Jul 31, 2026
Specific ceramide ratio and inflammation combine to signal risk
Written by Michela Luciano, PhD | July 30, 2026
- A specific blood ceramide ratio is linked to worsening cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease.
- Higher levels of this ratio predict poorer cognitive performance, partially mediated by inflammation.
- This blood marker could help identify Parkinson's patients at risk for thinking and memory problems.
Higher blood levels of a specific ratio between two fats, called ceramides, may help identify people with Parkinson’s disease who are more likely to develop thinking and memory problems, according to a new study.
A higher Cer 24:1/Cer 24:0 ratio was closely associated with worsening cognitive impairment and remained a strong independent predictor of poorer cognitive performance after accounting for other factors. Inflammation appeared to partially mediate this association, highlighting ceramide metabolism and inflammatory signaling as complementary biological features of cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease.
“These findings establish a ceramide-centered quantitative framework integrating metabolic and inflammatory dimensions of cognitive impairment in [Parkinson’s], supporting stratified biomarker development,” researchers wrote.
The study, “Plasma ceramide ratios define metabolic–inflammatory associations with cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in npj Parkinson’s Disease.
Cognitive changes often detected after damage has occurred in brain
A progressive neurological disorder, Parkinson’s is most known for causing motor symptoms, but it can also affect thinking and memory. Cognitive impairment can range from mild difficulties with attention, planning, and language to dementia, which develops in up to 80% of people with Parkinson’s over the course of the disease.
These cognitive changes are often detected only after significant damage has already occurred in the brain, limiting opportunities for early intervention. This “diagnostic lag,” together with the wide variation in the progression of cognitive impairment from person to person, highlights the need for accessible biomarkers that reflect the biological processes underlying cognitive decline, according to researchers.
One group of promising candidates is ceramides, a family of fatty molecules that help maintain nerve cell membranes, regulate communication between nerve cells, and modulate inflammation. Previous studies have linked abnormal ceramide metabolism to Parkinson’s and faster cognitive decline.
However, the specific ceramide profiles associated with different stages of cognitive impairment remain unclear, as do their relationships with inflammation and biomarkers of neurodegeneration.
To address this gap, researchers in China analyzed blood samples from 408 people with Parkinson’s, 98 people with multiple system atrophy (MSA), a neurological disorder that shares many symptoms with Parkinson’s, and 220 healthy adults.
Jul 30, 2026
1 therapy, bevemipretide, was shown to ease brain inflammation in mice
Written by Andrea Lobo | July 16, 2026
- Massachusetts-based biotech Mighty Therapeutics has raised $150 million to advance treatments for Parkinson's and other diseases.
- One drug in its pipeline is bevemipretide, which was shown to reduce brain inflammation in mice.
- The company's work targets the dysfunction of mitochondria, which are energy-producing structures in cells.
Mighty Therapeutics, a Massachusetts-based biotech company, announced that it has raised $150 million to support the clinical development of its treatment candidates for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
The new funding is expected to expedite pipeline initiatives in Parkinson’s as well as ongoing late-stage drug development programs in other diseases, according to a company press release detailing the financing.
The biotech’s work focuses on mitochondria, small energy-producing structures inside cells that serve as their powerhouses, whose dysfunction has been linked to a number of conditions marked by nerve cell loss, including Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
In Mighty’s pipeline is bevemipretide (SBT-272), a small molecule designed to improve mitochondrial function. In a mouse model of Parkinson’s, the treatment candidate was found to reduce markers of brain inflammation.
The developer says it will use the new funding to “progress commercial and clinical development of [a] new class of mitochondrial targeted medicines.”
“These financings … [support] our continued leadership of the burgeoning field of mitochondrial medicine across a broad range of therapeutic areas,” said Reenie McCarthy, Mighty’s CEO. “With our strong commercial momentum and promising pipeline, we are poised for long-term growth and continued patient impact.”
Parkinson’s is caused by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons, which are nerve cells that produce dopamine, a signaling molecule that plays a role in voluntary movement. Several mechanisms are thought to contribute to neuronal damage and loss in Parkinson’s, including the accumulation of toxic clumps, or aggregates, of misfolded alpha-synuclein protein and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Misfolded alpha-synuclein can bind to cardiolipin, a fatty molecule found in the inner membrane of mitochondria, reducing their ability to produce energy.
Jul 29, 2026
Study found benefits with tavapadon after 26 weeks of treatment
Written by Margarida Maia, PhD | July 22, 2026
- Tavapadon significantly eased motor symptoms and daily-function problems in people with early Parkinson’s.
- Benefits compared with a placebo were seen by week 5 and continued through the end of treatment.
- Side effects were mostly mild to moderate, and an FDA decision on tavapadon is expected later this year.
Once-daily treatment with tavapadon, an experimental oral small molecule being developed by Abbvie, outperformed a placebo at easing motor symptoms and problems with daily functioning in people with early Parkinson’s disease, while somnolence, or excessive sleepiness, and impulse control disorders occurred infrequently.
These are six-month data from TEMPO-2 (NCT04223193), a Phase 3 clinical trial that tested the safety and efficacy of tavapadon in adults with early Parkinson’s who had received little or no previous treatment for their symptoms.
“The short observation period limits conclusions about long-term tolerability,” researchers wrote. However, data from the long-term open-label extension study TEMPO-4 (NCT04760769) supported tavapadon’s longer-term safety and effectiveness in easing Parkinson’s symptoms. Most participants did not need to begin levodopa or increase their existing levodopa dose during the study.
FDA decision expected later this year
Abbvie has submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval of tavapadon, with a decision expected later this year.
The data, “Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of flexible-dose tavapadon for Parkinson’s disease (TEMPO-2): a phase 3, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial,” were published in The Lancet Neurology. The study was funded by Abbvie.
Parkinson’s symptoms develop when nerve cells that produce dopamine — a brain chemical that helps control movement — gradually die. A standard treatment is oral levodopa, which the body converts into dopamine. However, its effects may become less consistent over time, and it can cause involuntary movements known as dyskinesia.
Tavapadon is a dopamine agonist designed to selectively and partially activate two dopamine receptor proteins, called D1 and D5, to mimic some of dopamine’s effects. This is expected to strengthen dopamine signaling without directly increasing dopamine levels, as levodopa does. Tavapadon may therefore ease motor symptoms with a lower risk of certain side effects associated with other dopamine agonists. As a once-daily medication, it also may make treatment schedules easier to manage.
The TEMPO-2 clinical trial involved 304 adults who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease within the previous three years. About two-thirds (66%) had been diagnosed less than a year earlier. They were randomly assigned to receive tavapadon or a placebo once daily for 27 weeks, or just over six months. Tavapadon was gradually increased to a dose of 5 mg and could then be adjusted up to 15 mg daily, based on tolerability. More than half of the participants (56%) were men.
The trial’s main goal was to compare changes in the combined Movement Disorder Society–Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Parts II and III score after six months of treatment with tavapadon or a placebo. Part II measures how Parkinson’s affects daily activities, while Part III assesses motor symptoms during a clinical examination. Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe problems.
Jul 28, 2026
Specialists weigh MoCA results alongside patients’ health information
Written by Michela Luciano, PhD | July 21, 2026
- Specialists assess cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s using MoCA performance patterns and patient health information
- Test results are interpreted alongside factors such as education, medications, hearing, vision and medical history.
- Researchers say this pattern-based approach could support earlier detection and more timely interventions.
Specialists evaluating cognitive impairment in people with Parkinson’s disease rely on much more than the score from a commonly used cognitive screening test. They also look for patterns in how patients performed on the test alongside their medical history and other health-related information, according to a new U.S. study.
“Extracting these patterns clinicians recognized provides deeper insights into how they interpret cognitive health creating a blueprint for future efforts to tailor the exam for detecting cognitive impairment in people with [Parkinson’s disease],” the researchers wrote.
The study, “A qualitative approach to extract diagnostic patterns of cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Scientific Reports.
Cognitive changes can be difficult to detect in Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s disease is best known for its motor symptoms, but many people also develop cognitive problems ranging from mild difficulties with thinking, language, and memory to dementia. Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate stage between normal cognition and dementia, but it does not progress the same way in everyone. Some people remain stable for years, some return temporarily to normal cognition, and others eventually develop dementia.
Because cognitive impairment can be subtle and vary considerably from person to person, detecting it early remains challenging. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is one of the most widely recommended screening tests for cognitive impairment in people with Parkinson’s. The 30-point test measures skills such as memory, attention, language, and visuospatial abilities. A person’s total score is traditionally evaluated against a standard cutoff.
However, the specialists interviewed in this study described looking at patterns in a patient’s test performance alongside other health information rather than relying only on the total score to assess cognitive function.
“These health-related contextual dependencies are of particular interest, as understanding the patterns that clinicians identify as representative of [mild cognitive impairment] could lay the groundwork for developing a new method of interpreting the MoCA that improves the sensitivity and specificity for people with [Parkinson’s],” the researchers wrote.
To better understand how clinicians interpret the MoCA in real-world clinical settings, researchers reviewed medical records from nine people with Parkinson’s, including six with mild cognitive impairment and three with dementia.
For each person, the researchers compiled a patient profile containing one completed MoCA exam and one detailed neuropsychological report. The report included information about the person’s medical history, ability to perform daily activities, psychiatric symptoms, cognitive test results, and diagnosis.
Six clinicians who specialized in movement disorders each reviewed three patient profiles during individual interviews. As they assessed each person’s cognitive health, the clinicians explained how they reached their conclusions.
During one interview, findings from one patient profile were identified as more consistent with delirium than with Parkinson’s-related cognitive impairment. The researchers therefore excluded that profile from the analysis.
Jul 27, 2026
Study highlights practical challenges, ways patients protect independence
Written by Andrea Lobo | July 21, 2026
- Parkinson’s symptoms, fatigue and balance problems can make daily mouth care difficult.
- Some patients are reluctant to accept help because they view mouth care as private and closely tied to independence.
- Adaptive tools and individualized support from a multidisciplinary care team may help patients maintain their oral health.
People with Parkinson’s disease who participated in a U.K. study said maintaining their oral health helped preserve their independence and well-being, although they faced challenges performing mouth care at home.
Interviews with patients and care partners showed that Parkinson’s symptoms, including impaired hand control, fatigue, and balance issues, often made toothbrushing difficult. Despite these challenges, many patients were reluctant to accept assistance because they viewed toothbrushing as a private task, while care partners were uncertain about how and when to help.
“The findings suggest that oral health is not well integrated into the broader management of Parkinson’s” and highlight that a “proactive, multidisciplinary approach providing earlier information and tailored practical support will be beneficial in supporting [people with Parkinson’s] to maintain their oral health at home,” the researchers wrote.
Study explores mouth care at home
The study, “If you don’t sort out these problems, you end up building problems”: a qualitative study exploring mouthcare at home with people with Parkinson’s and their partners in care,” was published in Disability and Rehabilitation.
Parkinson’s disease is marked by the progressive death of nerve cells that produce dopamine, a signaling molecule involved in motor control. The resulting loss of dopamine causes many of the disease’s hallmark motor symptoms. Both motor and nonmotor symptoms may impair patients’ ability to perform mouth care. Previous studies have found that 29% to 47% of people with Parkinson’s report difficulty brushing their teeth.
To learn more about people’s experiences with mouth care at home, two researchers in the U.K. conducted a qualitative study based on interviews with 13 people with Parkinson’s, 61.5% of whom were men, and seven care partners.
Overall, researchers identified three themes: maintaining normality, familiar and unexpected problems, and negotiating help.
Participants viewed maintaining good oral health as an important part of preserving their identity, confidence, and social connections, as well as a sense of normality. Some saw healthy teeth as a visible sign of overall well-being and a way to influence how others perceived them.
“Trying to look healthy even if you’re not feeling healthy gives an impression to the outside world that you’re coping. If people see that your teeth are declining because you got Parkinson’s, that’s yet another thing that is a minus on your CV,” one participant said.
Many participants worried that the appearance of their teeth or bad breath could affect social interactions, and they saw maintaining a healthy mouth as one way to support positive connections with others. Another participant said that “smiling’s hard enough, so … on the occasions that you actually manage it, you want to flash a nice pair of gnashers, don’t you?”
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