Phone Therapy Reduces Depression in Parkinson’s Patients

While depression is common in people with Parkinson’s disease, contributing to faster physical and mental decline, it is often overlooked and undertreated.
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How and Why Parkinson’s Hits Men, Women Differently

A new review from Italian scientists adds to the growing body of evidence describing how Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects women and men differently. Click here to read PsychCentral article

Parkinson’s Drugs Tied to Impulse Control Disorders

Nearly half of patients taking certain drugs for Parkinson’s disease may eventually develop impulse control disorders such as compulsive eating, gambling or shopping, according to a new French study published in the journal Neurology. Click here to read PsychCentral article

Calorie Restriction May Help Prevent Age-Related Diseases

A new study published in the journal Cell Metabolism shows that cutting caloric intake by just 15 percent for two years has the ability to slow aging and metabolism and protect against age-related diseases.  Click here for news item.

Brain Stimulation May Aid Cognition in Parkinson’s

New research suggests that low frequency stimulation of a deep brain region may be able to improve cognitive function in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).  If true, the findings set the stage for the potential of brain stimulation for treating other cognitive diseases.  Click here for article.

Parkinson’s disease in adults (NG71)

This new NICE guideline covers diagnosing and managing Parkinson's disease in people aged 18 and over. It aims to improve care from the time of diagnosis, including monitoring and managing symptoms, providing information and support, and palliative care. It includes recommendations on:

• information and support
• diagnosing Parkinson's disease
• pharmacological management of motor symptoms
• pharmacological management of non-motor symptoms
• non-pharmacological management of symptoms
• impulse control disorders
• palliative care

Diabetes drug may be helpful for Parkinson's disease

"A drug commonly used to treat diabetes could help those living with Parkinson's disease," The Guardian reports. A small study suggests a drug called exenatide may have a modest beneficial effect on motor (movement) symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease.

Exenatide is known as a GLP-1 agonist, used to help regulate blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Previous, early-stage research also suggests it may help protect nerves against damage, which is the root cause of Parkinson's.

The study looked at changes to people's movement ("motor") ability when given either an injection of exenatide or a placebo injection. The people in the study had their motor ability assessed by a well-validated scoring tool before taking the drug, at various points during the trial, and 12 weeks after they were last treated.

NICE recommends specialist physio for early-stage Parkinson’s

This new NICE guideline covers diagnosing and managing Parkinson's disease in people aged 18 and over. It aims to improve care from the time of diagnosis, including monitoring and managing symptoms, providing information and support, and palliative care.  Its recommendations cover:

1.1 Communication with people with Parkinson's disease and their carers
1.2 Diagnosing Parkinson's disease
1.3 Pharmacological management of motor symptoms
1.4 Managing and monitoring impulse control disorders as an adverse effect of dopaminergic therapy
1.5 Pharmacological management of non-motor symptoms
1.6 Pharmacological neuroprotective therapy
1.7 Non-pharmacological management of motor and non-motor symptoms
1.8 Deep brain stimulation and levodopa–carbidopa intestinal gel
1.9 Palliative care

New Tool Helps Predict Cognitive Deficits in Parkinson’s

Although Parkinson’s disease (PD) is typically thought of as a movement disorder, approximately 25 percent of patients also experience cognitive deficits.

A newly developed research tool may help predict a patient’s risk for developing dementia and could enable clinical trials aimed at finding treatments to prevent the cognitive effects of the disease.

Investigators at Harvard Medical School and the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital spearheaded development of the computer-based risk calculator

Cognitive behavioural therapy for non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease: a clinical review

This study found a growing evidence base that CBT (modified to account for PD-specific problems) is effective in the treatment of PD psychiatric symptoms. Where controlled study design was used, moderate effect sizes are reported for the efficacy of CBT for depression, including with distance administration of CBT. The effects were sustained during follow-up which was between 1 and 6 months.

Evidence Based Mental Health, 20, (1) 15, 2017 (Log in with your Athens username and password)

Parkinson’s disease with end-of-dose motor fluctuations: opicapone

This new NICE evidence summary reviewed 1 randomised placebo- and active-controlled trial in people with Parkinson's disease of at least 3‑year duration, who were taking a stable dose of levodopa and experiencing end-of-dose motor fluctuations. Most participants were also taking other Parkinson's disease medicines, most commonly a dopamine agonist. There are limited data on the use of opicapone as a first choice adjunct therapy to levodopa.

Parkinson’s disease with motor fluctuations: safinamide - evidence summary (ES6)

New evidence summary from NICE on using safinamide in patients with parkinson’s disease with motor fluctuations.

A competency framework for nurses working in Parkinson’s disease management

This revised competency framework describes professional criteria in the form of competencies required by experienced nurses when caring for a person with Parkinson’sand atypical Parkinsonian syndromes.

MTRAC commissioning support guidance for safinamide (Xadago) for management of mid- to late-stage Parkinson’s disease

MTRAC commissioning support guidance for safinamide (Xadago) for management of mid- to late-stage Parkinson’s disease.

2015 UK Parkinson's Audit findings

The 2015 UK Parkinson’s Audit of the care provided to nearly 9,000 people with the condition found that for 15 per cent of patients the physiotherapist used no outcome measures.

One in four people with Parkinson’s said they were not assessed for blood pressure, pain and bone health in neurology services. Only 28 per cent of those with advanced Parkinson's had any recorded discussion about end of life care.