Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

BACKGROUND: Parkinsons disease is when the nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine are slowly destroyed, and dopamine is the brain chemical that helps to control muscle movement. Because of the lack of dopamine, Parkinsons is characterized by shaking and difficulty walking and moving. While Parkinsons is normally diagnosed in persons over the age of 50 years old, younger adults can also develop the disease and typically forms of Parkinsons that can run in the family are to blame when younger individuals develop Parkinsons. (Source: http://www.nih.gov) TREATMENT: No cure for Parkinsons disease exists but there are medications meant to help control symptoms, mostly by increasing the amount of dopamine in the brain. Some severe side-effects are associated with Parkinsons medication such as hallucinations, vomiting, diarrhea, and delirium. Certain lifestyle changes are also thought to help Parkinsons disease such as good general nutrition, regular rest, avoiding stress, and physical, speech, and occupational therapy. Surgeries may also help to ease symptoms for some people. These surgeries include deep brain stimulation in which electrical stimulators are placed in the brain, a surgery that destroys brain tissues cause symptoms, and stem cell transplant are still ongoing. (Source: http://www.nih.gov) NEW TECHNOLOGY TO DIAGNOSE PARKINSONS: … Continue reading →

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. (AMBS), a biotechnology company developing new treatments for brain-related disorders including Parkinson's disease and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) centered on its proprietary anti-apoptotic therapeutic protein known as MANF, today announced the publication of a landmark research paper on MANF, Amarantus' lead development program. The studies were conducted at the University of Helsinki, a research institution based in Helsinki, Finland, performing groundbreaking neuroscience research based in its' Department of Biosciences and Institute of Biotechnology. This research paper, published by Palgi et al., from Dr. Tapio Heino's laboratory at the University of Helsinki in the peer-reviewed journal BMC Genomics is entitled "Gene expression analysis of Drosophila Manf mutants reveals perturbations in membrane traffic and major metabolic changes," in which researchers describe the critical role MANF plays in the endoplasmic reticulum, the unfolded protein response (UPR), and dopaminergic neurons which are affected by Parkinson's Disease. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22494833. "This publication marks a significant advancement in our understanding of how the MANF molecule works in improving overall cellular function," said Dr. John W. Commissiong, Founder & Chief Scientist at Amarantus. "This could be very significant as the MANF Program is advanced for Parkinson's disease" The MANF-family … Continue reading →

NATICK, Massachusetts, Sept. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation received CE Mark approval for use of its Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System for the treatment of Parkinsons disease. The Vercise DBS System is the first and only commercially available DBS system to incorporate multiple independent current control, which is designed to selectively stimulate targeted areas in the brain. This system is an innovative technology that is designed to provide physicians fine control of stimulation. "The launch of the Vercise DBS System represents a key expansion for Boston Scientific, " said Maulik Nanavaty, senior vice president and president of Boston Scientifics Neuromodulation Division. "Vercise DBS is the only system on the market able to finely control stimulation with multiple independent current control. This unique technology underscores our commitment to improving patients lives." The first commercial implant of the Vercise DBS System was performed by a team at the University Clinic Wurzburg in Germany that included Prof. Dr. Cordula Matthies, Head of Functional Neurosurgery and Prof. Dr. Jens Volkmann, Director of the Department of Neurology. "We welcome the Vercise DBS System, " said Prof. Dr. Volkmann. "We believe it represents advancement in DBS technology through flexible and unique programming options. … Continue reading →

New technology being developed in America analyses tremors, breathiness and other weaknesses in people's voices which are believed to be one of the condition's earliest symptoms. Experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology claim that their computer programme can pick out Parkinson's sufferers with 99 per cent accuracy simply by analysing their speech. Dr Max Little, a British researcher who is leading the initiative at MIT, now hopes to determine whether the same results could be produced from a patient speaking over the telephone. By recruiting Parkinson's patients and health volunteers to take part in a three-minute telephone call where they will say "ah", speak some sentences and answer a few questions, he said the system could be programmed to diagnose people remotely, allowing earlier treatment. He said: "Science tells us voice impairment might be an early sign of Parkinson's. It sounds counterintuitive as Parkinson's is a movement disorder but the voice is a form of movement. "Neurologists look at changes in the ability to move, which is done with the limbs, but we are looking in the vocal organs the sounds that come out of the mouth. We are fairly confident we can detect the disease over the telephone." … Continue reading →

NATICK, Mass., Sept. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX) received CE Mark approval for use of its Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The Vercise DBS System is the first and only commercially available DBS system to incorporate multiple independent current control, which is designed to selectively stimulate targeted areas in the brain. This system is an innovative technology that is designed to provide physicians fine control of stimulation. "The launch of the Vercise DBS System represents a key expansion for Boston Scientific,"said Maulik Nanavaty, senior vice president and president of Boston Scientific's Neuromodulation Division. "Vercise DBS is the only system on the market able to finely control stimulation with multiple independent current control. This unique technology underscores our commitment to improving patients' lives." The first commercial implant of the Vercise DBS System was performed by a team at the University Clinic Wurzburg in Germany that included Prof. Dr. Cordula Matthies, Head of Functional Neurosurgery and Prof. Dr. Jens Volkmann, Director of the Department of Neurology. "We welcome the Vercise DBS System," said Prof. Dr. Volkmann. "We believe it represents advancement in DBS technology through flexible and unique programming options. We believe the … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2012) In collaboration with colleagues at Oxford, a team of researchers at Ume University in Sweden has now further elaborated its discovery of a way to detect Parkinson's disease at an early stage, and applications in clinical care are not far away. The project is an example of bridging the gap between basic and clinical research in care environments. The new findings are based on close cooperation between the medical chemist Ludmilla Morozova-Roche's and the neurologist Lars Forsgren's research teams at Ume University and Jason Davis's team at Oxford University in the UK, who were primarily responsible for the chemical analyses. Their findings are now being published in the journal Chemical Science. Parkinson's disease attacks the nervous system and, like many other diseases, is caused by proteins that lump together into so-called amyloid. Behind these new findings lies a discovery from the spring of 2011, when the Ume scientists were able to determine endogenous antibodies against the most important amyloid protein, alpha-synuclein. These antibodies were seen as being able to function as a diagnostic marker, thereby enabling early detection of the disease. In the new article the discovery is elaborated further in the form of a simplified … Continue reading →

A team at MIT has developed a computer programme that is able to recognise the tremors, breathiness and weakness in the voice These symtpoms are thought to be early indicators of the degenerative condition Study leader Dr Max Little is building up a database of 10,000 voices to support his project By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 10:05 EST, 26 September 2012 | UPDATED: 12:28 EST, 26 September 2012 Leaving a simple phone message could help spot the early signs of Parkinsons years before serious symptoms develop, say scientists. Researchers have discovered they can detect the disease through voice recordings with initial studies already showing a 99 per cent accuracy rate. A team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a computer programme that is able to recognise the tremors, breathiness and weakness in the voice, which are thought to be early indicators of the condition. The technology works partly by tracking the motion of the vocal cords and detecting any tremor The voice analysis software can even provide an unprecedented level of detail that can distinguish how far along a patient is with the disease. The Parkinsons Voice Initiative led by British scientist Dr Max Little, is looking to see … Continue reading →

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. (AMBS), a biotechnology company developing new treatments and diagnostics for Parkinson's disease (PD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) centered around its patented anti-apoptotic therapeutic protein MANF, today announced the publication of positive, peer-reviewed efficacy data for MANF in an animal model of myocardial infarction. The results were published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC) by the Glembotski Lab at the San Diego State University's (SDSU) Department of Biology and the SDSU Heart Institute. The research paper entitled "Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) protects the heart from Ischemic damage and is selectively secreted upon ER calcium depletion" reports a ~44% reduction in infarct zone size in MANF-treated mice when compared with controls. "The generation of positive ischemia/reperfusion in-vivo animal data in a model of myocardial infarction represents a significant scientific milestone for MANF as scientifists look to establish the therapeutic profile of MANF in ischemic heart disease," said Gerald E. Commissiong, President & CEO of Amarantus. "As the research on MANF moves forward around the globe, Amarantus will leverage the data generated by collaborators and independent researchers to improve the value of our IP portfolio as well as overall shareholder value." … Continue reading →

The public is invited to a conference next week to learn about the latest advancements in the fight against Parkinson's disease. The American Parkinsons Disease Association Information and Referral Center of Nebraska will host its first conference titled, Advances with Parkinsons: Reasons for Optimism, on Friday, Oct. 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the DC Center, 11830 Stonegate Drive in Omaha. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Suggested donation is $20 to cover the cost of food. Topics will include advances in treatment, disease management, nutrition, exercise and caregiving. Ten health professionals will speak, including a nationally recognized expert in Parkinsons disease, Lawrence Elmer, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Neurological Disorders at the University of Toledo Medical Center. For more information or to register, contact Karen Anderson at (402) 559-8839, karen.anderson@unmc.edu or download a form online and mail it. A registration form can be downloaded at the link below. Registration deadline is Oct. 2. The APDA Information and Referral Center is housed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Neurological Sciences and works in cooperation with the Nebraska Chapter of the APDA. See original here: Learn About Latest Advances … Continue reading →

Public release date: 25-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Karin Eskenazi ket2116@columbia.edu 212-342-0508 Columbia University Medical Center New York, NY (September 25, 2012) Researchers in the Taub Institute at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have identified a mechanism that appears to underlie the common sporadic (non-familial) form of Parkinson's disease, the progressive movement disorder. The discovery highlights potential new therapeutic targets for Parkinson's and could lead to a blood test for the disease. The study, based mainly on analysis of human brain tissue, was published today in the online edition of Nature Communications. Studies of rare, familial (heritable) forms of Parkinson's show that a protein called alpha-synuclein plays a role in the development of the disease. People who have extra copies of the alpha-synuclein gene produce excess alpha-synuclein protein, which can damage neurons. The effect is most pronounced in dopamine neurons, a population of brain cells in the substantia nigra that plays a key role in controlling normal movement and is lost in Parkinson's. Another key feature of Parkinson's is the presence of excess alpha-synuclein aggregates in the brain. As the vast majority of patients with Parkinson's do not carry rare familial mutations, a key question has been … Continue reading →