Promising New Test for Parkinson's Disease ?

  According to a preliminary study presented at the 70th American Academy of Neurology annual meeting certain proteins in tears may be useful biomarkers.
  Researchers at USC found the levels of total alpha-synuclein to be decreased in patients with Parkinson's disease compared to healthy controls.
  But levels of oligomeric alpha-synuclein were increased in those with Parkinson's disease compared to controls.
  It has been a longstanding challenge to differentiate patient's with Parkinsonism related to another illness from those with Parkinson's disease early on. This may help neurologist's make a diagnosis sooner as we anxiously await a cure.
AAN Annual Meeting Los Angeles 2018

Worsened Parkinson's Disease with Low B 12

   Folks with early untreated Parkinson's disease with low vitamin B12 (less than 157 pmol/L) were found to have greater worsening of mobility and cognitive decline over time.
  Further, elevated homocysteine predicted greater cognitive decline.
Mov Disord. 2018 Mar 6

Reduce Parkinson's Disease Risk: Truncal Vagotomy ?

  Researchers out of Sweden reviewed patients that underwent truncal vagotomy (a surgical procedure that functionally disconnects multiple abdominal organs by cutting the vagus nerve supply to them) and found a decreased risk of developing Parkinson's disease compared to controls. In fact there was a greater decreased risk in those that underwent selective vagotomy (which disconnects only the stomach).
  These findings offer further support for the Braak hypothesis that Parkinson's disease starts in the gut and spreads to the brain.
Neurology 2017Apr 26

Eat Your Nicotine Containing Veggies and Decrease Parkinson's Risk

  In a population based study of 490 newly diagnosed patients with Parkinson's disease and 644 healthy controls, patients that consumed fruits and vegetables that contain nicotine ie. from the same botanical family as tobacco, Solanaceae, including peppers (especially peppers), tomatoes and potatoes.
Annals of Neurology May 9, 2013