PARKINSON'S DISEASE NEWS

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.

Symptoms : A Parkinsonian state with behavioural and cognitive impairment but could walk, or progressed further to an akinetic-mute state, and were bed-bound [1]. Parkinson's Disease symptoms such as tremor and rigidity were experienced in only a small number of people [2]. Delayed onset of Parkinsonsim in some people from which they recovered [3]. In a small proportion of people, Parkinsonian symptoms occurred, such as gait disturbance, impaired mentality, urinary incontinence, and mutism. The most frequent signs were short-step gait, hypokinesia, masked face, increased muscle tone (rigidity), glabella sign, grasp reflex, and retropulsion. Intentional tremor was occasionally found, but resting tremor could not be seen [4].

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Parkinson's Disease details all significant new research, news reports, new books, and new resources concerning Parkinson's Disease and those medical disorders that often coincide with Parkinson's Disease : Parkinsonism, Essential Tremor, Dystonia, Restless Legs Syndrome, and Dementia. It is compiled from an analysis of  all newly published research, news reports, new clinical trials, all newly published books, and new web sites. A summary and analysis of the new research are provided,  as well as links to the complete abstracts and news reports.