Aug 17, 2026
27 Jul 2026 American Medical Journal - Neurology - Author: Katrina Thornber
Key Summary:
- A Danish cohort study of 3,103,577 people examined road traffic noise and Parkinson disease risk.
- Higher noise exposure was linked to increased PD risk (HR 1.03–1.06 across models).
- A quiet facade was linked to lower risk, supporting noise mitigation strategies.
A LARGE Danish cohort study has revealed that long-term exposure to road traffic noise is associated with a higher risk of Parkinson disease, though having a quiet facade at home appeared to reduce this added risk.
Road Traffic Noise as a Potential Risk Factor for Parkinson Disease
Transportation noise has been proposed as a potential risk factor for Parkinson disease, but epidemiological evidence remained limited and inconsistent. Long-term road traffic noise exposure has increasingly drawn interest as a modifiable environmental factor, yet its link to Parkinson disease risk had not been comprehensively established.
Danish Nationwide Cohort Study Design
Researchers conducted a Danish nationwide prospective cohort study with follow-up from 2000 to 2017, including residents aged 40 years and older. Using complete residential address histories from 1990 onward, the study assessed 10-year time-weighted exposure to road traffic noise at the most and least exposed facades of each home. Of 3,542,488 eligible individuals, 438,911 were excluded due to prevalent Parkinson disease, incomplete address history, or missing covariates, leaving 3,103,577 participants (mean baseline age 50.9 years; 51.2% female). Cases were identified via the National Patient Register and analysed using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for sociodemographic, air pollution, and green space covariates.
Aug 14, 2026
Alpha-synuclein, inflammation, nerve health markers lowered with risvodetinib
Written by Patricia Inácio, PhD | Aug. 7, 2026
- Risvodetinib is an oral experimental therapy being developed to treat Parkinson’s disease and address underlying cellular damage.
- A 12-week Phase 2 trial showed the oral therapy significantly reduced multiple disease-related biomarkers in patients.
- The markers reflected processes associated with nerve cell degeneration, mitochondrial health, and neuroinflammation.
Risvodetinib, an oral therapy Abli Therapeutics is developing for people with Parkinson’s disease, reduced multiple disease-related biomarkers, the company announced.
The findings come from an expanded analysis of the 201 Phase 2 study (NCT05424276), which enrolled patients with bradykinesia (slowed movement), a hallmark symptom of Parkinson’s.
The trial tested once-daily risvodetinib against a placebo for three months in people with early, untreated Parkinson’s. Earlier results suggested that risvodetinib stabilized disease status and severity, and improved patient quality of life.
The new biomarker analysis involved 7,300 individual measures from as many as 80 participants in the 201 study. It expanded on earlier skin-biopsy findings by adding longitudinal blood measures from 80 participants and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord) measures from six participants, with samples collected at the start and end of the trial.
Eleven disease-related biomarkers measured in tissue, blood, and CSF responded to risvodetinib, according to a company press release, The analysis “has revealed surprising information, both about the underlying processes of disease and how patients respond to risvodetinib treatment,” said Milton Werner, Abli’s chairman and CEO.
Aug 13, 2026
Finnish health register data tracks air quality across decades
Written by Marisa Horak, MS | Aug. 6, 2026
- Long-term exposure to ozone air pollution may increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
- Animal studies suggest ozone exposure can trigger brain damage similar to Parkinson's pathology.
- Further research using reliable methodologies is needed to confirm the association.
Long-term exposure to ozone, a form of air pollution, may increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study from Finland.
“In this nationwide register study of long-term exposure to gaseous air pollutants and [Parkinson’s] risk, we observed a borderline statistically significant increased risk for [Parkinson’s] after long-term exposure to [ozone],” researchers wrote.
The study, “Long-term exposure to six gaseous air pollutants and risk of Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in npj Parkinson’s Disease.
Parkinson’s risk elevated among those with higher ozone exposure
The causes of Parkinson’s are not fully understood. the disease’s development may be influenced by many different risk factors. An emerging body of evidence suggests that some types of air pollution may increase Parkinson’s risk, but these associations have not been proven definitively.
Ozone is a type of air pollution that forms as a result of reactions between chemicals made from industry and fossil fuel combustion. In previous studies, ozone has been identified as one of the main air pollutants that may influence the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Aug 12, 2026
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Doing your best to remain healthy and strong is key for everyone with Parkinson’s disease. Research has shown that following certain lifestyle modifications can help you accomplish two important goals:
- Better control symptoms.
- Slow progression of the condition.
Diet modifications and a focus on exercise can:
- Keep you healthier longer.
- Help you avoid secondary symptoms of Parkinson’s, like constipation.
- Improve mobility and balance.
- Enhance your overall quality of life.
The Role of Diet
Following a balanced diet improves general well-being and boosts your ability to deal with symptoms of the disease. Eating plenty of whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, lean protein, beans and legumes, and whole grains, and staying hydrated are key ways to stay energized and healthy overall. That said, you should be aware of some special considerations.
- Constipation: Many patients with Parkinson’s disease experience constipation due to a slowdown of the digestive system. At best, constipation is an annoyance, but at worst, your large intestine can become impacted. Combat constipation with a diet rich in fiber from sources such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and whole-grain breads and cereals. Drinking plenty of fluids and exercising can also help you avoid constipation.
- Dehydration: Medications that treat Parkinson’s disease can dry you out. Not only can dehydration leave you more tired, over time, it can also lead to confusion, balance issues, weakness and kidney problems. Be sure to drink plenty of water and other fluids throughout the day.
- Medication interaction: The drug most commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease, carbidopa-levodopa, is absorbed in your small intestine. That absorption can be disrupted if you take your medication shortly after eating a high-protein meal, since it involves the same process. To help maximize the medication’s effects, eat high-protein foods at other times of the day. If you take your medicine in the morning, have oatmeal rather than high-protein eggs for breakfast, and save your protein intake for later in the day.
Aug 11, 2026
Low dopamine levels can produce opposite changes
Written by Marisa Horak, MS | July 31, 2026
- Parkinson's disease causes varied, even opposite, changes in brain circuits due to low dopamine levels.
- Low dopamine levels correlate with motor symptoms; cognitive issues are linked to abnormalities in brain circuits.
- Monitoring brain circuit activity may help track cognitive problems and treatment response.
Low dopamine levels disrupt nerve circuits in the brain in Parkinson’s disease — but a new study indicates that different brain circuits show different, even opposite, types of changes.
The study’s findings shed new light on how brain circuits are affected by Parkinson’s. The researchers said their data also suggest that looking at brain circuits may be a useful way to monitor certain Parkinson’s symptoms, particularly problems with cognition.
The study, “Dopamine-related alterations in functional brain network dynamic reconfiguration in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in npj Parkinson’s Disease.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a signaling molecule that nerve cells in the brain use to communicate with each other. In Parkinson’s, the brain cells that are normally responsible for producing dopamine sicken and die, resulting in abnormally low dopamine levels.
Low dopamine levels in the brain disrupt neurological signaling, which ultimately gives rise to Parkinson’s symptoms. While this paradigm is well established, scientists don’t fully understand how low dopamine affects all the various neurological circuits throughout the brain.
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