News

Disability stigma hinders employment experiences

Internalized, experienced, or anticipated stigma have significant impacts on employment experiences for people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. In semi-structured interviews with patients, a researcher identified that patients felt hesitant to disclose their diagnosis in the workplace or ask for disability-related accommodations, often due to a…

Improved software for deep brain stimulation wins FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Boston Scientific’s software called Vercise Neural Navigator 5, which provides visual guidance on how to best program deep brain stimulation (DBS) settings for Parkinson’s disease. The improved software features an enhanced user-friendly interface that presents simplified patient data and…

Plant compounds found to ease Parkinson’s-like symptoms in rats

Plant compounds extracted from the Amomum subulatum fruit, also known as greater cardamom, were found to ease Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms — lessoning tremors and reducing muscular rigidity — in a rat model of features that are hallmarks of the neurodegenerative disorder. The greater cardamom extracts, given orally, worked to increase…

Parkinson Voice Project grant aids SPEAK OUT! at Northeastern

The Parkinson Voice Project (PVP)’s SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center at Northeastern University will receive a $280,000 PVP grant for training, services, equipment, and supplies over the next five years. The four-week program, running at the university’s Speech-Language and Hearing Center for more than two years,…

Forceful swallowing not seen to ease dysphagia of Parkinson’s

An approach for treating dysphagia — called effortful swallow maneuver — did not consistently ease signs of swallowing difficulties for Parkinson’s disease patients in a small pilot study. Effortful swallow, or ES, refers to a practice where patients are asked to consciously increase the force they use when swallowing…

Study explores factors that shape patients’ quality of life

People with Parkinson’s disease tend to have different coping strategies depending on factors such as age, gender, and education, a new study shows. Findings suggest that differences in demographic and clinical factors, but not differences in coping strategies, are the main factors that determine patients’ quality of life, according…