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PARKINSON'S DISEASE |
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PARKINSON'S DISEASE NEWS
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JUNE 2008
28th June 2008 - New research ONE OF THE WORLD'S LOWEST PREVALENCES OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE Movement Disorders [2008] Jun 25; [Epub ahead of print] (Dotchin C, Msuya O, Kissima J, Massawe J, Mhina A, Moshy A, Aris E, Jusabani A, Whiting D, Masuki G, Walker R.) Complete abstract The prevalence of Parkinson's Disease varies worldwide from 7 to 407 people per 100,000. For more information go to Prevalence of Parkinson's Disease. The prevalence of Parkinson's Disease appears to be low in sub-Saharan Africa, but little data exists. So the authors conducted a study of the prevalence of Parkinson's Disease in rural Tanzania.
26th June 2008 - New research THE PREVALENCE OF PATHOLOGICAL GAMBLING IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE Journal of Gambling Studies 2008 Jun 17; [Epub ahead of print] (Crockford D, Quickfall J, Currie S, Furtado S, Suchowersky O, El-Guebaly N.) Complete abstract Pathological gambling has often been identified in people with Parkinson's Disease treated with dopamine agonists. When somebody takes dopamine agonists such as Ropinirole (Requip) and Pramipexole (Mirapex), they disproportionately stimulate the D3 dopamine receptor, far more than L-dopa does. This causes arousal in the limbic system, which is where the D3 dopamine receptor is primarily located. Given that the limbic system is connected with the pleasure centre, the use of certain dopamine agonists can especially lead to compulsions such as gambling.
25th June 2008 - New research DYSKINESIA IS RELATED TO WEIGHT European Journal of Neurology [2008] 15 (5) : 493-496 (Sharma JC, Ross IN, Rascol O, Brooks D.) Complete abstract L-dopa dose per kilogram body weight is reported to be a significant factor for dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease. This study investigated this hypothesis. Analysis of L-dopa therapy patients revealed that people with dyskinesia had received significantly higher L-dopa dose, and also had a higher L-dopa dose per kilogram body weight.
24th June 2008 - New research CHRONIC PAIN IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE Mvement Disorders [2008] Jun 10; [Epub ahead of print] (Negre-Pages L, Regragui W, Bouhassira D, Grandjean H, Rascol O) Complete abstract Pain is a frequent, but poorly studied symptom of Parkinson's Disease. This survey aimed to assess the prevalence of chronic pain in Parkinson's Disease, to describe Parkinson's Disease patients with chronic pain, and to record analgesic consumption. 62% of people with Parkinson's Disease were found to suffer from chronic pain. 26% of people with Parkinson's Disease had pain unrelated to Parkinson's Disease ("non-PD-pain", caused mainly by osteoarthritis), while 39% had chronic pain related to Parkinson's Disease ("PD-pain").
15th June 2008 - New book PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND MOVEMENT DISORDERS TN Mehrotra
13th June 2008 - History AN ESSAY ON THE SHAKING PALSY James Parkinson Although Parkinson's Disease has been known of for thousands of years, the first formal description of Parkinson's Disease was in "An essay of the Shaking Palsy", which was written in 1817 by James Parkinson. Parkinson's Disease was eventually named after James Parkinson.
11th June 2008 - New review PARKINSON'S DISEASE ORGANISATIONS
Most countries have one or more organisations specifically
for assisting people with Parkinson's Disease in those countries. The web sites or
the contact
details of most of the national Parkinson's Disease organisations are
on the World Parkinson Disease Association
web site, or on the web site of the European Parkinson's Disease
Association.
9th June 2008 - New review CARBON MONOXIDE AS A CAUSE OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE Carbon monoxide toxicity is frequent due to the formation of carbon monoxide by very common means such as gas cookers and exhaust fumes. However, despite carbon monoxide toxicity often being cited as a cause of Parkinson's Disease, it rarely actually results in Parkinson's Disease. It normally requires the person having gone in to a coma as a result of the carbon monoxide poisoning before symptoms of Parkinson's Disease develop. Common means : Motor vehicle exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke. It also forms when fuels like coal, paraffin, natural gas, oil or wood, and especially natural gas, do not burn completely in appliances such as heaters, furnaces, stoves, water heaters, and ovens. Means of toxicity : Carbon monoxide causes hemoglobin, which transports oxygen, to turn in to carboxy-hemoglobin, which does not transport oxygen. Oxygen is required for the formation of L-dopa. So carbon monoxide may cause Parkinson's Disease symptoms by interfering with the availability of oxygen to the brain. However, the precise means by which it causes Parkinson's Disease has still not been proven.
8th June 2008 - New research OLFACTORY MUCOSA IS A SOURCE OF STEM CELLS Stem Cells [2008] Jun 5; [Epub
ahead of print] (Murrell W, Wetzig A, Donnellan M, Feron F, Burne T, Meedeniya
A, Kesby J, Bianco J, Perry C, Silburn P, Mackay-Sim A.)
Complete abstract
However, no published research has ever shown that there is massive cell loss in Parkinson's Disease. Studies that claim this have instead shown that there is a reduced ability to produce dopamine in the existing cells. So the scientific theory behind the use of stem cells, of any kind, in Parkinson's Disease has always been fundamentally flawed. This is why despite stem cell operations now taking place around the world, never have they resulted in the ridding of Parkinson's Disease.
5th June 2008 - News release NEUPRO HAS TO BE REFRIGERATED Neupro (rotigotine), is a dopamine agonist formulated in a transdermal delivery system. For more information go to Neupro. A lot of Neupro recently had to be withdrawn from use in the U.S.A.. The manufacturers have now announced that they will submit a variation to the EMEA (European Medicines Evaluation Agency) to implement a full cold-chain storage and distribution system for Neupro in Europe. UCB will also be replacing current Neupro supply in Europe with product that has been refrigerated since manufacture. Refrigerated storage of Neupro substantially reduces the development of crystals, which can result from the manufacturing process.
4th June 2008 - New book Monkeys in the Middle Nick Nelson
3rd June 2008 - New research functional electrical stimulation (FES) Neuromodulation [2008] 11 (2) : 143-149 (G.E.Mann, S.M.Finn, P.N.Taylor) Complete abstract The use of electrical impulses to stimulate weak or paralyzed muscles, called Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), is often used to help stroke or multiple sclerosis patients to walk. For more information go to Functional electrical stimulation. Many people with Parkinson’s are prone to tripping and falling because they have difficulty picking up their feet consistently. They also can have difficulty with starting and maintaining walking. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) on walking ability in people with Parkinson's disease.
2nd June 2008 - News release NTF (Neurotrophic Factor Cells) Trophic factors are proteins that support and protect cells. A number of them have been reported to act on dopaminergic neurons, the cells whose reduced activity causes Parkinson's Disease. Consequently, it has been claimed that they are potential therapeutic candidates for Parkinson's Disease. BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics is a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics. BrainStorm's NTF cells are generated from adult human bone marrow derived stem cells. Brainstorm announced that, in a pre-clinical study, Parkinson's Disease symptoms in rats improved following transplantation of Neurotrophic Factor Cells (NTF). The levels of dopamine were also increased. This is the second study completed using BrainStorm's cells that has produced similar results.
1st June 2008 - New research DOING WITHOUT PARKINSON'S DISEASE DRUGS Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry [2008] 79 (6) : 716-718 (Asimakopoulos P, Caslake R, Harris CE, Gordon JC, Taylor KS, Counsell C.) Complete abstract Although L-dopa is the most widely used form of treating Parkinson's Disease, no substance interferes with a person's capacity to produce their own dopamine than L-dopa. Although dopamine agonists are commonly used to treat Parkinson's Disease by stimulating dopamine receptors, they eventually become counterproductive by making the dopamine receptors progressively less sensitive. Due to the counterproductive after effect of common Parkinson's Disease drugs, the issue of whether to adopt a "wait and watch" strategy or to initiate drug therapy soon after diagnosis in Parkinson's disease has been the subject of debate.
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Crude prevalence rates were
found to be very low : 30/100,000 (for men), 11/100,000 (for women) and 20/100,000 (overall). This
makes Tanzanian women the second least likely group of people in the world to develop
Parkinson's Disease.
This is despite rural Tanzania having very low levels of healthcare. It is in
stark contrast to the U.S.A., where, despite extensive healthcare, people are 30
times more likely to develop Parkinson's Disease. Tanzanian women also have the
world's lowest ratio of women to men having Parkinson's Disease, with the women
being nearly a third less likely to develop Parkinson's Disease than men. No explanation
is given for such low prevalence rates of Parkinson's Disease amongst Tanzanian
women. 
This study was undertaken to establish the
prevalence of pathological gambling in Parkinson's Disease. The prevalence was
found to be nearly 10% of people with Parkinson's Disease. This meant that
pathological gambling was more than 5 times more likely than in people that
didn't have Parkinson's Disease. The increased prevalence of pathological
gambling in the Parkinson's Disease group was related to dopamine agonist use
and also younger age. Most people suffering from pathological gambling reported that
their gambling increased after diagnosis and starting treatment. 
The most
significant factor was the higher L-dopa
dose per kilogram body weight. Younger age was the factor that was the second
most related to dyskinesia. Gender, absolute L-dopa dose, weight on its own,
disease duration, and initial motor Unified Parkinson's disease rating score
were not significant. Higher L-dopa dose per kilogram body weight is an
independently significant factor for developing dyskinesia. This relationship
should be considered as an important factor when aiming to prevent and manage dyskinesia, because those of a lower
weight will be far more prone to dyskinesia. 
In this last group,
Parkinson's
Disease was the sole cause of pain in the majority, whilst the others suffered
from indirectly aggravated pain of another
origin, which was mainly osteoarthritis. Parkinsonian patients with "PD-pain"
were younger at Parkinson's Disease onset, had more motor complications, more
severe depressive symptoms than those without pain or with "non-PD pain."
"PD-pain" was more intense, but was less frequently reported to doctors, and was
associated with less frequent analgesic consumption than "non-PD-pain." Pain was
twice more frequent in Parkinson's Disease patients than in patients without
Parkinson's Disease. Chronic pain is frequent but underreported in Parkinson's
Disease. 
A
concise, practical overview of Parkinson's Disease and other movement
disorders and their management. It lays out disease epidemiology and
pathology, symptoms and signs, features, approaches, fluctation function,
pharmacokinetic strategies, and a detailed description of the disease
through subjective treatment at various levels. Includes the latest
information on the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's Disease. Focuses
on the long-term care of patients suffering from movement disorders.
Begins with a historical perspective on the evolution of treatment for
movement disorders. Discusses special issues of the disease such as sleep,
depression and dementia, and young onset.
James Parkinson
systematically described the medical
history of six
individuals who had symptoms of the disease.
Unusually for such a description, he did not actually examine all these patients
himself but observed them on daily walks.
The purpose of his essay was to
document the symptoms of the disorder, which he described as
"Involuntary tremulous motion, with lessened muscular power, in parts not in
action and even when supported; with a propensity to bend the trunk
forwards, and to pass from a walking to a running pace : the senses and
intellect being uninjured." For the full text go to
The
U.S.A. has four major organisations : the American Parkinson Disease
Foundation, the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, the National Parkinson Foundation, and
The Michael J.Fox Foundation.
For links to all the national and international Parkinson's Disease
organisations around the world, go to
Symptoms : A Parkinsonian state with
behavioural and cognitive impairment but could walk, or progressed further
to an akinetic-mute state, and were bed-bound
This research showed that stem cells can be grown from the olfactory mucosa
instead - even in people with Parkinson's disease. The olfactory mucosa are in
the olfactory organ (inside the nose). For more information go to
Crystallisation in the patch can lead
to a change in its appearance and could reduce its clinical efficacy, but it is
of no clinical relevance in most instances. All Neupro supply should be stored
in a refrigerator. There is no need for patients to transport Neupro patches in
special containers, or to store it in a freezer compartment. In agreement with
the EMEA, and in order to prioritise the supply of Neupro for existing patients,
new patients will not be initiated on Neupro. Therapy must not be discontinued
abruptly, because abrupt withdrawal of dopamine agonists has been associated
with a syndrome resembling neuroleptic malignant syndrome or akinetic crises.
For more information
go to the
"Monkeys
in the Middle : How One Drug Company Kept a Parkinsons Disease Breakthrough Out
of Reach". Some claimed it was a miracle drug. Others called it the cure. A drug
known simply as "GDNF" seemed to be reversing the effects of Parkinson's
disease. The miracle ended in 2004 when Amgen halted clinical trials of GDNF and
denied access to the drug, due to the results of toxicity studies. Nick Nelson
recounts the story of the patients who took on the world's biggest biotechnology
company for the right to continue using GDNF.
People with idiopathic Parkinson's disease received electrical
stimulation for eight weeks to the common peroneal nerve to improve heel strike
and provide sensory stimulus during walking. An immediate improvement was
demonstrated with FES on distance and average stride length during a short walk
during the treatment period, but not on the number of steps and walking speed
during a longer walk. A training effect was observed for all measures of walking
ability. Fewer falls and episodes of freezing occurred during the treatment
period. The number of falls returned to
pre-treatment levels when treatment was stopped.
According
to BrainStorm, "The study indicates that our cells show survival, integration
and clinical efficacy. When considering the advantages of using adult stem
cells, which are easy to harvest, autologous, do not create tumor problem and do
not present the moral / religious issues that are often discussed with embryonic
stem cells, we remain optimistic that we will soon be able to embark on clinical
trials in Parkinson's disease."
For more information
go to the
People
who remained untreated were compared with patients who had been treated for
Parkinson's Disease, by assessing their progress after two years. Two common
symptom questionaires were used - the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS))
and self-reported health status (Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39).
There was no significant deterioration in PDQ-39
score in either group. Given the lack of significant
deterioration in the PDQ-39 in untreated patients, the author's believe that
delaying the start of treatment remains a credible approach.