Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

A similarity betweentwo distinct neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinsonsand Alzheimers, maylead to a potential new drug treatment for Parkinson's.On a biochemical level, thediseases develop when sticky proteins form clumps in brain cells,researchers from Emory Health Sciences said. They found that the same enzyme also spurred the process in both diseases. In a new studypublished online in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, Emory researchers explain how they used this similarity between Parkinsons and AD to develop a drug that stops tau proteins from becoming sticky and therefore prevents them from clumping together. Although still in its research phase, this would theoretically prevent the onset of AD,as a similar version of it has prevented Alzheimers disease in animal studies. The next step is to test on animals theParkinsons version of a drug to inhibit the enzymeto see if these positive results can be repeated. Read: Parkinsons Disease Treatment Reverses Symptoms In Mice, Increases Dopamine Receptors "In Parkinson's, alpha-synuclein behaves much like Tau in Alzheimer's," said study lead research Keqiang Ye, in a statement. "We reasoned that if [the enzyme] AEP cuts Tau, it's very likely that it will cut alpha-synuclein too." The discovery, though promising, is likely not the ultimate cure for Parkinson's, as … Continue reading →

Kansas City Star Lenexa teen a BioGENEius for her Parkinson's research Kansas City Star It was also a win for the Parkinson's patients, caregivers, and others I have been able to work with, Smith said. I think it shows there's a lot of progress with Parkinson's diagnosis and treatments, so it brings a lot of hope to everyone affected ... More here: Lenexa teen a BioGENEius for her Parkinson's research - Kansas City Star … Continue reading →

Home Brain Function What is bradyphrenia? Causes, symptoms, and treatment Bradyphrenia is the slowness of thought and a common manifestation of many disorders of the brain. It can also be the side effect of several types of psychiatric medication. Bradyphrenia can be appreciated in disorders such as Parkinsons disease and some forms of schizophrenia. It is also called a psychic akinesia. Those affected often display inattentiveness and delayed response, leading to decreased productivity when a task is given. These patients often only respond with one-word answers, not giving a complete reply. Complaints of difficulty thinking and in expressing thoughts is a common occurrence. Much of their time is spent searching for words to describe their feelings when communicating with others. Bradyphrenia is commonly associated with Parkinsons disease, but this is very much still up for debate. Not all Parkinsons disease patients suffer from problems with cognitive function. However, about half of people with Parkinsons do experience some problems with cognitive impairment. Brain damage and side-effects of psychiatric medication are the most common reasons for the development of bradyphrenia. Old age may also be a risk factor. Symptoms of bradyphrenia include: Bradyphrenia is mostly a clinical diagnosis and is typically a … Continue reading →

(RTTNews) - Today's Daily Dose brings you news about Acorda's progress with its Parkinson's therapy Inbrija; Alkermes' encouraging results from its ENLIGHTEN-1 study; FDA approval for expanded use of Amgen's Vectibix in wild-type RAS metastatic colorectal cancer; Cara's disappointing results from its phase IIb trial of CR845 in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip and Windtree's failed AEROSURF study. Read on... Acorda Therapeutics Inc. (ACOR) has submitted a New Drug Application to the FDA, seeking approval of INBRIJA as a treatment for symptoms of OFF periods in people with Parkinson's taking a carbidopa / levodopa regimen. OFF periods refer to the re-emergence of Parkinson's symptoms. The NDA was submitted under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. Whether or not the NDA has been accepted for review by the FDA will be known by the end of September. ACOR closed Thursday's trading at $19.55, down 1.01%. Aduro Biotech Inc. (ADRO) has initiated a phase II clinical study of its lead listeria-based immunotherapy construct CRS-207 in combination with Merck & Co. Inc's (MRK) cancer drug Keytruda for the treatment of patients with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma who have failed two prior chemotherapy treatments. The trial is designed to enroll approximately 70 patients. The primary … Continue reading →

Subsequent to these first two procedures, Academisch Medisch Centrum(Amsterdam, the Netherlands) has also initiated clinical use of Vantage. Additionally, Hopital La Timone (Marseille, France) has completed training on Vantage and is commencing system utilization. Leksell Vantage is Elekta's next-generation system for target localization and coordinate referencing during stereotactic neurosurgical procedures. Both patients were successfully implanted with deep brain stimulation electrodes, a procedure that requires precision targeting. Stereotactic neurosurgery is a minimally-invasive approach to precisely localize and treat specific regions in the brain while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. This surgery has been used successfully for decades to treat a variety of brain and neurologic conditions, including brain cancer, non-malignant tumors, essential tremor and Parkinson's disease. Stereotactic neurosurgery is also used to make small controlled lesions of brain pathologies or to facilitate drug delivery to regions of the brain that are challenging to access. Immobilization of the patient's head during neuroimaging and subsequent neurosurgical procedures is essential for accurate targeting and optimal clinical safety and efficacy. Leksell Vantage Stereotactic System was designed with the patient in mind and to meet the most exacting demands of today's clinicians, enabling a smooth workflow and offering a range of benefits, including shorter treatment times, non-metallic … Continue reading →

June 23, 2017 The stimulation volume (red), i.e. the area of the brain immediately adjacent to the electrode, which becomes 'activated' when stimulation occurs. Image: Andreas Horn, Charit. Credit: Andreas Horn, Charit. Working with colleagues from Harvard Medical School and Wrzburg, researchers from Charit - Universittsmedizin Berlin have been examining the use of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of Parkison's disease in an attempt to optimize treatment effectiveness. Specifically, they have been looking at which brain regions need to be connected to the electrode used for deep brain stimulation. The researchers found a way to use brain connectivity (i.e. connections in the brain) to predict the best possible relief of Parkinson's Disease symptoms. The results, describing an effective network profile of deep brain stimulation has been reported in the journal Annals of Neurology. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established treatment for Parkinson's disease, usually leading to significant improvement in motor symptoms and quality of life. Symptoms such as movement restrictions, muscle rigidity, or tremor can be alleviated using the neurosurgical procedure which places small electrodes into deep structures of the brain. Whether optimal symptom relief is achieved depends on the correct placement of the electrode. Characteristic connectivity patterns … Continue reading →

Despite Parkinsons Disease affecting around 1 million people in the US alone, the degenerative disease can be difficult to live with. We Have Parkinsons, one of the growing support and research groups in the US dedicated to helping those live with the disease, has offered those who may feel isolated and struggling with daily tasks tips for living with their illness. The first port of call for sufferers is to ask for help. Many feel that seeking help is a sign of weakness, but as Parkinsons becomes more well-known, many individuals are much more informed and educated on the topic, meaning theyre often more sympathetic to those suffering. Speaking about the illness, Jon Sherman, CEO, from We Have Parkinsons, said, Not long ago, not an awful lot was known about Parkinsons, but as treatments have developed, and more people with Parkinsons have spoken about their experiences, there is a growing awareness of the disease. As a result, friends, family and colleagues increasingly will know how to help those struggling. Therefore, anyone who may be struggling with new symptoms, or those whose quality of life is gradually deteriorating, will often find that asking loved ones and even strangers for help can … Continue reading →

UNLVs Brach Poston is exploring how low levels of electrical stimulation may contribute to improved motor performance in people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsons disease. And how did he choose this scientific path? Foresight. After earning a masters degree in exercise physiology from UNLV and a doctorate at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Poston began a postdoctoral program at Arizona State University. There he learned about brain stimulation, immediately recognizing its potential as the next big thing in his field. I was introduced to the methods of transcranial magnetic stimulation [TMS] and transcranial direct current brain stimulation [tDCS], Poston says. I saw tDCS as a promising [way] to help people, and I was fortunate enough to be admitted to a postdoc program at the National Institutes of Health [NIH], where I was able to learn about this type of stimulation. Poston spent the next year and a half studying how to use multiple noninvasive brain-stimulation techniques. After reviewing studies from other scientists, he became convinced that, as he puts it, tDCS was most likely to be the best noninvasive stimulation option for aiding those with Parkinsons disease. Parkinsons is a disease of the basal ganglia, an area of the … Continue reading →

Researchers are working to revive a radical treatment for Parkinsons disease. The treatment involves transplanting healthy brain cells to replace cells killed off by the disease. Its an approach that was tried decades ago and then set aside after disappointing results. During the 1980s and 1990s, researchers used cells taken directly from the brains of aborted fetuses to treat hundreds of Parkinsons patientsFor some patients, the transplanted fetal cells produced dramatic improvements. But rigorous studies eventually showed that many other patients were not helped. And some developed an unwelcome side effect: uncontrolled movements. So in 2003, researchers declared a moratorium on transplants for Parkinsons. To prevent that sort of problem, scientistshave spent the past dozen years figuring out how to turn stem cells into pure lines of dopamine cells in the lab. Unlike the transplanted fetal cells, these cells are an exact replacement for the neurons that produce dopamine in an adult brain, So you are confident that everything you are putting in the patients brain will consist of right type of cell, says Viviane Tabar, a neurosurgeon and stem cell biologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect … Continue reading →

In Brief Researchers have used transplanted choroid plexus brain cells from pigs to treat people with Parkinson's disease with promising results. Placebo-controlled trials have now begun in what may be the a step toward a treatment for millions of people. Neurochemical Reboot New Zealand biotech company Living Cell Technologies has developed a treatment for Parkinsons disease using choroid plexus cells from pigs. These cells are found in the area of the brain that manufactures a mix of signaling molecules and growth factors that maintain nerve health, so the researchers transplanted the healthy cells from pig donors into four human subjects. 18 months post surgery, the results are still promising, so researchers began a placebo-controlled trial in 18 additional patients in May. Parkinsons disease is characterized by the progressive loss of dopamine-making brain cells. Dopamine itself helps the brain control movement in the body. The aim of this treatment is to nourish existing healthy brain cells in recipients to slow or prevent further loss. Thus far, the technique has proven successful in the treatment of rats with a species-specific corollary of Parkinsons disease. Its putting in a little neurochemical factory to promote new nerve cell growth and repair, Ken Taylor of … Continue reading →