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Can Covid-19 increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s?

Parkinson’s could be caused or modulated by infections like Covid-19, a new study suggests – though more evidence is needed to draw a definitive conclusion. As part of the study, researchers from the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil, drew on previous findings to support their hypothesis. For example, studies in mice have found that infection with some strains of influenza could cause neural changes similar to those in Parkinson’s. Furthermore, people born during or around the 1918 influenza pandemic were over twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s than those born in the decades before or after. Patrik Brundin, co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, said that while it’s “too early to know what the long-term consequences of Covid-19 will be on the brain, the clinical psychiatry and neurology research communities definitely need to be vigilant in monitoring how those who recover from moderate and severe Covid-19 fare in…

New Parkinson’s trial platform could “dramatically speed up the search for a cure”

Scientists have proposed the use of a multi-arm, multi-stage trial platform (MAMS) to assess different potential treatments for Parkinson’s and help progress the search for a cure. This would depart from conventional clinical procedures, allowing several potential treatments to be assessed simultaneously. In a continuous process, each treatment ‘arm’ is evaluated and unsuccessful ‘arms’ of the trial are dropped, enabling a far more cost and time efficient system. Currently, MAMS are used to evaluate treatments for certain types of cancer – and work is underway to develop MAMS for other neurodegenerative conditions. Camille Buchholz Carroll, associate professor at the University of Plymouth, UK, and study author, said that MAMS trials could “dramatically speed up the search for a cure”. She said: “We have the opportunity to learn from the experience in these other conditions and design a new trial that will work for people with Parkinson’s.”

Can higher levels of caffeine and uric acid prevent Parkinson’s?

Higher levels of caffeine and uric acid (a natural waste product) may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s, a new study by researchers in the US has found. As part of the study – published in ‘Journal of Parkinson’s Disease’ – researchers investigated the urate levels and caffeine intake of 566 participants in the Harvard Biomarkers Study, 369 of which had Parkinson’s. The results showed that caffeine intake and uric acid levels were lower in people with Parkinson’s compared to the healthy controls. While the study provides evidence of the link between Parkinson’s and higher uric acid and caffeine levels, the researchers caution that attempts to raise these levels cannot be recommended. Dr Rachit Bakshi, lead investigator of the study, said: “Identifying factors that are linked to lower likelihood of PD, such as caffeine consumption, offer a unique opportunity to understand the disease, and if the link were causal, then possibly…

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Can Covid-19 increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s?

New Parkinson’s trial platform could “dramatically speed up the search for a cure”

Can higher levels of caffeine and uric acid prevent Parkinson’s?

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Can Covid-19 increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s?

New Parkinson’s trial platform could “dramatically speed up the search for a cure”

Can higher levels of caffeine and uric acid prevent Parkinson’s?

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