May 19, 2020

Parkinson's Patient Improving After First-Ever Stem Cell Therapy

WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2020 -- In a first, scientists have treated a Parkinson's disease patient with his own skin cells -- repurposing them to become key brain cells that the disease kills off.

Two years after receiving the experimental treatment, the patient has had no adverse effects, his doctors report. His symptoms, meanwhile, have either stabilized or gotten somewhat better.

April 29, 2020

Therapy by Phone Helps Parkinson's Patients Manage Depression

FRIDAY, April 10, 2020 -- A type of talk therapy by phone may help treat depression in people with Parkinson's disease, researchers say.

Depression is common in Parkinson's disease patients. It's associated with faster physical and mental decline, but is often overlooked and undertreated.

March 30, 2020

Serious Eye Problems Common in People With Parkinson's

WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 -- People with Parkinson's disease often have eye problems, which can interfere with their daily activities and increase their risk for falls, researchers say.

"It is especially important for people with Parkinson's to have the best vision possible because it can help compensate for movement problems caused by the disease, and help reduce the risk of falls," according to the author of a new study, Dr. Carlijn Borm of Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

March 30, 2020

What People With Parkinson's Need to Know About COVID-19

WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020 -- The new coronavirus poses a significant risk to people with Parkinson's disease, and experts say they and their caregivers need to take precautions.

"People living with Parkinson's disease are at high risk if they contract COVID-19, whether they are above age 50 or if they have young-onset Parkinson's disease, which occurs in people younger than 50," said Dr. Frederick Southwick, an infectious disease expert at the University of Florida in Gainesville.