| Max Sherman |
There are hundreds of diseases named after a person, and one, Parkinson's, is known to many of us.
Parkinson’s disease is one of the most familiar neurological conditions, second only to Alzheimer's disease, and estimated to affect nearly 1 million people in the United States and about 6 million worldwide. It is more common in the elderly and in men, and approximately 1 in 100 people over age 65 will be affected. We can expect a lot more patients as our population continues to grow older.
The disease involves malfunction and death of vital nerve cells in the brain, called neurons. Some of these dying neurons produce dopamine, a chemical that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. As the disease progresses, the amount of dopamine produced in the brain decreases, leaving a person unable to normally control movement. (Dopamine deficiency was first discovered in 1960.)
The first sign of Parkinson’s is often an impaired sense of smell, and is quite common; others, termed motor symptoms, include severe tremor, muscle stiffness and slow movements. Diagnosis is usually based on the presence of two of those three symptoms. There are other common occurrences as well, such as a tendency to fall forward, problems with writing and speech, and a mask-like face due to rigidity.
The cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are stop-gap treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage the symptoms.
While the disease is well-characterized, little is known about the person for whom it was named.
James Parkinson was born April 11, 1755, in a small village west of London, England. Much of his life was spent there. He may have been the first doctor to describe the symptoms, features and presentation of the disease that bears his name (an honor rarely bestowed in the discoverer's lifetime).
The description written with remarkable precision was included in an essay titled "An Essay on the Shaking Palsy," and published 200 years ago. The essay was written when Parkinson was 62 years old and remains relevant to this day as a testament to Parkinson's amazing powers of observation.
Parkinson relied on information compiled from the literature together with meticulous clinical observations of his own patients. It is important to note that Parkinson was working in uncharted territory, as neurological diseases were little-known and the study of medicine was in its infancy. As the medical discipline of neurology took shape over the succeeding centuries, researchers astonishingly continue to acknowledge Parkinson's groundbreaking contribution.
As a young man, Parkinson was enthusiastic for knowledge and determined to increase his skills. Three evenings a week he walked 3 miles from his home town to Leicester Square to attend lectures at the medical society.
But Parkinson had other interests besides medicine. He was also well-known for his political and social views and his contribution to the emerging field of geology, including being a founding member of the Geological Society. A number of fossil species that he discovered still bear his name. He was also the first honorary medalist of the Royal Academy of Medicine. He was an active member of London societies calling for a more representative government and voting rights extensions and wrote a number of pamphlets demanding reform using a pseudonym rather than his own name.
Because the cause of Parkinson's disease remains unknown, treatment is limited to symptomatic relief. Fortunately, new drugs are being developed that may some day limit its progression. There is also recent research on the mechanism responsible for the symptoms of the disease.
Current drugs, while useful in early stage Parkinson's, tend to lose their effects in later disease stages. One of the new experimental drugs is unique: It not only treats the symptoms, but has antioxidant properties as well. The antioxidant property is important because Parkinson's disease appears to result from oxidative stress on a small group of brain cells.
Another new discovery relates to using an asthma medication to reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. There is also a Norwegian study demonstrating that taking certain diabetes drugs can reduce the risk of acquiring Parkinson's. Finally, there is evidence from Japan that monkeys with Parkinson's disease symptoms show significant improvement over two years after treatment with neurons prepared from human stem cells.
Surely, Dr. Parkinson would be impressed.
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. He has taught college courses on regulatory and compliance issues at Ivy Tech, Grace College and Butler University. Sherman has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge on all levels. Eclectic Science, the title of his column, will touch on famed doctors and scientists, human senses, aging, various diseases, and little-known facts about many species, including their contributions to scientific research. He can be reached by email at maxsherman339@gmail.com.
http://www.timesuniononline.com/Content/Local-News/Opinion/Article/Shaking-Palsy-Or-Parkinson-s-Disease-Still-A-Mystery/2/225/109032
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