people with LRRK2-associated Parkinson’s compared with those…
Homogenous cell therapy — treatments using only one cell type — may ease disease severity, lessen motor symptoms, and improve activities of daily living in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a new systematic review. These effects were observed during patients’ off periods, times when the medication wears off…
While it appears that people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease later in life than are individuals without the neurodevelopmental disorder, further proof is needed to establish a link, according to a new systematic review. “Our review provides preliminary results that a…
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