Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

25 June 2012 Last updated at 00:52 By Jane Wakefield Technology reporter, TEDGlobal, Edinburgh Parkinson's is a devastating disease for those living with the condition and currently there is no cure. Diagnosis can also be slow as there are no blood tests to detect it. But now mathematician Max Little has come up with a non-invasive, cheap test which he hopes will offer a quick new way to identify the disease. He will be kicking off the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh calling for volunteers to contribute to a huge voice database. Mr Little has discovered that Parkinson's symptoms can be detected by computer algorithms that analyse voice recordings. In a blind test of voices, the system was able to spot those with Parkinson's with an accuracy of 86%. Mr Little was recently made a TED Fellow. The non-profit organisation behind the TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference creates 40 such fellowships each year. The programme aims to target innovators under the age of 40 and offers them free entry to conferences and other events. Mr Little became interested in understanding voice from a mathematical perspective while he was studying for a PhD at Oxford University in 2003. See the original … Continue reading →

BOSTON, June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --A new study analyzing patient data from Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital in Braintree, Massachusetts, found that blood pressure fluctuations can worsen symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Conversely, after treating Parkinson's disease patients who experienced blood pressure drops when changing from a sitting to standing position, improvements were noted in cognitive function, balance and walking, according to the researchers at Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital. Information from the study will be presented today at the Movement Disorder Society's 16th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders in Dublin, Ireland. The corresponding abstract, "Treating Orthostatic Hypotension in Patients with Parkinson's and Atypical Parkinsonism Improves Function," will be published as an electronic supplement to The Movement Disorders Journal online edition at http://www.movementdisorders.org. "This new research sheds light for better Parkinson's disease treatment, as blood pressure can be affected by the disease and problems often worsen over time," said Dr. Anna DePold Hohler, Medical Director of the Movement Disorders Program at Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital and Associate Professor of Neurology at Boston University Medical Center, who participated in the study. "The good news for Parkinson's disease patients is that implementing simple interventions, monitored by a physician, can significantly improve functionality." In the United … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Patients with Parkinsons disease who undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS)a treatment in which a pacemaker-like device sends pulses to electrodes implanted in the braincan expect stable improvement in muscle symptoms for at least three years, according to a Department of Veterans Affairs study appearing in the most recent issue of the journal Neurology. VA was proud to partner with the National Institutes of Health in this research, said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. Our research on Parkinsons helps ensure we continue to provide the best care possible for Veterans with this debilitating disease. VA cares for some 40,000 Veterans with the condition. In DBS, surgeons implant electrodes in the brain and run thin wires under the skin to a pacemaker-like device placed at one of two locations in the brain. Electrical pulses from the battery-operated device jam the brain signals that cause muscle-related symptoms. Thousands of Americans have seen successful results from the procedure since it was first introduced in the late 1990s. But questions have remained about which stimulation site in the brain yields better outcomes, and over how many years the gains persist. Initial results from the study appeared in 2009 in the Journal … Continue reading →

Newswise MAYWOOD, Il. -- A "brain pacemaker" called deep brain stimulation (DBS) remains an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease for at least three years, according to a study in the June 2010 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. But while improvements in motor function remained stable, there were gradual declines in health-related quality of life and cognitive abilities. First author of the study is Frances M. Weaver, PhD, who has joint appointments at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital and Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Weaver was one of the lead investigators of a 2010 paper in the New England Journal of Medicine that found that motor functions remained stable for two years in DBS patients. The new additional analysis extended the follow-up period to 36 months. DBS is a treatment for Parkinson's patients who no longer benefit from medication, or who experience unacceptable side effects. DBS is not a cure, and it does not stop the disease from progressing. But in the right patients, DBS can significantly improve symptoms, especially tremors. DBS also can relieve muscle rigidity that causes decreased range of motion. In the DBS procedure, a neurosurgeon drills a … Continue reading →

Quality of Life, Daily Living Did Not Improve in Study June 20, 2012 -- For some people with Parkinson's disease, deep brain stimulation can have immediate and dramatic effects on tremors, rigidity, balance, and other motor symptoms. Now new research shows that these benefits may last at least three years. The findings appear online in Neurology. Deep brain stimulation uses a battery-operated device to deliver electrical impulses -- similar to a pacemaker for the heart -- to areas of the brain that control movement. The impulses are thought to block abnormal signals that cause many of the movement problems (motor symptoms) of Parkinson's. This procedure is typically reserved for individuals who no longer respond to their Parkinson's medications or who experience unacceptable side effects from them. According to the new findings, this treatment helped with motor symptoms such as tremor, but individuals did show gradual declines over time in their quality of life, ability to perform tasks of daily living, and thinking skills. "This study looked past the immediate 'wow effect,'" says Michele Tagliati, MD. He wrote an editorial accompanying the new study. "Now we want to know what we can expect over the next 10 years, and this starts … Continue reading →

NOVATO, Calif., June 20, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp. ("Raptor" or the "Company") (RPTP), today announced that the Company has acquired exclusive rights to intellectual property related to cysteamine and related compounds in the potential treatment of Parkinson's Disease from Universite Laval ("Laval"), Quebec, Canada. Raptor's agreement with Laval provides exclusive rights to technology related to the use of cysteamine and related compounds to potentially modify the progression of Parkinson's Disease. Researchers at Laval reported that administration of cystamine (an oxidized form of cysteamine) in an animal model of Parkinson's Disease showed signs of preventing neuron loss and rescuing neurons undergoing a degenerative process. Signs of restoration and partial reversal of behavioral impairments were also observed. Dr. Patrice P. Rioux, Raptor's Chief Medical Officer, stated, "The agreement with Laval extends our existing portfolio in neurodegenerative diseases. We are currently conducting a Phase 2/3 clinical trial in France of Delayed-release Cysteamine Bitartrate capsules (RP103), for the potential treatment of Huntington's Disease. The researchers at Laval have compiled a solid preclinical foundation which, when combined with the existing safety profile of cysteamine, may enable us to more rapidly advance this program for the potential treatment of Parkinson's Disease in to … Continue reading →

Date: Wednesday Jun. 20, 2012 8:28 AM ET TORONTO Canada now has a set of national guidelines aimed at establishing a consistent standard for diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease across the country. The guidelines, developed by neurologists and movement disorder specialists, are designed to provide information and advice to family physicians and other health-care professionals, with the goal of improving care for people with the progressive neurological disease. "Most Canadians with Parkinson's do not attend specialized Parkinson's or movement disorders clinics," said guidelines editor Dr. David Grimes, director of the Parkinson's disease and movement disorders clinic at the Ottawa Hospital. "A tool was needed so that all health-care providers who treat people with Parkinson's in Canada have a clear idea on how best to help individuals manage their disease. "The guidelines are meant to improve the standard of care and access to care for people with Parkinson's in all regions of Canada." Joyce Gordon, president and CEO of Parkinson Society Canada, said she believes the guidelines will result in earlier diagnosis, better treatment and management of symptoms, and an improved quality of life for people with the disease. An estimated 100,000 Canadians have Parkinson's, which occurs most commonly in … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b29h7z/parkinsons_diseas) has announced the addition of GlobalData's new report "Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics - Global Drug Forecasts and Treatment Analysis to 2020" to their offering. Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics - Global Drug Forecasts and Treatment Analysis to 2020 GlobalData has released its pharma report, Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics - Global Drug Forecasts and Treatment Analysis to 2020. The report is an essential source of information and analysis on the global Parkinson's disease Therapeutics therapeutics market. The report provides comprehensive information on Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics, highlighting the treatment guidelines. It identifies and analyses the key trends shaping and driving the global Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics therapeutics market. It analyses the treatment usage patterns in the global Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics therapeutics market. The report also provides insights into the competitive landscape and the emerging players expected to significantly alter the positions of the existing market leaders. The report provides valuable insights into the pipeline products within the global Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics sector. It quantifies the unmet need in the global Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics therapeutics market as well as in the individual markets such as the US and the top five countries in Europe, highlighting the opportunity for future players. This report is … Continue reading →

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire -06/19/12)- Parkinson Society Canada, in partnership with leading Canadian movement disorder specialists and neurologists, today launched the first Canadian Guidelines on Parkinson's Disease. The Guidelines aim to create, for the first time in Canada, a consistent standard for diagnosing and treating Parkinson's. The Guidelines provide health care professionals with practical, clinical advice for the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's, based on the best published evidence and on expert consensus. The 84 recommendations are designed primarily for family physicians, neurologists, and other health care professionals. The Canadian Guidelines on Parkinson's Disease will be published July 2012 in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences and are available online today. The Guidelines have been endorsed by the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation and Parkinson Society Canada. "Most Canadians with Parkinson's do not attend specialized Parkinson's or movement disorders clinics," says Dr. David Grimes, Director of the Ottawa Hospital's Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Clinic and editor of the guidelines. "A tool was needed so that all health care providers who treat people with Parkinson's in Canada have a clear idea on how best to help individuals manage their disease. The guidelines are meant to improve the standard of care and access to … Continue reading →

DUBLIN, June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Abbott (ABT)announced results from five abstracts evaluating levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG), its investigational compound for advanced Parkinson's disease. The abstracts include the results from the second interim analysis of a long-term safety and tolerability trial, as well as secondary endpoint analyses from the Phase 3 pivotal trial. All of the abstracts were presented at The 16th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, June 17-21 in Dublin, Ireland. LCIG is currently approved in 40 countries. In the U.S., LCIG is an investigational therapy that is currently being evaluated in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease in additional Phase 3 clinical trials. In these trials, levodopa-carbidopa is administered in gel form, directly into the small intestine via a procedurally-implanted tube connected to a portable pump that delivers continuous supply of LCIG during awake hours. Long-Term Safety and Tolerability In a 54 week open-label safety and tolerability study of 354 patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, the primary endpoint of safety showed adverse events (AEs) were mostly mild to moderate, were generally associated with the Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement procedure and its complications, were transient, and resolved over time. In the secondary endpoint analysis … Continue reading →