News

Women with Parkinson’s less likely to be referred for DBS than men

Women with Parkinson’s disease are less likely to be referred for deep brain stimulation (DBS) evaluation than men, a study has found. Moreover, women with essential tremor, a disease that shares symptoms with Parkinson’s and can also be treated with DBS, were more likely to decline surgery, once approved.

AlphaSyn-SAA test accurately detects Parkinson’s, study finds

A test called the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay, or alphaSyn-SAA, can detect Parkinson’s disease with high accuracy, a new study reveals. The research was conducted as part of the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), an international study led by the The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research…

Greater apathy, depression at diagnosis tied to cognitive decline

People with Parkinson’s disease facing anxiety, depression, apathy, and other mental health challenges when diagnosed are more likely to experience a decline in their cognitive abilities with disease progression, a study reported. “Considering the importance of cognitive dysfunction … it is critical to identify factors that could predict a…

Nonwhite Parkinson’s patients see worse HRQoL than white patients

Black, Hispanic, and Asian people with Parkinson’s disease report lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than their white counterparts, a recent study showed. Differences in cognitive performance were found to partly underlie these disparities. The study, “Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life for Individuals with…

Faster gains seen with home apomorphine infusion in Parkinson’s

Home initiation of under-the-skin (subcutaneous) apomorphine infusion — a treatment for motor fluctuations — is faster at improving the life quality of Parkinson’s disease patients than in hospital initiation, a French study has shown. Continuous subcutaneous apomorphine infusion (CSAI) initiation at home for Parkinson’s was found to be feasible…