What's New In Parkinson's Disease

These Exercises Have Helped With My Sisters Cognitive Issues

Parkinson’s Disease & Medication: Whats new?

My sister Bev, who has stage 3 Parkinsons disease , was diagnosed in 2017. She currently faces cognitive challenges, including issues with decision-making and short-term memory. The Parkinsons Foundation notes that cognitive impairment is common among people with Parkinsons, and the same brain changes that lead to motor symptoms

Michael J Fox Credits His Wife Tracy Pollan For Helping Him Through His Diagnosis And Beyond

When diagnosed with a chronic disease as Michael J. Fox was, it’s only natural to ask, “Why?” Perhaps there’s a comfort in understanding the cause and effect in this situation. Maybe just being able to connect the dots creates some control. However, the “why” is often the most difficult if not impossible factor to determine.

Despite all of the research into Parkinson’s, the exact cause of it remains unknown, according to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Several components are connected to the disease, but like random jigsaw puzzle pieces, it is still not clear how these elements come together to cause Parkinson’s. What we do know is that early-onset Parkinson’s usually has a genetic factor . In fact, research is finding connections between certain genes and the likelihood of developing this form of Parkinson’s disease. Yet, it is possible to have these genes and never develop the disease at any point in your life.

Despite all of the unknowns, Fox has maintained an optimistic outlook in part because of the support of his wife Tracy Pollan. “We didn’t know what to expect,” Fox tells NBC’s Today. “One of the things I’ll always love Tracy for is that at that moment, she didn’t blink.” And according to a teary-eyed Fox, through all the ups and downs that followed, she still hasn’t blinked.

Parkinsons Surveys And Clinical Trials

Park Test University of Rochester

Project Euphonia LSVT Global and Project Euphonia

BouNDless Phase 3 trial to investigate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ND0612, a continuous subcutaneous levodopa/carbidopa delivery system in comparison to oral levodopa/carbidopa in people with Parkinsons experiencing motor fluctuations

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How Is Parkinsons Disease Treated

There is no cure for Parkinsons disease. However, medications and other treatments can help relieve some of your symptoms. Exercise can help your Parkinsons symptoms significantly. In addition, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language therapy can help with walking and balance problems, eating and swallowing challenges and speech problems. Surgery is an option for some patients.

Dementia With Lewy Bodies

Dementia with Lewy bodies, or Lewy Body Dementia, is a particular form of dementia associated with Parkinsons disease. It is caused by Lewy bodies forming in the brain. The condition tends to occur early in the progression of the disease and leads to a progressive deterioration of cognitive functions such as thinking, memory, and judgment.

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What Is Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinsons disease is movement disorder of the nervous system that worsens over time. As nerve cells in parts of the brain weaken or are damaged or die, people may begin to notice problems with movement, tremor, stiffness in the limbs or the trunk of the body, or impaired balance. As these symptoms become more obvious, people may have difficulty walking, talking, or completing other simple tasks. Not everyone with one or more of these symptoms has PD, as the symptoms appear in other diseases as well.

No cure for PD exists today, but research is ongoing and medications or surgery can often provide substantial improvement with motor symptoms.

What Genes Are Linked To Parkinsons Disease

Several genes have been definitively linked to PD:

SNCA. This gene, which makes the protein alpha-synuclein, was the first gene identified to be associated with Parkinsons. Research findings by the National Institutes of Health and other institutions prompted studies of the role of alpha-synuclein in PD, which led to the discovery that Lewy bodies seen in all cases of PD contain clumps of alpha-synuclein. This discovery revealed the link between hereditary and sporadic forms of the disease.
LRRK2. Mutations in LRRK2 were originally identified in several English and Basque families as a cause of a late-onset PD. Subsequent studies have identified mutations of this gene in other families with PD as well as in a small percentage of people with apparently sporadic PD. LRRK2 mutations are a major cause of PD in North Africa and the Middle East.
DJ-1. This gene normally helps regulate gene activity and protect cells from oxidative stress and can cause rare, early forms of PD.
PRKN . The parkin gene is translated into a protein that normally helps cells break down and recycle proteins.
PINK1. PINK1 codes for a protein active in mitochondria. Mutations in this gene appear to increase susceptibility to cellular stress. PINK1 has been linked to early forms of PD.
GBA . Mutations in GBA cause Gaucher disease , but different changes in this gene are associated with an increased risk for Parkinsons disease as well.

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Brain Waves And Parkinsons: A Possible Link To The Flicker Effect

While searching for a way to communicate telepathically, German psychiatrist Hans Berger invented the EEG machine to measure pulsating electrical brain activity in 1924. Professing my ignorance, I know more about telepathy as advanced empathy from my PhD thesis than I do about electroencephalography, or EEG. Seldom do I

Star Molecule To Restore Gcase Activity Showing Early Potential

New Frontiers in Parkinson’s Disease Research and Care

An oral candidate therapy for Parkinsons disease called GT-02287 lowered the levels of alpha-synuclein accumulation and inflammation, and lessened behavioral deficits in animal models of the disease. We are working diligently to advance this breakthrough compound to the clinic and bring it one step closer to meeting the currently unaddressed needs

Is Early Diagnosis Possible

Experts are becoming more aware of symptoms of Parkinsons that precede physical manifestations. Clues to the disease that sometimes show up before motor symptoms and before a formal diagnosis are called prodromal symptoms. These include the loss of sense of smell, a sleep disturbance called REM behavior disorder, ongoing constipation thats not otherwise explained and mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression.

Research into these and other early symptoms holds promise for even more sensitive testing and diagnosis.

For example, biomarker research is trying to answer the question of who gets Parkinsons disease. Researchers hope that once doctors can predict that a person with very early symptoms will eventually get Parkinsons disease, those patients can be appropriately treated. At the very least, these advances could greatly delay progression.

Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center

Our center provides compassionate and timely treatment to patients with movement disorders, such as dystonia, ataxia, essential tremor and similar conditions. But our mission goes beyond patient care excellence. By offering educational events and support groups, we empower patients and caregivers to become better partners in their health.

Stooping Or Hunching Over

Are you not standing up as straight as you used to? If you or your family or friends notice that you seem to be stooping, leaning or slouching when you stand, it could be a sign of Parkinson’s disease .

What is normal?If you have pain from an injury or if you are sick, it might cause you to stand crookedly. Also, a problem with your bones can make you hunch over.

Symptoms Of Parkinsons Disease

Parkinson’s disease has four main symptoms:

Tremor in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head
Stiffness of the limbs and trunk
Slowness of movement
Impaired balance and coordination, sometimes leading to falls

Other symptoms may include depression and other emotional changes difficulty swallowing, chewing, and speaking urinary problems or constipation skin problems and sleep disruptions.

Symptoms of Parkinsons and the rate of progression differ among individuals. Sometimes people dismiss early symptoms of Parkinson’s as the effects of normal aging. In most cases, there are no medical tests to definitively detect the disease, so it can be difficult to diagnose accurately.

Early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are subtle and occur gradually. For example, affected people may feel mild tremors or have difficulty getting out of a chair. They may notice that they speak too softly, or that their handwriting is slow and looks cramped or small. Friends or family members may be the first to notice changes in someone with early Parkinson’s. They may see that the person’s face lacks expression and animation, or that the person does not move an arm or leg normally.

People with Parkinson’s often develop a parkinsonian gait that includes a tendency to lean forward, small quick steps as if hurrying forward, and reduced swinging of the arms. They also may have trouble initiating or continuing movement.

Parkinsons Surveys Clinical Trials And Volunteer Opportunities

PAIRing Up If you are a person with Parkinsons or a care partner to someone with Parkinsons, you are invited to participate in an online survey to address neuropsychiatric concerns in Parkinsons. The survey aims to learn about the needs and priorities for clinical care, education, support, and research as related to neuropsychiatric symptoms. To learn more and participate, .

The University of Oulu, along with collaborators from Aalborg University, Fraunhofer University, the University of Manchester, the University of Glasgow, the University of Lisbon, and the University of Melbourne, is conducting a survey for people with Parkinsons and Parkinsons care partners about self-care. Complete the survey here to share your self-care strategies and techniques. You can also review ideas submitted by others and add them to your own self-care toolbox.

Looking for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure? Pass to Pass, a nonprofit dedicated to raising Parkinsons awareness while supporting hikers living with Parkinsons, offers multi-day hiking trips on the Pacific Crest Trail in both Washington and Oregon. Participants are being recruited now for these summer 2021 events. For more details and information, visit www.PasstoPass.org or contact Bill Meyer at 509-991-1212 or .

Park Test University of Rochester

Project Euphonia LSVT Global and Project Euphonia

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Mitochondrial Dysfunction Enough To Cause Parkinsons In Mice

Mitochondrial dysfunction in dopamine-producing brain cells is sufficient to cause Parkinsons disease, according to a new study done in mice. The study, Disruption of mitochondrial complex I induces progressive parkinsonism, was published in Nature. Parkinsons is caused by the death and dysfunction of dopamine-producing neurons.

Nouryant Again Denied Marketing Approval In Europe

A committee of the European Medicines Agency has issued a negative opinion for Nouryant approved as Nourianz in the U.S. as an add-on medication for treating off episodes in those with Parkinsons disease in the European Union. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use is maintaining

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Researchers Seek Neuroprotective Agents

Other research in Parkinsons disease aims to find neuroprotective therapies that could slow disease progression. One obstacle is the lack of a biomarker of disease progression. In a sampling study, investigators are measuring alpha synuclein in various tissues to determine whether synuclein levels could be a biomarker of disease progression.

Structural MRI based on voxel-based morphometric analysis may emerge as a reliable biomarker, said Dr. Davis. Atrophy of certain brain regions over time may be the most sensitive means of observing disease progression. The resolution of MRI has increased to the point that with computer calculations, you can detect relatively small changes in volume reliably, he added. Researchers also are studying SPECT ligands, PET ligands, and ultrasound of the midbrain as potential biomarkers.

Despite the lack of a validated biomarker, the NIH Exploratory Trials in Parkinson Disease program has screened and tested various potential neuroprotective agents. The program has examined creatine, minocycline, CoQ10, nicotine, and pioglitazone, but all of these drugs failed to slow disease progression.

What New Treatments Are Being Developed

New treatments for Parkinson’s disease

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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Scientists Have Made A Breakthrough In The Development Of A Nasal Spray For Parkinsons Disease Treatment

Researchers from the University of York have developed a new gel that can adhere to tissue inside the nose alongside the drug levodopa, helping deliver Parkinsons disease treatment directly to the brain.

Parkinsons disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years. This leads to a reduction in dopamine in the brain, which plays a vital role in regulating the movement of the body. The main symptoms include involuntary shaking, slow movement, and stiff and inflexible muscles.

How Do I Prevent Falls From Common Hazards

Floors: Remove all loose wires, cords, and throw rugs. Minimize clutter. Make sure rugs are anchored and smooth. Keep furniture in its usual place.
Bathroom: Install grab bars and non-skid tape in the tub or shower. Use non-skid bath mats on the floor or install wall-to-wall carpeting.
Lighting: Make sure halls, stairways, and entrances are well-lit. Install a night light in your bathroom or hallway and staircase. Turn lights on if you get up in the middle of the night. Make sure lamps or light switches are within reach of the bed if you have to get up during the night.
Kitchen: Install non-skid rubber mats near the sink and stove. Clean spills immediately.
Stairs: Make sure treads, rails, and rugs are secure. Install a rail on both sides of the stairs. If stairs are a threat, it might be helpful to arrange most of your activities on the lower level to reduce the number of times you must climb the stairs.
Entrances and doorways: Install metal handles on the walls adjacent to the doorknobs of all doors to make it more secure as you travel through the doorway.

Also Check: Parkinson’s Disease What To Expect

How Can People Cope With Parkinson’s Disease

While PD usually progresses slowly, eventually daily routines may be affectedfrom socializing with friends to earning a living and taking care of a home. These changes can be difficult to accept. Support groups can help people cope with the diseases emotional impact. These groups also can provide valuable information, advice, and experience to help people with PD, their families, and their caregivers deal with a wide range of issues, including locating doctors familiar with the disease and coping with physical limitations. A list of national organizations that can help people locate support groups in their communities appears at the end of this information. Individual or family counseling may also help people find ways to cope with PD.

People with PD may also benefit from being proactive and finding out as much as possible about the disease in order to alleviate fear of the unknown and to take a positive role in maintaining their health. Many people with PD continue to work either full- or part-time, although they may need to adjust their schedule and working environment to accommodate their symptoms.

How We’re Speeding Up The Search For A Cure

We believe that new and better treatments are possible in years, not decades. We have a clear strategy for making this happen. This includes:

backing the best and brightest minds to unlock scientific discoveries that will lead to new treatments and a cure
accelerating the development and testing of new treatments through our Virtual Biotech
collaborating internationally to make clinical trials faster, cheaper and more likely to succeed through the Critical Path for Parkinson’s

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Michael J Fox Broke His Arm And Lost His Optimism

It was the summer of 2018 and the year had already been rough for Michael J. Fox. Now, in addition to managing a progressive disease, he was recovering from spinal surgery and starving for a little time to himself, according to the CBC. But no sooner did he get his wish when he slipped on a tile in his kitchen and fell on his arm, shattering it. Alone and unable to get help, Fox remembered at that moment, he was tired of his “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade” attitude about his condition. “That was the point where I went ‘I’m out of the freakin’ lemonade business,'” he told the CBC. “‘I can’t put a shiny face on this. This sucks, and who am I to tell people to be optimistic?'”

Fractures are not uncommon among people with Parkinson’s. According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, the disease can cause changes to a person’s skeleton, including lower bone density. In fact, if a person with Parkinson’s does less walking and other exercises in which their skeleton needs to support their weight, they run the risk of weaker bones, increasing their chances of bone fractures if they fall. In Fox’s case, as he detailed to the CBC. his arm was so badly broken that it needed to be rebuilt. And what about his optimism? That too would need some rebuilding.

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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What’s New In Parkinson’s Disease