Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

The evolution of the disease is monitored in real time and sent to the doctor to improve the prescription of medication The first portable system for monitoring patients with Parkinson's disease is being tested on 50 people from different countries The REMPARK European telemedicine project is coordinated by the Universitat Politcnica de Catalunya and has a budget of about 5 million. Also participating are the Hospital Quirn Teknon, Telefnica I+D, the European Parkinson's Disease Association and research centres and companies from Germany, Portugal, Italy, Israel, Ireland and Sweden. Parkinson's disease is the second neurodegenerative disease in number of patients after Alzheimer's disease. The Technical Research Centre for Dependency Care and Autonomous Living (CETpD) of the Universitat Politcnica de Catalunya has developed a pioneering portable system for monitoring the motor status of Parkinson's disease patients in real time. The system also determines the status of patients while they are walking or during their daily activities and acts when the person has gait problems such as slowing or freezing. This system is being developed within the European project REMPARK (Personal Health Device for the Remote and Autonomous Management of Parkinson's Disease), coordinated by the CETpD. The project's aim is to improve the … Continue reading →

A Coventry grandfather has been denied access to a so-called wonder drug that could help reverse the effects of years of damage that Parkinson's Disease has ravaged on his body. Edward Reilly, known to his friends as Eamonn, was diagnosed with the progressive disease 16 years ago. He has now been told the NHS will not pay for him to at least try the breakthrough drug Duodopa which could ease his symptoms. Duodopa which is only prescribed as a last resort treatment option where other medications have failed is said to help control involuntary movements, night-time symptoms and help curtail 'off' periods. But last year NHS England announced the drug would not be routinely available on the NHS, meaning doctors have to make long and bureaucratic applications on a case-by-case basis. At present Eamonn, from Eastern Green, suffers with near paralysis at night. His wife Carol said: He hardly moves after 8.30pm. He also has a lot of off time when he cant move his legs. The cost of treatment using Duodopa for one year would be 26,000. Duodopa is a last resort treatment for Eamonn who has been declared unsuitable for all other treatment, due to his poor balance … Continue reading →

A Parkinson's disease sufferer has been denied access to a so-called wonder drug that could reverse the effects of years of damage on his body. Edward Reilly, known to his friends as Eamonn, was diagnosed with the progressive disease 16 years ago. The Coventry grandfather has now been told the NHS will not pay for him to at least try the breakthrough drug Duodopa which could ease his symptoms. Duodopa which is only prescribed as a last resort treatment option where other medications have failed is said to help control involuntary movements, night-time symptoms and help curtail 'off' periods. But last year NHS England announced the drug would not be routinely available on the NHS, meaning doctors have to make long and bureaucratic applications on a case-by-case basis. At present Eamonn, from Eastern Green, suffers with near paralysis at night, reports the Coventry Telegraph. Suffering: Eamonn and Carol with the letter from the NHS His wife Carol said: He hardly moves after 8.30pm. He also has a lot of off time when he cant move his legs. The cost of treatment using Duodopa for one year would be 26,000. Duodopa is a last resort treatment for Eamonn who has been … Continue reading →

Researchers have long sought treatments that can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. Current treatments have for decades been only symptomatic in nature, supplying the neurotransmitter dopamine, which the dying nerve cells can no longer produce. Results from a recent clinical study offer hope that future therapies could take advantage of the brain's own protective mechanisms to limit neuronal cell death and restore dopamine production to natural levels. Researchers at Lund University and Karolinska Institutet have, in a first-in-human clinical study with twelve participating patients, applied a growth factor to the brain with the hope of preserving dopaminergic cells and fibers. The growth factor, PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor), has previously demonstrated, in studies in animals with Parkinson-like symptoms, reparative effects on both neurons and nerve fibers, while also leading to improved motor skills. The results of the current study in patients show that applying the growth factor does not cause any serious unresolvable side effects. Perhaps even more encouraging are the images of the patients' brains, produced four months after the delivery of the growth factor. Using a PET scanner, researchers have seen that in patients who received the growth factor the signaling of dopamine not only stayed at the … Continue reading →

Britain's most badly injured surviving soldier has felt his legs again for the first time in EIGHT years after undergoing a pioneering new treatment. Former paratrooper Ben Parkinson was maimed eight years ago when the Land Rover he was travelling hit a mine in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The blast broke his back in three places and punctured his lungs. Every single rib was broken, his spleen was ruptured and his cheek, nose and jaw were smashed. Ben, then 22, was left in a coma for four months during which surgeons removed both his legs above the knees. He also lost his speech and was left with debilitating brain injuries. But after a month undergoing the new treatment he is now able to walk up to TWO miles a day and his speech is showing marked improvement. Mum Diane, 57, says his family have been astounded by his progress. Ben, now 30, woke up one night after feeling his legs for the first time in eight YEARS. Diane said: "It's absolutely marvellous. We could count about 20 changes in the past month - some big, some small. "He's now walking about a mile and a half to two miles a day … Continue reading →

Physical therapists and speech language pathologists at Nash Day Hospital recently were trained and certified in an evidence-based treatment approach for people with Parkinsons disease. The two-day training and certification workshops, known as LSVT BIG for physical therapists and LSVT LOUD for speech language pathologists, are designed to train rehabilitation therapists in the treatment of Parkinsons disease and other neurological disorders. The training helps them educate and assist patients and their families in how to better manage the disease and improve their quality of life. Physical therapists Caitlin McKisson and Marcy Carlini received their LSVT LOUD certifications and speech language pathologists LaShawn Elam and Tina Campbell received their LSVT BIG certifications. Their attendance was funded by a grant from the National Parkinsons Foundation. Campbell said that a tremor in one hand, arm or foot may be the first and most noticeable symptom of Parkinsons, but the disease has many symptoms. These include softer, sometimes slurred speech and a change in gait going from a normal walk to a rigid shuffle with less arm swinging. LSVT BIG for physical therapists focuses on improving movement, balance and walking by utilizing movements perceived by the patient as exaggerated, but appearing normal to others. … Continue reading →

St. Augustine, Florida (PRWEB) February 14, 2015 The St. Augustine Parkinsons Disease Support Group will welcome guest speakers Amanda Griener, a physical therapist at STARS Rehab, and Rosemary Brigham, a speech-language pathologist at Brooks Rehabilitation, to its monthly meeting on Saturday, Feb. 21, to discuss how people with Parkinsons can use both the BIG and LOUD therapies to increase mobility and vocal quality. The event is free and open to the public. Amanda Griener is a trained practitioner of the BIG method of treatment, a high-intensity, physical training designed to increase amplitude of limb and body movement for those with Parkinsons and other neurological diseases. Griener holds a Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Rosemary Brigham is a speech-language pathologist who specializes in the LOUD method of treatment, which improves vocal loudness by stimulating the muscles of the voice box and speech mechanism through a systematic order of exercises. Griener and Brigham are well-known clinicians in the St. Augustine area and the surrounding communities with extensive experience treating patients with Parkinsons. Both have spoken to the St. Augustine Parkinsons Disease Support Group separately in the past, but Februarys meeting brings them, and … Continue reading →

Involuntary dyskinetic movements induced by treatment with levodopa (L-dopa) are a common problem for people with Parkinson's disease. Now, however, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Lund University in Sweden seem to be close to a novel therapy to this distressing side effect. A treatment study published in the scientific periodical Brain shows that a drug that stimulates certain serotonin receptors in the brain counteracts the dyskinesia causing effects of L-dopa. The substance tested by the team, eltoprazine, is a so-called serotonin receptor agonist that targets receptor types 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of many biological phenomena, such as satiation, sleep and mental wellbeing, as well as movement. Earlier research on animal models for Parkinson's conducted by Anders Bjorklund, professor of histology at Lund University, and Per Svenningsson, professor of neurology at Karolinska Institutet, showed promising results using serotonin receptor agonists against L-dopa-induced hyperkinesia, and have prompted the researchers to examine if the principle also operates in humans. "Eltoprazine has been tested on patients in the psychiatric field, but this is the first time a study has been done with Parkinson's disease," says professor Svenningsson, who led the clinical study with Hakan Widner, professor of … Continue reading →

Treatment with creatine monohydrate for at least 5 years for patients with early and treated Parkinson disease failed to slow clinical progression of the disease, compared with placebo, according to a study in the February 10 issue of JAMA. Parkinson disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects approximately 6 million people worldwide and more than one-half million individuals in the United States. Incidence is expected to increase over the next decade, but neither a cure nor a treatment is available that has been proven to slow progression. Evidence indicates that creatine, an amino acid, plays an important role in cellular energy production, which may be impaired in Parkinson disease. Oral creatine supplementation in mice has suggested a neuroprotective effect, according to information in the article. Karl Kieburtz, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Rochester, Rochester, N.Y., and colleagues, randomly assigned 1,741 men and women with early (within 5 years of diagnosis) and treated (receiving dopaminergic therapy) Parkinson disease to receive placebo or creatine monohydrate (10 g/d) for a minimum of 5 years (maximum follow-up, 8 years). Participants were recruited from 45 investigative sites in the United States and Canada, enrolled from March 2007 to May 2010, and followed up … Continue reading →

The Watermark at 3030 Park will host its monthly Parkinsons Support Group meeting Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 2:30, at the senior living community located at 3030 Park Avenue on the Bridgeport-Fairfield town line. The support group is open to anyone caring for or living with Parkinsons, Alzheimers disease or other forms of memory loss. This months support group will be led by Dr. Rahul Gupta, medical director at The Watermark at 3030 Park. Dr. Gupta will focus his discussion on memory loss as a symptom of Parkinsons, Alzheimers and dementia, addressing the latest research and treatment information. Dr. Guptas will share his expert advice on how those living with or caring for a loved one with Parkinsons, Alzheimers, or dementia can better manage certain challenges and stressors often experienced with memory loss and will be available for a question and answer period at the conclusion of the meeting. We are fortunate to have an expert like Dr. Gupta as part of our staff here at The Watermark. With this months focus on memory loss, we are pleased to be able to open our Parkinsons Support Group to a wider range of attendees and hope that those who need it will … Continue reading →