Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

Berne, Feb 18 (IANS) Tiny, ultra-flexible electrodes could be the answer to more successful treatment of Parkinson's, which afflicts an estimated seven to 10 million people worldwide. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), currently the standard practice in treating this condition, can involve long, expensive surgeries with dramatic side-effects. Its most common symptoms are tremors, stiff and aching muscles, slow limited movement, weakness of face and throat muscles and difficulty with walking. Philippe Renaud, professor from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) Switzerland, reports on soft arrays of miniature electrodes developed in his Microsystems Lab that open new possibilities for more accurate and local DBS. "Although Deep Brain Stimulation has been used for the past two decades, we see little progress in its clinical outcomes," Renaud says, according to an EPFL statement. "Microelectrodes have the potential to open new therapeutic routes, with more efficiency and fewer side-effects through a much better and finer control of electrical activation zones," added Renaud. The preliminary clinical trials bearing on this research are being done in conjunction with EPFL spin-off company Aleva Neurotherapeutics, the first in the world to introduce microelectrodes in DBS leading to more precise directional stimulation. These findings were presented at the … Continue reading →

LONDON (Reuters) - Phytopharm said its major drug hope for treating Parkinson's disease had failed in a clinical trial, the latest British biotech company to disappoint after showing early promise. Shares in Phytopharm fell more than 80 percent on Monday after it said its drug, Cogane, showed no benefit over placebo in the treatment of more than 400 patients with early-stage Parkinson's, a neurodegenerative disease. Chief Executive Tim Sharpington said he was disappointed. "Cogane had demonstrated encouraging efficacy in a wide range of industry standard pre-clinical models but this promise has not translated into clinically meaningful efficacy," he said. Phytopharm hoped its compounds had the potential to be a new class of therapy for neurodegenerative diseases, motor neuron disease and glaucoma. Cogane had demonstrated neuroprotective effects in preclinical models, the company had said, with indications that it could ease the symptoms and slow the progression of Parkinson's, a condition where part of the brain becomes more damaged over time. Phytopharm said on Monday it had halted all research and development spending while it reviewed its drugs pipeline. Its shares were trading down 82.25 percent by 4.14 a.m. ET, giving it a market value of just over 6 million pounds. Analyst … Continue reading →

Parkinson's disease needs multi-disciplinary treatment that takes into account not only physical disorders but also social complications created in its wake, said doctors at a workshop in the city. "A team of specialists, including neurologists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, psychologists and specially trained nurses are now involved in treatment of Parkinson's disease," said K. Ray Chaudhuri, head, National Parkinsons Foundation, Centre of Excellence, Kings College Hospital, London. He was in the city to attend the weeklong workshop at Medica Superspecialty Hospital. Apart from movement disorders, some common side effects of the disease are pain, problems in sleeping, dementia and depression. "The children of many elderly patients are working outside and there is lack of quality care," said city-based neurosurgeon L.N. Tripathi. According to doctors, 12 out of 100,000 people in Calcutta suffer from Parkinson's disease. One to two per cent of the population above 60 years are affected by the disease. The doctors also discussed new drugs being used in treating Parkinson's disease. Apomorphine and Levodopa Infusion are two of the popular drugs in the UK. Apomorphine works like insulin. A pump, attached to the patient's body, administers it for a period of 12 to 24 hours. Levodopa Infusion is administered … Continue reading →

People with Parkinson's disease who receive Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy in the early stages of the condition will benefit from a significant increase in quality of life, a revolutionary study from The New England Journal of Medicine has found. Deep Brain Stimulation therapy - Animation from The University of Queensland on Vimeo. World-leading neurologist and lead clinician Professor Peter Silburn from the Asia-Pacific Centre for Neuromodulation (APCN), a joint initiative of The University of Queensland (UQ) and St Andrew's Hospital, said the results published today in the medical journal would transform the way we treat people with Parkinson's disease. Before the release of this study, a typical patient with Parkinson's disease would need to wait around 10 years or until their motor complications could no longer be treated successfully with medicine alone, before DBS surgery was considered an option, Professor Silburn said. This study has confirmed the best medical practice for a person with Parkinson's disease is to perform DBS surgery around 4 to 7 years into the condition, as opposed to waiting until the medications stop working. Participants in the EARLYSTIM trial had been experiencing symptoms of Parkinson's disease for an average of 7.5 years about five years … Continue reading →

Patients with early Parkinsons disease who respond to drug therapy gain improvement in their symptoms and quality of life when they receive deep-brain stimulation from an implanted medical device, a study showed. Brain stimulation is now reserved for advanced Parkinsons patients with severe complications and inconsistent response to drug treatment. The findings suggest patients at an earlier stage of the disease may do even better, reaping benefits before the progressive neurological illness has eroded their physical function, social activity and professional lives. The researchers tracked 251 patients with Parkinsons for an average of 7.5 years after they were treated with drug therapy, or drugs plus deep-brain stimulation with Medtronic Inc.s Kinetra or Soletra devices. Quality of life improved significantly for those getting both treatments, while it worsened slightly for those given only drugs, according to the study published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The observed difference between the treatment groups is thus due to an improvement among patients receiving neurostimulation, said the researchers led by Michael Schuepbach, from the University of Pierre and Marie Curie and Inserm in Paris. As a main benefit from the patients perspective, activities of daily living were improved among patients with neurostimulation … Continue reading →

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience;Medical Devices / Diagnostics Article Date: 14 Feb 2013 - 3:00 PST Current ratings for: Deep Brain Stimulation Effective In Early Parkinson's 4.25 (4 votes) 4 (1 votes) The study, led by Gnther Deuschl, a professor at Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, Germany, and Yves Agid, a professor in neurology and experimental medicine at the Hpital de la Salptrire in Paris, France, is reported online in the New England Journal of Medicine on 14 February. The researchers conclude that DBS was more effective than medical treatment in patients with Parkinson's disease and early motor complications. It is not a cure, and it does not stop the disease from progressing, but in the right patients, it can significantly improve symptoms, especially tremors, and it can also relieve muscle rigidity. To perform DBS, the neurosurgeon drills a hole in the skull and inserts an electrode about 10 cm into the brain. The electrode delivers mild electrical signals that disrupt and block the brain impulses that cause Parkinson's symptoms. A wire under the skin connects the electrode to a battery implanted near the collarbone. DBS can be done on one or both … Continue reading →

By Amanda Gardner HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Deep brain stimulation has been used for years to help relieve motor problems in people with advanced Parkinson's. Now, new research finds that the procedure may also help people in earlier stages of the disease. The treatment involves placing electrodes in specific parts of the brain. "So far, all studies have dealt with patients who had very severe disease," explained senior study author Dr. Gunther Deuschl, chairman of neurology at University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, Germany. "The present group . . . are well within the spectrum of disease severity which has been treated with medication only. The surprising result was that even at this stage, the patients had a much better outcome after two years than those who were treated with medication alone." The report is published in the Feb. 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Standard treatment for Parkinson's disease, a nervous system disorder marked by tremors and other movement problems, is a drug called L-dopa (Levodopa), which replaces depleted reserves of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Unfortunately, long-term use of L-dopa can result in severe swings in motor function. "After years of being on … Continue reading →

Over the past decade a kind of brain surgery known as deep-brain stimulation (DBS) has helped some Parkinson's disease sufferers develop better control of their physical movements. But the risks that come with the invasive procedurenot to mention the costskeep physicians and patients cautious. The treatment is usually indicated when medicine no longer addresses the neurodegenerative disorder's symptoms effectively. Now, a new study from European researchers indicates that deep-brain stimulation's benefits are just as promising for people in the earlier stages of Parkinson's."The conclusions of this study are really exciting," says David Charles, the chief medical officer of the Vanderbilt Neuroscience Institute and director of the movement disorders clinic there. "Most likely it will be a transformative study in our understanding of when to apply deep-brain stimulation therapy in Parkinson's disease."Parkinson's disease is a disorder of progressive decline. The tremors, rigidity and difficulty moving are often treated with anti-Parkinson's medications such as levodopa at first. But as the disease marches forward, the benefits fall off. The same dose no longer lasts as long, patients experience unpredictable cycles in their ability to move, and struggle with excessive movements called dyskinesias that make their limbs jump and flail involuntarily. This stage of … Continue reading →

A treatment that involves inserting electrodes into the brain can improve Parkinson's symptoms even at early stages of the disease, research has shown. Currently, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is reserved for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease who can no longer be treated with medication alone. The Earlystim study showed that DBS produced a 53% improvement in motor skills over a period of two years. In comparison, no change was seen in patients receiving the best drug treatment. Patients given DBS also saw a 30% improvement in various activities of daily life, including speech, writing, dressing and walking. Side effects from drug treatment, including uncontrollable movements, were reduced by 61%, according to the findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Earlystim investigator Professor Gunther Deuschl, from Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany, said: "These results signal a shift in the way patients with Parkinson's disease can be treated, and prove that deep brain stimulation therapy can improve patients' quality of life even in the earlier stages of Parkinson's disease." The trial included 251 patients with Parkinson's disease at 17 centres in Germany and France. Dr Kieran Breen, from the charity Parkinson's UK, said: "This new study is the first compelling … Continue reading →

A treatment that involves inserting electrodes into the brain can improve Parkinson's symptoms even at early stages of the disease, research has shown. Currently, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is reserved for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease who can no longer be treated with medication alone. The Earlystim study showed that DBS produced a 53% improvement in motor skills over a period of two years. In comparison, no change was seen in patients receiving the best drug treatment. LIKE HUFFPOST UK LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER Patients given DBS also saw a 30% improvement in various activities of daily life, including speech, writing, dressing and walking. Side effects from drug treatment, including uncontrollable movements, were reduced by 61%. The findings were published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Earlystim investigator Professor Gunther Deuschl, from Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany, said: "These results signal a shift in the way patients with Parkinson's disease can be treated, and prove that deep brain stimulation therapy can improve patients' quality of life even in the earlier stages of Parkinson's disease." The trial included 251 patients with Parkinson's disease at 17 centres in Germany and France. Dr Kieran Breen, from the … Continue reading →