PARKINSON'S DISEASE NEWS

9th March 2009 - New review

DOES PARKINSON'S DISEASE OCCUR IN ANIMALS ?

Studies claiming a "breakthrough" in Parkinson's Disease have described methods as being successful despite only ever having been carried out on rats and mice - a fact that is often barely mentioned in press releases. Some "breakthroughs" in Parkinson's Disease have actually involved fruit flies or worms news report.

Although rats and mice that are studied did not have Parkinson's Disease, they have been claimed by researchers to be cured or largely rid of Parkinson's Disease. Their "Parkinson's Disease" has instead been chemically induced. The weight of a human is about 100 times that of a mouse or rat, so the dosages are not comparable. Side effects that would be apparent in humans are often unnoticeable in mice and rats. Given that most drugs eventually cause an opposite after effect, the results of what are usually short term studies are often meaningless. Consequently, what is described as a "breakthrough" using rats or mice, inevitably turns out to be useless when eventually tested in people that actually do have Parkinson's Disease.

However, animals can still get Parkinson's Disease, because the biochemistry of many animals is little different from that of humans. It could occur in numerous animals such as dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, monkeys. All mammals have to produce dopamine. So they are able to become deficient in dopamine, just as humans are, and thereby develop Parkinson's Disease. Some species don't live long enough for it to commonly occur. In some animals it can appear different from how it does in humans, or is not so apparent, or not so common.

more current PARKINSON'S DISEASE NEWS

E-MAIL NOTIFICATION : If you would like to be notified by e-mail when any new research, news reports, new books, or new resources are added to Parkinson's Disease News,  please double click on  E-MAIL NOTIFICATION, or e-mail [email protected].  No form of identity is required.  E-mail addresses are not used for any other purpose.

LOW RESOLUTION VERSION : There is a low resolution version of this page INTENDED FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT EITHER : use 800x600 resolution on their monitors, or have eyesight difficulties, or have slow Internet speeds. GO TO LOW RESOLUTION VERSION

Parkinson's Disease News 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. 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.