Can equine-assisted therapy benefit people with Parkinson’s disease?

News

Author: Simge Eva DoganPublished: 31 December 2020

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Researchers from Texas Woman’s University, US, are investigating how equine-assisted therapy – which involves working with horses to promote wellbeing – can benefit people with Parkinson’s disease.

As part of the five-month study, funded by the non-profit Human Animal Bond Research Institute, 30 men with Parkinson’s disease will be randomly assigned to participate in equine-assisted therapy or simulated horseback riding. The participants’ motor performance, balance, gait and symptoms related to Parkinson’s disease will be assessed before, during and after the therapy.

Rhett Rigby, principal investigator of the study, said: “There is currently no known study that utilises equine-assisted therapy as an intervention treatment for those with Parkinson’s disease. Our research could have a significant impact on an understudied population and help contribute to the existing literature on human-animal interaction.”

For more information on the latest Parkinson’s research, please visit the EPDA website.

Find out more about the study on equine therapy as a treatment option for Parkinson’s disease.

Covid-19 lockdown may worsen sleep disturbances in Parkinson’s disease

Last Month

Next Month

Go Back

Share this story

Comments

Interviews

“I’m ready to row, eat, sleep and repeat”

We hear from the woman taking on the Atlantic Ocean

Creamy tarragon chicken and quinoa vol-au-vent

A tasty chicken and quinoa recipe

Supporting 100,000 Australians with Parkinson’s

We spoke to the CEO of Parkinson’s Australia

Ireland survey aims to uncover link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease

Previous studies of vineyard and agricultural workers in France and the US highlight potential correlations between pesticide exposure and Parkinson’s risk. Now, a team is conducting the first study in Ireland to investigate this potential link. Last week, researchers from University College Cork, Ireland, took to the country’s National Ploughing Championships – a three-day country show, agricultural trade fair and ploughing competition. Their goal? To “gather information on the environmental risks associated with Parkinson’s in Ireland”, according to Professor Aideen Sullivan of the university’s Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience. “Our survey is a broad-stroke approach. We are going to ask people what categories of pesticides they’ve used,” said Sullivan’s colleague, Dr Lucy Collins-Stack. “We are going into this thinking there may be a stronger link with rural settings rather than towns, but we still want to look at both.” The survey can be completed online.

Is there a link between Parkinson’s disease and blood vessel dysfunction?

Scientists in Slovakia have investigated the link between blood vessel dysfunction and Parkinson’s – and found that dopamine agonists may have an impact. The team studied the function of the endothelium – a membrane which lines the heart and blood vessels and helps control blood fluidity – in 41 people with the condition and 41 people without. Endothelial function was then measured through a parameter that assessed how easily blood could flow through the vessels. The results showed that while more people with Parkinson’s had endothelial dysfunction compared to those without, the difference did not reach statistical significance. However, the researchers noted that the findings suggested “an association between smoking, dopamine agonists, and impaired endothelial function” in those with the condition. Outlining the study’s limitations, the team noted that more research is needed to explore this potential link.

New swab test may help with Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

Researchers at the University of Manchester, UK, have drawn on one woman’s sense of smell to develop a swab test that may be used to detect Parkinson’s. The scientists used the test to analyse sebum (a type of oily substance on the skin) in 79 people with Parkinson’s and a control group of 71 healthy individuals. The team identified more than 4,000 different compounds in the participant samples – including 500 that were unique to those living with the condition. The test was developed with the help of Joy Milne from Perth, Scotland, whose unique sense of smell meant that she noticed a change in her late husband Les’s odour twelve years before he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Speaking to the BBC, Professor Perdita Barran, who led the research, described the test as potentially “transformative” – and said that the team hopes to roll the test out to people in…

All fields required

First name*
Last name*
Email address*
Enter Email Confirm Email
Country of residence*
About me*
- I have Parkinson's disease
- I am a partner / carer / family / friend of someone who has Parkinson's
- I am a healthcare professional with an interest in Parkinson's
- I work for a Parkinson's disease organisation
- Other
CAPTCHA
*
- By proceeding you agree to our
Email
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Can equine-assisted therapy benefit people with Parkinson’s disease?

News

Author: Simge Eva DoganPublished: 31 December 2020

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Interviews

“I’m ready to row, eat, sleep and repeat”

Recipes & Nutrition

Creamy tarragon chicken and quinoa vol-au-vent

In my country

Supporting 100,000 Australians with Parkinson’s

Ireland survey aims to uncover link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease

Is there a link between Parkinson’s disease and blood vessel dysfunction?

New swab test may help with Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

{title}

Subscribe

Can equine-assisted therapy benefit people with Parkinson’s disease?

News

Author: Simge Eva DoganPublished: 31 December 2020

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Interviews

“I’m ready to row, eat, sleep and repeat”

Recipes & Nutrition

Creamy tarragon chicken and quinoa vol-au-vent

In my country

Supporting 100,000 Australians with Parkinson’s

Ireland survey aims to uncover link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease

Is there a link between Parkinson’s disease and blood vessel dysfunction?

New swab test may help with Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

{title}

Subscribe

Sign in