PREVALENCE OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE IN CANADA

 September 13, 2012

Parkinsonism Related Disorders [2012] 18 (4) : 327-331 (Allyson Jones C, Wayne Martin WR, Wieler M, King-Jesso P, Voaklander DC.) 

The prevalence of Parkinson's Disease in Canada has been found to be one of the highest of any country in the world. The study was carried out in British Columbia, Canada. The prevalence rates amongst men were found to be 396-207 per 100,000 for men, and 259 to 127 per 100,000 for women. Combining the figures for both men and women gives figures of around 317 to 167 per 100,00.

These figures are just about higher than those in the U.S.A., which has one of the highest prevalence rates of any country. The only countries with higher prevalence rates than Canada are Albania and Egypt, where the prevalence rates are exceptionally high. The ratio of men to women with Parkinson's Disease in Canada is 1.56. As in most countries in the world, in Canada there are more men than women with Parkinson's Disease.

THE SAFETY AND TOLERABILITY OF NEUPRO

9th September 2012 -

 

Parkinsonism Related Disorders [2012] Sep 3 [Epub ahead of print] (Oertel W, Lewitt P, Giladi N, Ghys L, Grieger F, Boroojerdi B.) 

Although dopamine agonists are sometimes perceived as poorly tolerated by the elderly, there is little clinical evidence to support these concerns. So the safety and tolerability of rotigotine transdermal system have been assessed in four 6-month studies. : two in early Parkinson's Disease and two in advanced Parkinson's Disease.Neupro® (Rotigotine Transdermal System) is a dopamine

For most adverse events no age-related differences in were observed. In early Parkinson's Disease those symptoms more common in those younger than 65 in comparison to those who were 65 were : nausea (38% v 30%) and headache (15% v 9%). In another study, amongst older patients, those symptoms more common in those younger than 75 in comparison to those who were 75 were : nausea (36% v 21%), and dizziness (15% v 28%). In people with advanced Parkinson's Disease it was still the younger patients that more commonly had nausea (24% v 19%). It was only falls that were more common in older patients (13% v 8%). So oddly, the adverse events of this dopamine agonists were generally less rather than greater with age, as if the adverse events were adapted to.

NFL PLAYERS TREBLE THE RISK OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE

 September  2012 - New research

 

Neurology [2012] Sep 5 [Epub ahead of print] (Lehman EJ, Hein MJ, Baron SL, Gersic CM.) 

Players in the NFL ("American" Football's National Football League) were found to have treble the risk of haiving a neurodegenerative disease generally. This included Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease and ALS. The figures for Alzheimer's Disease were more than three times more likely, and the figures for ALS were more than four times more likely. The likelihood of developing Parkinson's Disease was less than these. Although the research suggests that concussions and repeated blows to the head are likely to blame for the increased risk, the researcher says multiple studies are needed to definitively blame concussions.

George H.W. Bush can no longer walk on his own: Parkinson's struggle revealed with new HBO documentary

Sarah Rufca
culturemap.com - With a documentary on the life of George H.W. Bush set to air on HBO, friends and family are opening up about the Houstonian and 41st president.

Speaking to Charlie Rose on CBS, son Jeb Bush revealed that his father at 87 year of age can no longer walk on his own, instead relying on a wheelchair and a stroller to get around

"That's hard for a guy who's been so vital and vigorous in life," said Jeb Bush, who also called his father his "hero" and added, "I've never met a man as near perfect as George H.W. Bush."

Bush has been known for his vitality despite his advanced age, famously going skydiving to celebrate turning 75, 80 and 85 years old.

On Good Morning America, documentary producer and Bush family friend Jerry Weintraub said that Bush has struggled increasingly with the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in recent years.

"He's not doing great, he's not terrible but he's not doing great. He's a very active guy and when you get Parkinson's and all of a sudden you're riding around in a wheelchair and this and that and he can't do things for himself . . . it's tough."

The HBO documentary, titled simply 41, features unprecedented access to the former president, filmed over 17 months from September 2009 to February 2011. In his own words, the typically reticent Bush speaks about his life, from childhood summers in Kennebunkport and meeting his wife to his experiences as a naval aviator in World War II to his run as a wildcatter in Texas and his rise to the top of politics.

"It shows him as a man. It's not just a documentary about a president. It's not him making big speeches out there, rallying the troops and so on and so forth, it's about his life and his service," Weintraub said.

41 premieres on June 14, two days after Bush's 88th birthday

FIRST VACCINE FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE

7th June 2012 - News release

The first clinical trial for the development of a Parkinson’s Disease vaccine has been started by AFFiRiS AG. The vaccine called PD01A is directed against alpha-Synuclein, a protein considered by AFFiRis to cause the onset and progression of Parkinson's Disease. The vaccination aims to educate the immune system to generate antibodies directed against alpha-Synuclein. They believe that a reduction of the brain’s alpha-Synuclein aggregates will have a beneficial impact on the progress of Parkinson's Disease. PD01A aims to accomplish that by the induction of antibodies that are targeting alpha-Synuclein, in order to neutralize its toxic impact.

The vaccine is currently being tested on people with Parkinson’s Disease in a Phase I trial. The clinical trial is taking place in Vienna and involves up to 32 patients. The primary purpose is to assess the safety and tolerability of PD01A.

The weakness in the theory on which the method is reliant is that a lot of people with Parkinson's Disease do not accumulate alpha-Synuclein. So there is none to get rid of. Most people that have an accumulation of alpha-Synuclein in the brain do not have Parkinson's Disease either, thereby proving that alpha-Synuclein is not the cause of Parkinson's Disease.

THE EFFECT OF TAI CHI ON PARKINSON'S DISEASE

12th February 2012 - New research

New England Journal of Medicine [2012] 366 (6) : 511-519 (F.Li, P.Harmer, K.Fitzgerald, E.Eckstrom, R.Stock, J.Galver, G.Maddalozzo, S.S.Batya) People with Parkinson's Disease tend to have impaired balance, and an increased risk of falling. A clinical trial assessed the effect of Tai Chi on postural control in Parkinson's Disease. Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese martial art and form of exercise. For more information go to Tai Chi. Participants took part in 60-minute exercise sessions twice weekly for 24 weeks. Although the researchers claimed that Tai Chi performed consistently better than other methods, the improvement was only 5% better than resistance training, and 12% better than stretching exercises. The Tai Chi group performed better than the stretching group in all secondary outcomes and outperformed the resistance-training group in stride length and functional reach. Tai Chi lowered the incidence of falls when compared with stretching exercises but not when compared with resistance training.

Out of the previous studies in the medical literature concerning Tai Chi and Parkinson's Disease, four were either non-randomised or uncontrolled clinical trials. Two failed to show any effect. Only one study showed Tai Chi to be superior to conventional exercise for Parkinson's Disease. So the evidence is insufficient to suggest that Tai Chi is effective in Parkinson's Disease.

DUODENAL L-DOPA CAN CAUSE POLYNEUROPATHY

26th January 2012 - New research

Journal of Neurology [2012] Jan 24 [Epub ahead of print] (Santos-García D, de la Fuente-Fernández R, Valldeoriola F, Palasí A, Carrillo F, Grande M, Mir P, De Fabregues O, Casanova J.)  

Neurology [2011] 77 (22) : 1947-1950 (Y.A.Rajabally, J.Martey)

Reports have emerged describing the occurrence of polyneuropathy related to vitamin B12 deficiency and Guillain-Barré syndrome in people with Parkinson's Disease who are being treated with continuous duodenal L-dopa infusion. Duodenal L-dopa is administered as a gel throughout the day using a portable pump directly into the small intestine through a surgically placed tube. This ensures a flow of L-dopa that can be adjusted according to the patient's individual needs.

At least 12 cases of polyneuropathy related to vitamin B12 deficiency, and a case of Guillain-Barré syndrome have been reported in people with Parkinson's Disease treated with duodenal L-dopa infusion. L-dopa gel infusion may cause a decrease in vitamin B12 levels, leading to peripheral neuropathy. Other detrimental effects include alterations related to the metabolism of L-dopa, abnormal L-dopa absorption, and direct neurotoxicity of L-dopa at high doses. Vitamin B12 supplements may need to be considered in people with Parkinson's Disease on duodenal L-dopa infusion therapy, because vitamin B12 deficiency in people on duodenal L-dopa infusion therapy may be more frequent than the published data suggest.

In another new study, over a third (37%) of people with Parkinson's Disease were found to have neuropathy. Vitamin B12 deficiency was the most common cause. This could be made more likely by the long term use of L-dopa in any form. Many people with Parkinson's Disease who have neuropathy or Vitamin B12 deficiency are unaware of it.

DEMENTIA IS LINKED TO INSULIN RESISTANCE IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

24th January 2012 - New research

Journal of Neurological Science [2012] Jan 20. [Epub ahead of print] (Bosco D, Plastino M, Cristiano D, Colica C, Ermio C, De Bartolo M, Mungari P, Fonte G, Consoli D, Consoli A, Fava A.) Dementia has been found to be associated with insulin resistance in Parkinson's Disease. Dementia commonly occurs in Parkinson's Disease when Parkinson's Disease progresses. This is not inevitable because the biochemistry of Parkinson's Disease and Dementia are completely distinct. There is therefore no reason why they should coincide. Their common association has never been fully explained apart from the fact that Dementia and Parkinson's Disease are both far more common with age.

People who have Parkinson's Disease and dementia were assessed for their resistance to insulin. When insulin is produced in order to prevent high blood glucose levels, insulin sometimes does not have affect. This can be due to insulin resistance, which is the inability of insulin to stimulate the insulin receptors. Brain function largely requires glucose in order to function. Nearly two thirds (62%) of people with Parkinson's Disease who had dementia were found to have insulin resistance. 30% of them also had impaired glucose tolerance. These percentages were significantly higher when the disease duration was longer and when the movement disability was worse. So dementia in Parkinson's Disease appears to be affected by the inability to make use of glucose rather than be a direct result of Parkinson's Disease.

THE PREVALENCE OF PAIN IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

14th January   2012 - New research

Movement Disorders [2012] Jan 9 [Epub ahead of print] (M.P.Broen, M.M.Braaksma, J.Patijn, W.E.Weber)

Pain has been found to occur in over two thirds of people with Parkinson's Disease. Pain has been studied more intensely as a symptom of Parkinson's Disease in recent years. However, studies on the characteristics and prevalence of pain in Parkinson's Disease have given conflicting results, prompting a systematic review of the medical literature. In the relevant studies, the frequency of pain in Parkinson's Disease ranged from 40% to 85% with an average of 67% (just over two thirds of people). Pain in Parkinson's Disease is most frequently located in the legs, with almost a half (46%) of all people with Parkinson's Disease complaining about musculoskeletal pain. The pain fluctuates with on-off periods. A lot of the pain suffered is unrelated to the biochemistry of Parkinson's Disease, and is therefore not due to it. Surprisingly, only just over half (52%) of people with Parkinson's Disease with pain used analgesics (pain killers), most often non-opioids. This means that a lot people with Parkinson's Disease who suffer pain are going without any treatment for it.

MSU Researchers Identify Path To Treat Parkinson's Disease

Monday, January 30, 2012

MSU researchers have demonstrated the possibility of treating Parkinson's disease at its inception by treating the protein that triggers it before the disease can sicken the patient.

A team of researchers led by Basir Ahmad, a postdoctoral researcher at Michigan State University, has shown that slow-wriggling alpha-synuclein proteins are the cause of aggregation, or clumping together, which is the first step of Parkinson's.

The results are published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

While scientists understand how proteins are structured, they do not yet know how they are built, a process known as folding. When errors happen infolding, proteins clump together, form plaques such as those found in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's disease, and cause cells to degenerate.

Lisa Lapidus, MSU associate professor of physics and astronomy and co-author of the paper, has dedicated her lab to researching folding.

"There are many, many steps that take place in aggregation, but we've identified the first step," she said. "Finding a method to fight the disease at its first stage, rather than somewhere further down the road,can hopefully increase the success rate in which the disease is treated."

The identification of this critical first step already has the researchers pursuing new ways to attack the disease. Lapidus is currently testing a number of naturally occurring compounds, which could push the rearranging protein out of the danger zone.

"We are now looking for molecules that can alter the protein when it first begins to ‘misfold,' which could eventually lead to the development of a drug that could prevent aggregation before it happens," she said. Yujie Chen, MSU graduate student, was one of the co-authors of the paper.

Source:http://www.wlns.com/story/16536510/msu-researchers-identify-path-to-treat-parkinsons-disease-at-its-inception