Specific treatment for Parkinson's symptoms in women has been long overlooked.
A new self-care app for those with the disease aims to understand how their hormonal changes impact their symptoms.
University College Cork researchers are asking women with Parkinson's to track their symptoms using the My Moves Matter app.
Its CEO Richelle Flanagan says they find their symptoms can worsen depending on where they are in their menstrual cycle:
"They tend to get a lot worse. What we've found is that a lot of women find the week before their period and the week of their menstrual period, that their Parkinson's symptoms tend to get a lot worse. There's an indication that perhaps some of their medication is not as effective. We did a study that showed that 80% of women reported a worsening of their symptoms".