Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

How can people learn to cope with Parkinson's disease? Although Parkinson's disease progresses slowly, it will eventually affect every aspect of life - from social engagements, work, to basic routines. Accepting the gradual loss of independence can be difficult. Being well informed about the disease can reduce anxiety about what lies ahead. Many support groups offer valuable information for individuals with Parkinson's disease and their families on how to cope with the disorder. Local groups can provide emotional support as well as advice on where to find experienced doctors, therapists, and related information. It is also very important to stay in close contact with health care professionals to monitor the progression of the disease and to adjust therapies to maintain the highest quality of living. Scientists currently believe that Parkinson's disease is triggered through a complex combination of genetic susceptibility and exposure to environmental factors such as toxins, illness, and trauma. Since the exact causes are not known, Parkinson's disease is at present not preventable. The severity of Parkinson's disease symptoms vary greatly from individual to individual and it is not possible to predict how quickly the disorder will progress. Parkinson's disease itself is not a fatal disease, and the … Continue reading →

In-Depth From A.D.A.M. Treatment Drugs, physical therapy, and surgical interventions can manage Parkinson's disease. The goals of treatment for Parkinson's disease are to: Treatment is very individualized for this complicated disease. Patients must work closely with doctors and therapists throughout the course of the disease to customize a program suitable for their particular and changing needs. Patients should never change their medications without consulting their doctor, and they should never stop taking their medications abruptly. No treatment method has been shown to change the course of the disease. For early disease with little or no impairment, active treatment with medications may not be necessary. A number of issues must be considered in choosing medication treatment. These include how effective a specific drug group is in treating symptoms, which symptoms are predominant, side effect profile, loss of effectiveness over time, and other considerations. The American Academy of Neurology recommends the following therapies for the initial treatment of Parkinsons disease: Levodopa (L-dopa). Levodopa, or L-dopa, has been used for years and is the gold standard for treating Parkinson's disease. L-dopa increases brain levels of dopamine. It is probably the most effective drug for controlling symptoms and is used in nearly all phases … Continue reading →

A review of the scientific literature on Parkinson's disease, conducted by SISSA research scientists, shows that even the non-motor symptoms associated with the disease can contribute to the changes in body weight seen in patients (including those subjected to deep brain stimulation). Among the factors affecting eating habits and body weight there could be, for example, an impaired ability to derive pleasure from food and changes in motivation. These are important findings which can help to understand how to reduce these effects of Parkinson's that exacerbate an already negative clinical situation. Patients affected by Parkinson's disease often show marked changes in body weight: they may gain or lose a lot of weight depending on the stage of the disease, or they may put on up to ten kilos after deep brain stimulation (a treatment to alleviate the symptoms). This situation considerably worsens the quality of life of a person who is already suffering from heavily disabling motor disorders, so it is important to understand what are the factors that cause it. "The body weight and eating habits of Parkinson's patients change as the disease progresses," explains Marilena Aiello, SISSA researcher and first author of the study published in the journal … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 20-Nov-2014 Contact: Federica Sgorbissa comunicazione@medialab.sissa.it 0039-040-378-7644 International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA) @sissaschool Patients affected by Parkinson's disease often show marked changes in body weight: they may gain or lose a lot of weight depending on the stage of the disease, or they may put on up to ten kilos after deep brain stimulation (a treatment to alleviate the symptoms). This situation considerably worsens the quality of life of a person who is already suffering from heavily disabling motor disorders, so it is important to understand what are the factors that cause it. "The body weight and eating habits of Parkinson's patients change as the disease progresses", explains Marilena Aiello, SISSA researcher and first author of the study published in the journal Appetite. "In our paper, we reviewed studies on Parkinson's that provided data on the association between non-motor symptoms and dietary habits and body weight. This way, we were able to evaluate some factors which, beyond the motor symptoms and drug treatments, might play a role in this problem". Depression, cognitive impairment, sensory disturbances - chiefly smell and taste -, impaired ability to feel pleasure: all these aspects contribute to incorrect eating habits. "The possible role … Continue reading →

Lysimachos Zografos, a 32-year-old research associate, says: ''We hope to raise 100,000 to kickstart our search. Weve already developed a fast and efficient way of testing compounds by using genetically modified fruit flies. With funding in place, we can begin examining existing drugs, developed for other conditions, to see if they could be useful in the treatment of Parkinsons, a process known as repurposing. New therapies for Parkinsons, which affects about 127,000 Britons, are desperately overdue. Most sufferers of this degenerative neurological condition will be treated with Levodopa, a drug developed in the Sixties, which dampens symptoms such as tremor and muscle rigidity, but does not delay progression, and which has side effects including sickness, confusion and even compulsive behaviour. Although most cases affect the over-60s, City worker Dominic Moger, 29, was diagnosed with the condition three years ago. He explains: ''I was terrified when I developed a tremor in my left hand, and I took the diagnosis very badly. I was absolutely petrified at what the future might hold. ''I have had to adjust to gradually worsening symptoms, although thankfully no mental impairment. But the only drugs available are for symptom control, so Parkures crowdfunding effort is very good … Continue reading →

Photo from Parkinsons Disease Foundation Katherine Lewis, a nurse in Silver Spring, ran the Atlantic City Half Marathon in New Jersey to honor her father, who has Parkinsons disease. As many physical fitness fans spend their fall weekends trotting up and down urban streets, a Silver Spring nurse is running with a deeper purpose than mere recreation. Katherine Lewis is running for her father, who has Parkinsons disease Lewis, 26, who lives in Washington, D.C., recently participated in the Atlantic City Half Marathon in Atlantic City, N.J. On Oct. 19, Lewis completed the 13.1 miles in a personal record time of 1 hour, 51 minutes, 12 seconds. I really tried to push myself on this one, said Lewis, who cracked the two-hour barrier in her third half-marathon. This athletic milestone was inspired by a resolve to help raise money for medical research of Parkinsons. According to the national Parkinsons Disease Foundation, Parkinsons, an illness that progressively degrades the nervous system, plagues more than a million people nationwide. This statistic includes Katherines father Jack Lewis, 60, who was diagnosed this past winter. It came as a pretty big shock to us, Katherine Lewis said. He was always pretty fit and healthy. … Continue reading →

Parkinson's Treatment Plan This video is about Parkinson's Treatment Plan. By: Marcel Zardo … Continue reading →

My monkey died as he lived in seclusion, for the benefit of others. His name was r04040. He was euthanized on April 28, 2010, two days after his sixth birthday. More than four years would pass before I made the records request that reacquainted me with his reality, and apprised me of his fate. According to his former keepers, r04040 died serving a greater cause. He may have kept human beings from undergoing treatment that was not only unhelpful but dangerous. The study that led to his death was funded in part by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research. I was there on the day r04040 was born, at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was a rhesus macaque, like about three-quarters of the 2,000 monkeys housed at the UW. These animals live out their lives in small cages, never once seeing the sky or sun or grass or trees. The sign on his incubator said: Born today, rejected by mother, male infant. He was swaddled in a blue blanket. At first I thought he was dead; then he opened his tiny eyes. I may have been the first person he saw. … Continue reading →

Rehovot-based NeuroDerm, which has developed a transdermal drug delivery system for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, is expected to price its Nasdaq IPO this evening. The company is seeking to raise $58-72 million at a company value of $290 million. Jefferies and Cowen & Company are the joint bookrunners on the deal with Oppenheimer and Roth Capital acting as secondary underwriters. The company will trade under the NDRM ticker. NeuroDerm's main shareholders include Omrix Biopharmaceuticals founder Robert Taub (28%) who serves as Chairman, Uwe Wascher (25.9%) a former GE senior executive and close friend of Taub and private investor Prof. Shmuel Cabilly (22.2%), while Capital Point Ltd. (TASE:CPTP) holds 16.6%. NeuroDerm's product for treating Parkinson's disease is set for a Phase III trial in 2015. A product to treat more severe forms of Parkinson's is currently in a Phase IIa trial and if successfully completed will proceed to a Phase IIb trial in 2015. A company with a rival product, Civitas, was recently sold for $525 million. Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - http://www.globes-online.com - on November 13, 2014 Read the rest here: Drug developer NeuroDerm to begin Nasdaq IPO … Continue reading →

By C. Rajan, contributing writer Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have made a major breakthrough in Parkinson's disease treatment by developing stem cell-derived brain cells that can replace the cells lost due to the disease, thus paving the way for the first stem cell transplant treatment for Parkinsons patients. Parkinson's disease, which affects about 10 million people worldwide, is a degenerative nervous system condition which causes tremors, muscle weakness, stiffness, and loss in mobility. Parkinson's is caused by loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. Dopamine is an essential neurotransmitter that is required for regulating movement and emotions. In this study, for the first time ever, the researchers were able to convert human embryonic stem cells into dopamine producing neurons, which behaved like native dopamine cells lost in the disease. The study was led by Malin Parmar, associate professor in Lund's Department of Medicine, and conducted at both Lund University and at MIRCen in Paris as part of the EU networks NeuroStemCell and NeuroStemcellRepair. According to Medical News Today, the researchers produced rat models of Parkinson's disease by destroying the dopamine cells in one part of the rat's brain, and then they transplanted the new dopamine producing stem cell … Continue reading →