Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

iStockphoto.com Getting a diagnosis for Parkinson's disease might be as easy as placing a phone call. There's currently no cure for Parkinson's, a deliberating neurological disease. There's also no blood test that can detect it, meaning early intervention is almost impossible. But soon there might be a shockingly easy way to screen for Parkinson's disease. It would be as simple as picking up the telephone and saying "ahhh." One of these voices tests positive for Parkinson's disease. Can you tell the difference? Find out if you're right at the bottom of this story. "There's some evidence, admittedly weak, that voice disturbances may well be one of the first or early indicator of the disease," mathematician Max Little tells weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz. Little is head of the Parkinson's Voice Initiative and he's created an algorithm that can determine whether or not a person has Parkinson's just by the sound of their voice. Right now, the algorithm has a 99 percent success rate. A Surprising Result Little worked on this algorithm while he was getting his PhD at Oxford. It didn't occur to him that it could be used to detect Parkinson's disease until a chance encounter … Continue reading →

Public release date: 20-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Brian Kladko brian.kladko@ubc.ca 604-827-3301 University of British Columbia Severe influenza doubles the odds that a person will develop Parkinson's disease later in life, according to University of British Columbia researchers. However, the opposite is true for people who contracted a typical case of red measles as children they are 35 per cent less likely to develop Parkinson's, a nervous system disorder marked by slowness of movement, shaking, stiffness, and in the later stages, loss of balance. The findings by researchers at UBC's School of Population and Public Health and the Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre, published online this month in the journal Movement Disorders, are based on interviews with 403 Parkinson's patients and 405 healthy people in British Columbia, Canada. Lead author Anne Harris also examined whether occupational exposure to vibrations such as operating construction equipment had any effect on the risk of Parkinson's. In another study, published online this month by the American Journal of Epidemiology, she and her collaborators reported that occupational exposure actually decreased the risk of developing the disease by 33 percent, compared to people whose jobs involved no exposure. Meanwhile, Harris found that those exposed … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (July 20, 2012) Conditions such as Parkinson's disease are a result of pathogenic changes to proteins. In the neurodegenerative condition of Parkinson's disease, which is currently incurable, the alpha-synuclein protein changes and becomes pathological. Until now, there have not been any antibodies that could help to demonstrate the change in alpha-synuclein associated with the disease. An international team of experts led by Gabor G. Kovacs from the Clinical Institute of Neurology at the MedUni Vienna has now discovered a new antibody that actually possesses this ability. "It opens up new possibilities for the development of a diagnostic test for Parkinsonism," says Kovacs, highlighting the importance of this discovery. "This new antibody will enable us to find the pathological conformation in bodily fluids such as blood or CSF." A clinical study involving around 200 patients is already underway, and the first definitive results are expected at the end of 2012. The tests being carried out in collaboration with the University Department of Neurology, led by Walter Pirker, are designed to determine the extent to which the new antibody can be used as an early diagnostic tool in order to understand the condition better and be able to treat it more … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (July 20, 2012) Severe influenza doubles the odds that a person will develop Parkinson's disease later in life, according to University of British Columbia researchers. However, the opposite is true for people who contracted a typical case of red measles as children -- they are 35 per cent less likely to develop Parkinson's, a nervous system disorder marked by slowness of movement, shaking, stiffness, and in the later stages, loss of balance. The findings by researchers at UBC's School of Population and Public Health and the Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre, published online this month in the journal Movement Disorders, are based on interviews with 403 Parkinson's patients and 405 healthy people in British Columbia, Canada. Lead author Anne Harris also examined whether occupational exposure to vibrations -- such as operating construction equipment -- had any effect on the risk of Parkinson's. In another study, published online this month by the American Journal of Epidemiology, she and her collaborators reported that occupational exposure actually decreased the risk of developing the disease by 33 percent, compared to people whose jobs involved no exposure. Meanwhile, Harris found that those exposed to high-intensity vibrations -- for example, by driving snowmobiles, military tanks or … Continue reading →

The following is a Press Release from the National Parkinson Foundation - SWLA SETX- The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) announces a new affiliation that will enhance the lives of people with Parkinson's disease and their families. The National Parkinson Foundation SW Louisiana-SE Texas Chapter (formally known as the Parkinson Association of the South) located in Lake Charles, Louisiana is joining forces with NPF to address the unmet needs in Parkinson's care and treatment. NPF has an extensive network of chapters across the United States comprised mostly of volunteer leaders, that provide local services, such as health and wellness programs for people with Parkinson's and their families. NPF chapters also conduct support groups, provide education and raise awareness and funds through local fundraising events such as walks, galas and golf tournaments. NPF produces free educational materials for chapters to distribute to people in their communities and provides a toll-free helpline to assist chapters with information and referral. "We are very excited about this partnership with the SW Louisiana-SE Texas Chapter," said Joyce Oberdorf, NPF President and CEO. "A seamless national and local connection, with a common brand and unified voice, will enhance awareness of Parkinson's, because people with Parkinson's and their … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/x3k6qt/disease_and_therap) has announced the addition of the "Disease and Therapy Review: Parkinson's Disease" report to their offering. The Parkinson's Disease and Therapy Review provides an overview of the disease and related conditions, with incidence and prevalence numbers and percentages for major countries worldwide, information on diagnosis, and an overview of treatment. Dosing and treatment cost information is provided for various treatment types. General information on the Parkinson's Disease market, as well as sales of leading drugs and therapies are provided. Disease and Therapy Reviews were developed to provide a basic understanding of the key facts about a disease and market in a quick, easy-to-read format. These reports are prepared by the senior market research team of Timely Data Resources. Each Disease and TherapyReview provides a conciseanalysis of the most important informationabout a particular disease, its treatment, and the market opportunities. Reports begin with an overview of the condition, and also contain tables that summarize the available worldwide incidence and prevalence data for the condition, a review of current diagnosis strategiesand treatment options, general information about the market size, and information about important market trends. Thedata contained in these reportscomes fromkey industry secondary data sources,such asthe … Continue reading →

--Parkinsons in a dish should advance hunt for new drugs or earlier use of older ones Newswise Using adult stem cells, Johns Hopkins researchers and a consortium of colleagues nationwide say they have generated the type of human neuron specifically damaged by Parkinsons disease (PD) and used various drugs to stop the damage. Their experiments on cells in the laboratory, reported in the July 4 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, could speed the search for new drugs to treat the incurable neurodegenerative disease, but also, they say, may lead them back to better ways of using medications that previously failed in clinical trials. Our study suggests that some failed drugs should actually work if they were used earlier, and especially if we could diagnose PD before tremors and other symptoms first appear, says one of the studys leaders, Ted M. Dawson, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dawson and his colleagues, working as part of a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke consortium, created three lines of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from the skin cells of adults with PD. Two of the cell lines had the mutated … Continue reading →

BRUSSELS & ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- UCB announced today that Neupro (Rotigotine Transdermal System) is now available in U.S. pharmacies. Neupro was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April to treat the signs and symptoms of early and advanced stage idiopathic Parkinsons disease and moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome. Neupro improves motor function and activities of daily living in patients with PD and provides effective symptom relief for patients with Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). Neupro is a once-daily patch that provides continuous delivery of the dopamine agonist rotigotine for 24 hours. Over 100,000 patients have been treated with Neupro worldwide, and seven clinical trials for the approved indications have demonstrated efficacy, safety and tolerability. The availability of Neupro is an important step forward for U.S. patients living with Parkinsons disease and Restless Legs Syndrome, said Roch Doliveux, Chief Executive Officer, UCB. "UCB is dedicated to delivering innovative medicines like the Neupro transdermal patch to people living with serious illnesses such as Parkinsons disease and Restless Legs Syndrome, by combining the latest science and technology with our researchers' insights on the holistic needs of patients. One million Americans are currently living with PD. The cardinal motor symptoms of PD include … Continue reading →

PLAN-LES-OUATES GENEVA, SWITZERLAND--(Marketwire -07/16/12)- Addex Therapeutics / Addex Announces the Publication of Positive Data on the Efficacy of mGluR4 Positive Allosteric Modulator in Parkinson's Disease Pre-Clinical Models . Processed and transmitted by Thomson Reuters ONE. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Seminal Research Provides Greater Insight into the Role of Selective mGluR4 Modulation on Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's disease Geneva, Switzerland, 16 July 2012 - Addex Therapeutics (SIX:ADXN), a leading company pioneering allosteric modulation-based oral small molecule drug discovery and development, announced today the publication of positive pre- clinical efficacy data on its novel, highly selective oral small molecule positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGluR4), and its role in Parkinson's disease. The results were published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (JPET) on 11 July 2012 as DOI:10.1124/jpet.112.196063. The researchers report the discovery of ADX88178, a novel, potent, brain penetrant and selective mGluR4 PAM, with drug- like properties, to explore the therapeutic potential of mGluR4 modulation in disease models. The research was conducted in collaboration with Merck & Co. "There continues to be a significant need for new approaches to treat Parkinson's disease. Research shows that increasing mGluR4 activity … Continue reading →

Bangalore, July 13 : Healthcare major Columbia Asia Referral Hospital has launched its Parkinson's and Movement Disorder clinic in Yeshwanthpur town in Bangalore. The doctors at Columbia Asia Referral Hospital cited a case history that prompted them to launch the clinic. Hitesh Gupta (name changed) had regular tremors on the left side of his body. He was also suffering from slowness in body movement, postural issues and slowness in speech. Despite all medications, Gupta's case started deteriorating. The prolonged use of medications resulted in various other complications including frequent hallucination. It is when Gupta's family decided to approach the doctors at Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwanthpur. A team of doctors led by Dr Guruprasad, Consultant, Neurologist defined the disease to Gupta's family and helped them overcome the phobia. Subsequently, a Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), an advanced surgical procedure, was performed on Gupta. Today Gupta is leading a normal life and his medications have come down by 90 per cent, said doctors. "DBS surgeries and lesioning surgeries are done through a small hole drilled in the head. These are high precision surgeries guided by latest neuro-navigation techniques. Patient is awake during the surgery so as to enable us to assess the … Continue reading →