Latest News In Parkinson Disease: Treatment Progress Cognition Improvements And More
An overview of the latest news in Parkinson disease reported across MJH Life Sciences.
An overview of the latest news in Parkinson disease reported across MJH Life Sciences.
FDA Approves Investigational NDA for Ketamine in Levodopa-Induced Dykinesia
As the gold standard of treatment for PD, levodopa effectively reduces parkinsonian symptoms, although long-term use has been linked with several adverse events. Chief among these, frequency of OFF time and abnormal involuntary movements, known as levodopa-induced dyskinesia , have been shown to significantly impact quality of life and treatment efficacy.
There are no approved treatments to address LID however, an article by NeurologyLive® indicates there may be some progress in addressing this issue. Last week, the FDA approved PharmaTher Holdings investigational new drug application for ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-modulating drug, in the treatment of LID in patients with PD.
A phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of ketamine compared with the active control treatment of midazolam is expected to begin patient enrollment in the third quarter of this year. Pending success, the manufacturer noted that it will seek an agreement with the FDA to proceed to a phase 3 clinical study next year.
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The First Step Of Many
Meanwhile, scientists have been looking into alternate ways of stimulating dopamine production.
The team from the University of Helsinki conducted experiments in cell lines and mouse models to see whether a newly discovered molecule that is similar to GDNF could be more effective.
They found that the molecule BT13 was indeed able to boost dopamine in the brains of mice.It also appeared to protect the brain cells tasked with dopamine production from dying off and, unlike GDNF, it was able to bypass the blood-brain barrier.
One of the biggest challenges for Parkinsons research is how to get drugs past the blood-brain barrier, so the exciting discovery of BT13 has opened up a new avenue for research to explore, and the molecule holds great promise as a way to slow or stop Parkinsons, comments Prof. Dexter, who was not involved in the current research.
Still, the specialist affiliated with Parkinsons UK points out, there is much work ahead of the researchers before they can confirm that the new approach works in humans.
More research is needed to turn BT13 into a treatment to be tested in clinical trials, to see if it really could transform the lives of people living with Parkinsons, he acknowledges.
Yulia Sidorova, Ph.D. the studys co-lead researcher agrees, noting that she and colleagues are already hard at work toward this end.
Our ultimate goal is to progress these compounds to clinical trials in a few coming years.
Yulia Sidorova, Ph.D.
What New Treatments Are Being Developed
Thanks to the progress we’ve already made, new treatments are being tested in clinical trials that have the potential to slow, stop or even reverse Parkinson’s.
These include:
- stem cell therapies, which aim to use healthy, living cells to replace or repair the damage in the brains of people with Parkinson’s
- gene therapies, which use the power of genetics to reprogramme cells and change their behaviour to help them stay healthy and work better for longer
- growth factors , which are naturally occurring molecules that support the growth, development and survival of brain cells.
And we’re developing treatments that aim to improve life with the condition, including new drugs that can reduce dyskinesia.
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What Are The Different Stages Of Parkinsons Disease
Each person with Parkinsons disease experiences symptoms in in their own unique way. Not everyone experiences all symptoms of Parkinsons disease. You may not experience symptoms in the same order as others. Some people may have mild symptoms others may have intense symptoms. How quickly symptoms worsen also varies from individual to individual and is difficult to impossible to predict at the outset.
In general, the disease progresses from early stage to mid-stage to mid-late-stage to advanced stage. This is what typically occurs during each of these stages:
Early stage
Early symptoms of Parkinsons disease are usually mild and typically occur slowly and do not interfere with daily activities. Sometimes early symptoms are not easy to detect or you may think early symptoms are simply normal signs of aging. You may have fatigue or a general sense of uneasiness. You may feel a slight tremor or have difficulty standing.
Often, a family member or friend notices some of the subtle signs before you do. They may notice things like body stiffness or lack of normal movement slow or small handwriting, lack of expression in your face, or difficulty getting out of a chair.
Mid stage
Mid-late stage
Standing and walking are becoming more difficult and may require assistance with a walker. You may need full time help to continue to live at home.
Advanced stage
Parkinsons disease has four main symptoms:
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Advances In Deep Brain Stimulation
Deep brain stimulation is another established treatment for PD that is useful in treating dopamine-dependent motor symptoms when levodopa-induced side effects become particularly problematic. DBS involves the surgical implantation of electrodes that stimulate subcortical structures including the subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus internus. DBS offers significant improvements in motor symptoms and fluctuations in comparison to best medical therapy in some advanced PD patients, but dopamine-resistant symptoms other than tremor respond poorly. It has also been suggested in an open-label trial that DBS is beneficial in early PD patients, with improved tremor scores and reduced development ofde novo tremor. In addition to surgical complications, DBS strategies may cause cognitive and neuropsychiatric adverse effects as well as speech dysfunction. Novel DBS approaches, including adaptive DBS, targeting different regions, and refined intra-operative imaging techniques promise to offer improved clinical applicability and reduce the impact of adverse effects.
Foods High In Saturated Fat
The role that foods high in saturated fats play in Parkinsons progression is still under investigation and is often conflicting. We might eventually discover that there are certain types of saturated fats that actually help people with Parkinsons.
Some limited research does show that ketogenic, low-protein diets were beneficial for some with Parkinsons. Other research finds high saturated fat intake worsened risk.
But in general, foods that have been fried or heavily processed alter your metabolism, increase blood pressure, and impact your cholesterol. None of those things are good for your body, especially if youre trying to treat Parkinsons.
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A Future Treatment For Parkinsons
This means that, in the future, researchers may be able to develop a more effective and less invasive treatment for Parkinsons disease in humans.
Current Parkinsons treatments focus on managing the condition by using drugs, but these often have significant side effects, and they typically become ineffective after 5 years.
Alternative treatments include deep brain stimulation, which is an invasive procedure that releases electronic pulses in a persons brain. However, the results from this procedure are mixed, which researchers believe is because it affects all cells in a persons brain, rather than only the specific cells that Parkinsons affects.
What makes the new findings promising is the fact that the treatment is both noninvasive and targeted, producing excellent results in rats.
As Dr. Pienaar explains, For the highest chance of recovery, treatments need to be focused and targeted but that requires a lot more research and understanding of exactly how Parkinsons operates and how our nerve systems work.
While this sort of gene therapy still needs to be tested on humans, our work can provide a solid platform for future bioengineering projects.
Whats New In Parkinsons: September 2020
Fall has arrived with cooler temperatures and a wealth of new discoveries about Parkinsons. Weve rounded up some of the most important articles, podcasts, research, and living well stories that hit the news this month for you to check out. Let us know if we missed anything important. Happy reading!
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If I Am Unhappy With My Treatment Can I Seek A Second Opinion
Each country has its own agreed process to follow if you are unhappy with your treatment. Who you complain to will depend on which part of your treatment you are unhappy with. If it is not your own doctor you are unhappy with, then it is usually a good idea to talk to them first.
If you are unhappy with your own doctor you may find it helpful to contact a patient advice service or patient liaison organisation. The Parkinsons association in your country should be able to provide contacts and advice this website contains the contact details for Our members and Other Parkinsons organisations.
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Latest Treatments For Parkinsons Disease
Researchers still have much to learn about Parkinsons disease. As researchers continue to work hard in the fight against this disease, the lessons they learn may lead to new, innovative treatments.
Parkinsons disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra area of the brain, advises the Parkinsons Foundation. Even though the disease itself is not fatal, PD is a serious condition one which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rates as the 14th most common cause of death in the United States due to the diseases related complications.
PD symptoms affect autonomous functions and the ability to move limbs. The Mayo Clinic notes that most people with PD may show little or no expression, speech may become slurred, arms may not swing when one walks, and stiffness and gait issues may become apparent. PD can affect balance and posture as well.
There is no cure for PD, but there are many different treatments that can slow its progress and reduce symptoms.
WebMD says new treatments for PD give individuals continued hope. Heres a look at some of the potential options.
Stem cell usagetem cells can turn into any type of cell, and there is hope that they can transform into the dopamine-producing neurons used to treat PD. But there is increased risk of involuntary movement from too much dopamine with this treatment. Stem cell therapy also may present ethical and moral issues with some patients.
Signal Contributor
What Will A Cure For Parkinson’s Look Like
Because Parkinson’s varies so much from person to person, there may not be a single ‘cure’.
Instead we may need a range of different therapies to meet the needs of the individual and their specific form of the condition.
This mix may include treatments, therapies and strategies that can:
- slow or stop the progression of the condition
- replace or repair lost or damaged brain cells
- control and manage particular symptoms
- diagnose Parkinson’s at the earliest possible stage.
And this could involve medical treatments, such as drugs and surgical approaches, as well as lifestyle changes, for example to diet and exercise.
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Exercise May Improve Outcomes
Researchers continue to find evidence that exercise is helpful in Parkinsons disease. Exercise induces the production of neurotrophic factors, reduces oxidative stress, decreases neuroinflammation, and improves cerebral blood flow. For these reasons, exercise might provide neuroprotection.
Improvements in activity-monitoring technology have made tracking activity easier and data collection quicker. Also, sample sizes required for exercise studies have decreased.
The National Parkinsons Foundation is sponsoring the Parkinsons Outcome Project, a longitudinal registry that collects outcomes data on 9,000 international participants annually. Early in the course of this , it became clear that patients who exercised did better, said Dr. Davis. Whether exercise caused improved outcomes was uncertain, however. Physicians have begun encouraging the sedentary study participants to exercise, and the rate of decline has slowed for the patients who began exercising.
We do not have enough information now to give people exercise prescriptions, said Dr. Davis. But activity in general is so much better than inactivity that we just tell patients to find something that they like and do it.
Erik Greb
The Parkinsons Disease Medication Pipeline
The pipeline for Parkinsons disease medications is extremely crowded these days, with multiple medications at various stages of research development. This is very exciting news for the PD community and is a perfect example of the hope in progress part of our organizations motto. It is thrilling to see the research that is underway, especially the potential treatments that have already made it to the clinical trial phase of development. However, this progress brings with it the welcome challenge of keeping track of all the potential compounds that are in research development! Recently, a review was published in the Journal of Parkinsons Disease which cataloged the 145 compounds that are currently being studied in humans via clinical trials for PD. This is a staggering number and is even more exceptional when you consider the many more compounds that are not quite yet ready for human trials, but are currently being studied in the laboratory in test tubes, cell culture or animal models of PD. The number also does not account for compounds that have been studied in small clinical trials, garnered promising data, and will be studied in larger clinical trials in the near future but are not being tested in clinical trials right now.
Some background on the review
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Functional Exercise For Chronic/persistent Pain
There are some simple exercises that you can try around the house to help:
- If you experience pain in your legs, keep them strong by practising standing up and sitting down in a chair.
- If your shoulders are aching, start by loosening them with some shoulder rolling actions, then by lifting an object that is slightly weighty from a shelf, and then replacing it. This increases the range of movement in your back, shoulders and arms, and then your strength.
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Why Isnt There A Greater Awareness Of Parkinsons Disease Psychosis
Its not uncommon for people with Parkinsons disease psychosis to remain silent about their experiences.2,4,9 In fact, only 10% to 20% actually report their symptoms to their physicians.4-9 Work continues to be done to raise awareness of this condition. You can find more information on the non-motor symptoms associated with Parkinsons disease here.
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#aanam Faster Relief Found With Kynmobi Than Levodopa In Off Episodes
These data provide a deeper understanding of the patient treatment experience and reinforce the previously-reported tolerability of Kynmobi for the on-demand treatment of PD OFF episodes, said William G. Ondo, MD, director of the movement disorders clinic at Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston, Texas, and one of the investigators of the CTH-301 study.
The experience of acute nausea in Kynmobi trials was largely mild in nature and rarely impacted successful titration or treatment continuity, even in the absence of antiemetic treatment, Ondo added.
A third poster, titled Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Apomorphine Sublingual Film for OFF Episodes in Parkinsons Disease: Europe vs. North America, will present data from up to 48 weeks of use of Kynmobi in European versus North American patients enrolled in the CTH-301 study.
The analysis showed that the overall incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events was similar between both groups 81% in Europeans and 84% in North American patients.
Patients from Europe, however, experienced lower rates of nausea, dizziness, orthostatic hypotension , and somnolence, or sleepiness.
The majority of patients across both regions achieved a fully on response within 30 minutes of taking Kynmobi through the 48 weeks.
Research on Kynmobi is being presented in five additional posters at MDS 2021. The abstracts of all posters are available here.
How Can I Get Help
First and most importantly, if you find yourself experiencing symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions, speak out. It is essential to talk about your full range of Parkinsons disease symptoms with your treatment team. A dialogue among patients, care partners, and physicians is a critical component of the effective management of your condition.
References: 1. Forsaa EB, Larsen JP, Wentzel-Larsen T, et al. A 12-year population-based study of psychosis in Parkinsons disease. Arch Neurol. 2010 67:996-1001. 2. Ravina B, Marder I Neural Neursurg Psychiatry. 2011 70:734-738. 4. Fenelon G, Mahieux F, Huon M, Ziegler M. Hallucinations in Parkinsons disease: prevalence, phenomenology and risk factors. Brain. 2000 123:733-745. 5. Wolters ECh. PD- related psychosis: pathophysiology with therapeutical strategies. J Neural Transm. 2006 71:31-37. 6. Goldman JG, Holden S. Treatment of psychosis and dementia in Parkinsons disease. Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2014 16: 281. 7. Goldman JG, Vaughan C, Goetz CG. An update expert opinion on management and researcl, strategies in Parkinsons disease psychosis. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2011 12:2009-2024. 8. Data on file, ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. 9. Fenelon G, Alves G. Epidemiology of psychosis in Parkinsons disease. } Neurol Sci. 2010 289:12-17.
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Natural Homeopathic Treatments For Parkinsons Disease Really
Many people find it hard to believe in natural treatments for Parkinsons disease, and with good reason. If you have been newly diagnosed, you will likely find information on natural, homeopathic treatment for Parkinsons disease all over the Internet. But do these treatments work or are they just a scam? Lets explore the more credible natural treatments for Parkinsons disease while dispelling some of the myths.
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