Parkinson’s News Updates
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| Photo by Gabin Vallet |
| Physical Activity Linked to Larger Volume, Increased Health of Brain – Parkinson’s News Today Physical activity may be beneficial to brain health, including for people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, by promoting increases in brain volume, a long-term follow-up study suggests. “Our study results indicate that even small behavioral changes, such as walking 15 minutes a day or taking the stairs instead of the elevator, may have a substantial positive effect on the brain and potentially counteract age-related loss of brain matter and the development of neurodegenerative diseases,” Ahmad Aziz, MD, PhD, principal investigator of the research project and study author, said in a press release. The study, “Association Between Accelerometer-Derived Physical Activity Measurements and Brain Structure: A Population-Based Cohort Study,” was published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. According to a few studies, certain regions of the brain can atrophy over time in people with Parkinson’s. Researchers believe that larger brain volumes offer better protection against neurodegeneration than smaller ones. —————– Weight Loss Over 5 Years Linked to Faster Parkinson’s Progression – Parkinson’s News Today Fluctuations in weight, either a loss or a gain, occurred significantly more often in people with Parkinson’s disease than in those without the progressive neurodegenerative disorder, a study has found. Weight loss in Parkinson’s patients was associated with a faster progression of motor and cognitive declines over a five-year period. Conversely, weight gain over that same time period was linked to a slower progression of motor symptoms. Certain biomarkers, including amyloid burden, blood urate — antioxidant — levels, and brain imaging of dopamine, might serve as predictors of future weight fluctuations, data showed. “In this longitudinal study, we found that weight loss was associated with poor clinical outcomes … while a more favourable progression of motor function was observed in patients with weight gain,” the researchers wrote. The study, “Clinical trajectories and biomarkers for weight variability in early Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Nature Portfolio Journal – Parkinson’s Disease —————— Kynmobi Does Not Significantly Alter Heartbeat, Study Finds – Parkinson’s News Today Treatment with Kynmobi (apomorphine hydrochloride), an approved under-the-tongue therapy for “off” episodes in Parkinson’s disease, does not substantially alter heartbeat dynamics at approved doses, according to new clinical trial data. The study, “A Randomized Thorough QT Study of Apomorphine Sublingual Film in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in Clinical Pharmacology in Drug Development. The work was funded by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, which markets Kynmobi. Parkinson’s disease is characterized by the dysfunction of brain cells that make an important signaling molecule called dopamine. The gold standard Parkinson’s treatment, levodopa and its derivatives, which give the brain more material with which to manufacture dopamine. The therapy may ease disease symptoms, but many patients experience “off” episodes where symptoms are not adequately controlled by levodopa. Kynmobi, previously known as APL-130277, is a sublingual (under-the-tongue) film containing apomorphine, a molecule that mimics dopamine’s activity in the brain. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the acute, intermittent treatment of “off” episodes in people with Parkinson’s, was based on data from other clinical trials that have demonstrated the therapy can ease motor fluctuations during “off” episodes. |