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Loneliness raises a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease within 15 years, a long-term study of nearly half a million U.K. residents found, supporting calls into the therapeutic benefits of personally significant social bonds.

This work adds to evidence “that loneliness is a substantial psychosocial determinant of health,” the researchers wrote in the study “Loneliness and Risk of Parkinson Disease,” published in JAMA Neurology
.

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A new study suggests that loneliness may be associated with a significant increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease, the second most common neurodegenerative condition after Alzheimer's disease.

"The findings add to the evidence that loneliness is a substantial psychosocial determinant of health," the authors noted in the study published in JAMA Neurology.

The study's lead author, Florida State University College of Medicine professor Antonio Terracciano, Ph.D., told UPI via email that "loneliness and other measures of social connectedness have been previously associated with other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Still, to our knowledge, no previous study had tested the association with Parkinson's disease."

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Loneliness is associated with the risk for incident Parkinson disease (PD), independent of other risk factors, according to a study led  by Florida State University College of Medicine researcher Antonio Terracciano, Ph.D., and published online in JAMA Neurology.

 

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The Florida Statue University College of Medicine's Pensacola Regional Campus has been fulfilling its mission by addressing the health-care professional shortage. One of three regional campuses celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2023-2024, Pensacola has produced more than 50 alumni who are currently practicing in the region, according to its regional dean Dr. Paul McLeod.

Among them is Pensacola native Jada Leahy, M.D., who was inducted into the FSU Medical Alumni Hall of Fame on Sept. 23.

 

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The artificial sweetener aspartame is associated with learning and memory deficits that can be passed on to the next generation, scientists in the Bhide Lab at FSU's College of Medicine have discovered.

These effects were seen after consuming as little as 10% of the Food and Drug Administration's daily recommendations.

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A popular sugar-alternative has been linked to cognitive issues in a new study.

Researchers from Florida State University, in Tallahassee, found that mice who consumed a fraction of the recommended amount of aspartame had differences in their cognitive performance when compared to those who just drank water.

More worrying is that the rodents appeared to pass on the cognitive deficits to their pups. 

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A person’s sense of purpose declines leading up to and following a diagnosis of dementia or cognitive decline, according to a new study.

“Purpose in life is the feeling that one’s life is goal-oriented and has direction. It is an important component of well-being,” said Dr. Angelina Sutin, lead author of the
study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Researchers now know a sense of purpose is an important factor of good health across adulthood, added Sutin, professor of behavioral sciences and social medicine at the Florida State University College of Medicine in Tallahassee.

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Updated recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) giving an “A” rating to three available PrEP medications could further reduce the risk of acquiring HIV, providing challenges to access are improved.

“These recommendations are very important, as access to PrEP has been disappointing and uptake overall has been very low, particularly in communities most affected by HIV,” said Jonathan Appelbaum, chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences at Florida State University College of Medicine. 

Appelbaum went on to stress the importance of outreach and education for frontline health-care providers, many of whom “still don’t feel at ease prescribing PrEP.”

Despite the recommendations, access and insurance coverage for PrEP is also threatened by litigation.

“USPSTF’s new recommendation, if it is allowed to prevail in governing insurance coverage, will minimize cost barriers,” said Appelbaum, “but we will still have issues of access and stigma to deal with.”