Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

It was a twitch in his finger that led John Orcutt to go to the doctor's office. His diagnosis shocked and scared him. "There was a certain amount of denial and fatalism that sets in because the common knowledge that Parkinson's ultimately a terminal disorder," said John Orcutt, a Parkinson's Disease patient. Orcutt was diagnosed with Parkinson's five years ago. He had to take an early retirement in early 2014. "Some of the challenges are in terms of dressing. That's what I notice the most, when I try to do shirt button. With the tremor in the hand, it makes it difficult to do that," said Orcutt. Most recently Orcutt has noticed changes in his speech. Some research says about 90 percent of people with Parkinson's have speech problems. "The actual physiology of how the vocal folds are moving changes, so that impacts how the sound is coming out, so people aren't able to get that nice, clear sound that they can communicate with because of weakness. They also have a perceptual component where they are not able to hear themselves correctly so they continue to get quieter and quieter," said Jeanmaire Ripke, MS,CCSLP, a speech language pathologist. But speech … Continue reading →

We rely on our brains for every movement we make, whether writing, walking, talking or even sleeping. But a serious brain disorder like Parkinsons disease can rob a person of the ability to do everyday tasks that many of us take for granted. Theres no cure, but treatment can help. And researchers continue to seek new understanding to improve medical care. Parkinsons disease evolves gradually over time. The early signs may be barely noticeable. A persons movements may change slightly. You might notice slowness, rigidity or difficulty balancing or walking. The persons face may lack expression or handwriting may become small and cramped. Eventually, these changes can become more severe and interfere with daily life. It might become harder to sleep, think, eat, speak, smell and make decisions. As the disease worsens, symptoms may become difficult to control. Parkinsons disease usually arises after age 50, but can also appear earlier in life. It affects about 600,000 people nationwide. As Americans age, the number of people with Parkinsons disease is expected to rise dramatically. Parkinsons disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, which means that brain cells gradually malfunction and die. The disease damages brain cells that make a chemical called dopamine. The … Continue reading →

Parkinson's Disease can have debilitating effects when it comes to walking and coordination. Jennifer Gruenberg hasn't had those effects, but she has started feeling some of the invisible symptoms, including sleep problems and mood disorders. "Right now, Parkinson's is sort of eating up my day, every day because I don't feel good when it comes time to take my next pill," said Gruenberg. "In the period when the pill is wearing off, my head feels foggy. My body is achy and I know that I've taken another pill but it could take 45 minutes to an hour to kick in." That's one of the big problems of the medications that are on the market. A main area of clinical trials and study is looking at the best medications. "There's a variety of drug studies looking at both motor symptom control as well as non-motor symptoms. Many of these are looking at new formulations or combinations of drugs that we already use to see if we can get a little bit of incremental benefit. But there are some exciting advances where we're looking at brand new approaches to trying to slow the progression of the disease," said University of Rochester Medical … Continue reading →

Parkinson's Disease can have debilitating effects when it comes to walking and coordination. Jennifer Gruenberg hasn't had those effects, but she has started feeling some of the invisible symptoms, including sleep problems and mood disorders. "Right now, Parkinson's is sort of eating up my day, every day because I don't feel good when it comes time to take my next pill," said Gruenberg. "In the period when the pill is wearing off, my head feels foggy. My body is achy and I know that I've taken another pill but it could take 45 minutes to an hour to kick in." That's one of the big problems of the medications that are on the market. A main area of clinical trials and study is looking at the best medications. "There's a variety of drug studies looking at both motor symptom control as well as non-motor symptoms. Many of these are looking at new formulations or combinations of drugs that we already use to see if we can get a little bit of incremental benefit. But there are some exciting advances where we're looking at brand new approaches to trying to slow the progression of the disease," said University of Rochester Medical … Continue reading →

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a painless treatment strategy that uses weak electrical currents to deliver targeted stimulation to the brain via electrodes placed on the scalp. tDCS has shown promise in treating mood, anxiety, cognition, and some symptoms of Parkinson's disease. A new study published in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry now shows that using tDCS to target the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain region involved in the control of attention, improves the ability of healthy volunteers to modify their attention to threat. Individuals with anxiety have a tendency to pay greater attention to threatening stimuli in their environment. In other words, they have a bias towards threatening information that contributes to their higher levels of anxiety. In addition to pharmacotherapy, cognitive training techniques are also used to treat anxiety. One of these techniques, called attention bias modification or ABM, specifically targets this pattern of bias. Thus, it seems reasonable to hypothesize that neurostimulation targeted at an attention-controlling region of the brain would increase the effectiveness of ABM. Researchers led by first author Dr. Patrick Clarke, at the University of Western Australia, tested this theory. A total of 77 healthy volunteers received either active tDCS or sham … Continue reading →

Make sure to stay tuned for Part 2 of the series Prognosis for Parkinson's. Tomorrow features some of the latest treatments for Parkinson's disease, as well as those still in the clinical trial phase. Every day, medical advancements make life a little easier for those living with illnesses. This week, Time Warner Cable News will be bringing you a five-part series called Prognosis for Parkinson's. The series will discuss new treatment options, the importance of physical fitness and support for caregivers. In this first part, reporter Katie Gibas provides some tips on how to improve daily living with Parkinson's disease. Norman Hunneyman was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease five years ago, the brain disorder that leads to shaking and difficulty with movement and coordination, as well as depression and other non-motor symptoms. "You can see that I have a sense of humor and that's very important when you have these illnesses, to keep that sense of humor," said Hunneyman, of Sackets Harbor. "Don't take yourself too seriously. They may think that because I have a sense of humor, I don't realize what the hell this disease really is. It's awful and it's no walk in the rose garden. But you can … Continue reading →

LCT completes patient implants in Parkinsons trial Sydney & Auckland, 15 December 2014 - Living Cell Technologies Limited today announced that the final patient has been successfully implanted in its Phase I/IIa clinical trial of regenerative cell therapy NTCELL for Parkinsons disease. The operation took place at Auckland City Hospital last week. The Phase I/IIa clinical trial, led by Dr Barry Snow, is an open-label investigation of the safety and clinical effects of NTCELL in patients who no longer respond to current therapy. Dr Snow MBChB, FRACP, FRCPC, leads the Auckland Movement Disorders Clinic at the Auckland District Health Board and is an internationally recognised clinician and researcher in Parkinsons disease. LCT anticipates presenting the results of the 26-week trial at the 19th International Congress of Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorders in San Diego in June 2015. Dr Ken Taylor, chief executive, notes that the success of the implant procedure means that LCTs clinical programme remains on track. The treatment phase of the trial has been completed on schedule. We believe NTCELL has the potential to be the first disease-modifying treatment for patients who are failing the current conventional treatment for Parkinsons disease, said Dr Taylor. About Living Cell Technologies … Continue reading →

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was admitted to an undisclosed hospital Saturday with pneumonia, his spokesman Bob Gunnell said. Alis treatment prognosis is good, he said. Ali, who suffers from Parkinsons disease, is being treated by his team of doctors and is in stable condition, Gunnell said in a statement. The illness was caught early, and Ali, 72, is not expected to be in the hospital for long. At this time, the Muhammad Ali family respectfully requests privacy, the statement said. Ali was born Cassius Clay and won an Olympic gold medal as a light-heavyweight at age 18. In 1964, he became world heavyweight champion in an upset victory against then champion Sonny Liston, according to Alis official website. Shortly thereafter changed his name to Muhammad Ali to reflect his conversion to Islam. The boxer was also known for his protest against the Vietnam War and refusal to be drafted into service out of religious conviction. He retired from boxing in 1981 and announced his diagnosis with Parkinsons Disease three years later. Read more from the original source: Muhammad Ali in hospital with pneumonia … Continue reading →

Getty Researchers have shown in trials with rats that mobility can be restored despite the degenerative condition. The experiments have not yet been caried out on humans but scientists say the results show a measurable and repeatable basis to fight Parkinsons disease. The Mexican study, led by Jorge Aceves Ruiz, uses stem cells to generate a type of nerve cells known as dopaminergic. They reactivate the production of dopamine, which promotes movement, in the brain of rats with symptoms of Parkinsons disease. Our treatment has allowed us to recover these motor impairments Jorge Aceves Ruiz The ailment is a major degenerative disease of the bodys motor system. About 127,000 people in Britain suffer the illness. Doctor Ruiz, of the Centre for Research and Advanced Studies in Mexico City said: Our treatment has allowed us to recover these motor impairments. Go here to see the original: Doctors hail breakthrough in Parkinsons disease which means patients could walk again … Continue reading →

Patients with Parkinson's, medics and carers have identified the top ten priorities for research into the management of the condition in a study by the University of East Anglia and Parkinson's UK. Commissioned by Parkinson's UK, people with direct and indirect personal experience of the condition worked together to identify crucial gaps in the existing evidence to address everyday practicalities in the management of the complexities of Parkinson's. Patients stated that the overarching research aspiration was an effective cure for Parkinson's but whilst waiting for this more research was needed into the management of the condition. Top of the list, which was narrowed down from a list of 94 uncertainties, was the need to identify what treatments help reduce balance problems and falls in people with Parkinson's. This was followed in second place by questioning what approaches are helpful for reducing stress and anxiety in patients, and what treatments help reduce involuntary movements -- a side effect of some medications -- in third place. Also outlined in the top ten research priorities for Parkinson's management, published today on BMJ Open, are better monitoring methods, improving sleep quality and the need to develop interventions specific to the different types of Parkinson's … Continue reading →