Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

Grant Will Fund Study to Evaluate Focused Ultrasound for Treatment of Dyskinesia in Parkinsons Disease Newswise CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (June 18, 2013) The Focused Ultrasound Foundation (FUSF) has been awarded a $600,000 grant by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research (MJFF) to help fund a pilot study to determine the feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound for the treatment of dyskinesia in Parkinsons disease (PD). This study will open up a new frontier for focused ultrasound therapy, said Dr. Neal Kassell, chairman and founder, The Focused Ultrasound Foundation. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is strategic with how they allocate their donor dollars, and we are pleased they are helping assess focused ultrasound as a potential treatment of dyskinesia in patients with Parkinsons. Surgical options, such as DBS and radiofrequency-pallidotomy, have shown sustained effects on improving PD motor symptoms and reducing levodopa-induced motor fluctuations such as dyskinesia, said Maurizio Facheris, MD, MSc, associate director of research programs, MJFF. The combination of a high-resolution MRI with non-invasive techniques could translate into a successful alternate therapy for addressing levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinsons. The dyskinesia study is designed to treat 15 patients. The study will build on the experience … Continue reading →

June 17, 2013 Mannitol, a sugar alcohol produced by fungi, bacteria, and algae, is a common component of sugar-free gum and candy. The sweetener is also used in the medical field -- it's approved by the FDA as a diuretic to flush out excess fluids and used during surgery as a substance that opens the blood/brain barrier to ease the passage of other drugs. Now Profs. Ehud Gazit and Daniel Segal of Tel Aviv University's Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, along with their colleague Dr. Ronit Shaltiel-Karyo and PhD candidate Moran Frenkel-Pinter, have found that mannitol also prevents clumps of the protein -synuclein from forming in the brain -- a process that is characteristic of Parkinson's disease. These results, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and presented at the Drosophila Conference in Washington, DC in April, suggest that this artificial sweetener could be a novel therapy for the treatment of Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases. The research was funded by a grant from the Parkinson's Disease Foundation and supported in part by the Lord Alliance Family Trust. Seeing a significant difference After identifying the structural characteristics that facilitate the development of clumps … Continue reading →

June 17, 2013 Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online Researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) say an artificial sweetener could be a potential treatment for Parkinsons disease. According to findings reported in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, mannitol, a common component of sugar-free gum and candy, helps prevent clumps of the protein a-synuclein from forming in the brain, which is a process that is characteristic of Parkinsons disease. The artificial sweetener has been approved by the FDA as a diuretic to flush out excess fluids and is used during surgery as a substance that opens the blood/brain barrier to ease the passage of other drugs. TAU researchers said mannitol could be a novel therapy for the treatment of Parkinsons and other neurodegenerative diseases. After the team identified the structural characteristics that facilitate the development of clumps of a-synuclein, they began searching for a compound that could inhibit the proteins ability to bind together. They found mannitol was among the most effective agents in preventing aggregation of the protein in test tubes. In order to test the capabilities of mannitol in the living brain, the team turned to transgenic fruit flies engineered to carry the human gene for a-synuclein. They … Continue reading →

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 14, 2013 A new study gives hope that a brain-imaging technique will improve diagnoses for the millions of people with movement disorders such as Parkinsons disease. Researchers from the University of Florida believe a diffusion tensor imaging technique could allow clinicians to assess people earlier than is possible today, leading to improved treatment interventions and therapies for patients. The three-year study looked at 72 patients, each with a clinically defined movement disorder diagnosis. The new technique allowed researchers to successfully separate the patients into disorder groups with a high degree of accuracy. The research will be published in the journal Movement Disorders. The purpose of this study is to identify markers in the brain that differentiate movement disorders which have clinical symptoms that overlap, making [the disorders] difficult to distinguish, said David Vaillancourt, associate professor and the studys principal investigator. No other imaging, cerebrospinal fluid or blood marker has been this successful at differentiating these disorders, he said. The results are very promising. Movement disorders such as Parkinsons disease, essential tremor, multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy exhibit similar symptoms in the early stages, … Continue reading →

JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA) announced today that a number of abstracts will be presented during the 17th Annual International Congress of Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorders in Sydney, Australia, June 16-20, 2013, also known as the Movement Disorders Society (MDS). These presentations affirm Tevas ongoing commitment to Parkinsons disease (PD) research and underscore the potential of AZILECT as a treatment modality for PD. The AZILECT abstract topics presented at MDS demonstrate our efforts to further clarify the clinical utility of rasagilineto prescribers and PD patients across various stages of the disease, said Michael Hayden, MD, President of Global R&D and Chief Scientific Officer at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. We are committed to driving advances in research to help address the treatment needs of those impacted by neurological conditions. Some of the presentations include: ABOUT AZILECT (UNITED STATES) AZILECT (rasagiline tablets) is indicated for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) both as initial therapy alone and to be added to levodopa later in the disease. Patients should not take AZILECT if they are taking meperidine, tramadol, methadone, propoxyphene, dextromethorphan, St. Johns Wort, cyclobenzaprine, or other monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), as it could result … Continue reading →

Dear Dr. Roach: A friend of mine has Parkinsons disease. She is 90 years old and has been very active for her age, but recently she has not enjoyed life as much as she had. What do you know about Parkinsons? Are there any cures or relief? W.W. Answer: Parkinsons disease is caused by loss of dopamine in cells in a deep area of the brain. The cells are responsible for smooth, coordinated movement. As a consequence, people with Parkinsons usually have a tremor, a rhythmic shaking of the hands while at rest, often worse on one side. Pillrolling is a characteristic movement of the forefinger and thumb. Muscles become rigid, and as the disease progresses, the muscle rigidity causes people with Parkinsons to get frozen, unable to move at all for a few seconds or longer. Slow movement is common. The gait can become shuffling, which can predispose the patient to falls. Parkinsons disease affects more than a million North Americans and usually is diagnosed in people over 60. Those diagnosed younger than age 60 frequently have a more rapidly progressive form, but the disease is variable. Often, the face shows less emotion than before the diagnosis, but its … Continue reading →

Dear Dr. Roach: A friend of mine has Parkinsons disease. She is 90 years old and has been very active for her age, but recently she has not enjoyed life as much as she had. What do you know about Parkinsons? Are there any cures or relief? W.W. A: Parkinsons disease is caused by loss of dopamine in cells in a deep area of the brain. The cells are responsible for smooth, coordinated movement. As a consequence, people with Parkinsons usually have a tremor, a rhythmic shaking of the hands while at rest, often worse on one side. Pillrolling is a characteristic movement of the forefinger and thumb. Muscles become rigid, and as the disease progresses, the muscle rigidity causes people with Parkinsons to get frozen, unable to move at all for a few seconds or longer. Slow movement is common. The gait can become shuffling, which can predispose the patient to falls. Parkinsons disease affects more than a million North Americans and usually is diagnosed in people over 60. Those diagnosed younger than age 60 frequently have a more rapidly progressive form, but the disease is variable. Often, the face shows less emotion than before the diagnosis, but its … Continue reading →

NESS ZIONA, Israel, June 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NeuroDerm, Ltd. today announced that abstracts reporting results from a phase I study in healthy volunteers, and preliminary results from a phase IIA study inadvanced Parkinson's patients, of ND0612, have been selected for presentation at the 17th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, June 16th-20th in Sydney, Australia. ND0612 is a proprietary levodopa/carbidopa liquid drug formula under development for continuous administration through a sub-cutaneous (SC) delivery patch that would maintain constant levodopa plasma concentrations. Details on the Presentations are as follows: Title: Constant Therapeutic Levodopa Plasma Concentrations Maintained by Continuous Subcutaneous Administration of ND0612, a Novel Formulation of Levodopa/Carbidopa Abstract #: 452 Presenter: Peter LeWitt Poster session: Parkinson's Disease: Clinical Trials Date and time: Tuesday, June 18th, 12:30pm Location: Bayside, level, 1 gallery B Title: ND0612, A Novel Formulation of Levodopa/Carbidopa for Continuous, Subcutaneous Administration, Achieves Steady-State Levodopa Plasma Concentrations in Parkinson's Disease Patients Abstract #: LBA26 Presenter: Nir Giladi Poster session: Late Breaking Abstracts Date and time: Wednesday, June 19th, 12:00pm Location: Exhibit hall #5 About NeuroDerm NeuroDerm is an emerging pharmaceutical company that develops therapies for the treatment of CNS diseases. NeuroDerm's technology is based on proprietary reformulations … Continue reading →

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's & Mental Health Faster Method to Detect Parkinsons May Lead to Better Control of Symptoms This disorder of the nervous system affects movement and usually strikes seniors over 60; see video MSUs Rahul Shrivastav chats with Parkinsons patient Peter Hasbrook. June 13, 2013 - Parkinsons disease is a neurological disorder that affects a half million people in the United States, with about 50,000 newly diagnosed cases each year. And, it normally strikes older people as the pass age 60. There is no cure and, until now, no reliable method for detecting the disease. But a research team from Michigan State has developed an innovative detection method they say is a major breakthrough in diagnosing Parkinsons in early stages - the point at which treatment to control symptoms is most effective. Parkinson's, a disorder of the nervous system that affects movement, occurs when nerve cells in the brain stop producing the chemical dopamine, which helps control muscle movement. Without dopamine, nerve cells cant properly send messages, causing the loss of muscle function. (See more in box below from MedlinePlus.) The method of detection, developed in part by Rahul Shrivastav, professor and chair of MSUs Department of Communicative Sciences and … Continue reading →

June 10, 2013 Archbold Hosts Health Talk on Parkinsons Disease Anonymous CNHI News Service The Times Enterprise Mon Jun 10, 2013, 05:43 PM EDT THOMASVILLE Have you noticed a slight shaking ortremorin your finger, thumb, hand, chin or lip? Does your leg shake when you sit down or relax? Twitching or shaking of limbs is a common early sign of Parkinsons disease, a progressive, chronic disorder of the nervous system. Other symptoms include loss of smell, sudden movements while sleeping and persistent stiffness or pain in shoulders, hips, arms and legs. Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease each year, and men are one and a half times more likely to develop the disease than women. While incidence of Parkinsons increases with age, its estimated four percent of people are diagnosed before the age of 50. As part of Archbold Memorial Hospitals continuing Health Talk free community lecture series, neurologist Michael Price, MD, will present, Parkinsons Disease: Signs, Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment, on Tuesday, June 18, 2013. The talk is offered free as a clinical outreach effort to uphold Archbolds core value of Community Benefit. Dr. Price will discuss causes and early symptoms associated with the disease, as well … Continue reading →