News

An artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm identified more than a dozen U.S.-approved medications that might be repurposed to treat Parkinson’s disease, all based on their ability to increase levels of the PINK1 protein. PINK1 is involved in the health and workings of mitochondria, the cells’ energy production centers, and has…

People with Parkinson’s disease who are hospitalized for fractures due to falls or other traumatic injuries are not likely to stop being prescribed medications that can increase a fall risk, a study reports. Findings were similar in patients hospitalized for other Parkinson’s-related reasons, like pneumonia or urinary tract infections.

A group of immune cells called border-associated macrophages, or BAMs, have a central role in driving inflammation in the brain in Parkinson’s disease, a new study reports. “The results point to a critical role for BAMs in neuroinflammatory responses and highlight the need for disease-modifying therapeutic targeting of BAMs…

Older women with Parkinson’s disease are more likely to be sedentary throughout the day, spending less time engaged in healthy physical activity — particularly the moderate to vigorous exercise tied to slower progression — than do women without the neurodegenerative disease. Female patients around age 70 also spent more…

Digital tools, such as wearable devices and video calls, may help people with Parkinson’s disease in managing their nutrition — but barriers will need to be overcome before these tools can be used optimally by patients and caregivers. That’s according to the study, “The Facilitators and…

A charity in the U.K. is sounding the alarm about the global increase in mortality and disability from Parkinson’s disease and the need for greater funding to address the problem. Cure Parkinson’s is calling for an immediate £90 million ($114 million) in central government funds for heightened…

A grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) will support a two-year preclinical study by Stealth Biotherapeutics to evaluate its investigational therapy SBT-272, a small molecule designed to target cells’ mitochondria. The study is intended to identify biomarkers of mitochondrial dysfunction, a phenomenon often…

People with Parkinson’s disease can learn how to re-train their gait and improve their walking ability with the help of a new app that’s available for free on both the iOS and Android stores. Walking Tall lets users define their own training time and rhythm, and delivers a rhythmic…

A specific subset of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain appear to respond to movement acceleration and correspond with the region where cell death is particularly pronounced in Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. These neurons were responsive only to movement, and not to rewarding stimuli, which long…

Parkinson’s disease patients with urinary incontinence (UI) exhibit distinct brain activity networks compared with patients without the bladder symptom, according to a recent study. Urinary incontinence was linked to stronger functional interactions between brain regions implicated in Parkinson’s disease and others linked to brain-bladder control. Findings overall “will provide…