Neuron-supporting cells called astrocytes produce regular pulses of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical that suppresses excessive brain activity, that appear to help maintain the body’s circadian rhythms and consistent sleep-wake cycles. That’s according to a study in mice. The findings, if confirmed in humans, may “help us to better understand…

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…

Before I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease seven years ago, I hadn’t heard the term “off periods.” After getting involved in the Parkinson’s community, I discovered that the term is frequently used. One reader asked, “Why do my symptoms get so bad in the early evening?” My response was,…

Alterations in the levels of melatonin — the hormone that controls sleep-wake cycles — circulating in the blood are associated with certain non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, namely sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal issues, and heart problems. The study with that finding, “Elevated Plasma Melatonin Levels…

Older men who have a weak or irregular circadian rhythm — the body’s internal clock that controls the sleep-wake cycle — are approximately three-times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease later in life, compared to those who have regular activity-rest cycles, a study has found. According to researchers,…

Bright light therapy can help improve sleep in people with Parkinson’s disease, likely due to its effects on the body’s “clock” genes that become dysregulated due to Parkinson’s treatment, a new study suggests. The study, “Bright light improves sleep in patients with…

PhotoPharmics’s Spectramax light therapy reduces disease severity, lessens non-motor symptoms, and improves the quality of life of Parkinson’s patients, according to recent results of a controlled clinical study. The study,“Double-blind controlled trial of Spectramax™ light therapy for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease patients on stable dopaminergic…

Mutations in two specific genes affect how nerve cells work in the brain, disrupting sleep patterns in Parkinson’s patients, a new study suggests, and recommends a way of possibly treating this disease symptom. The research, “ER Lipid Defects in Neuropeptidergic Neurons Impair Sleep Patterns in Parkinson’s Disease,” appeared in…