PARKINSON: Mind, Mood & Memory Chpt. 6--SLEEP & PD

SLEEP (OR NOT!)...You know what I mean!  This is a HUGE problem with many complexities.  Oppresive thoughts, thrashing arms, twitchy restless legs, falling and staying asleep (NOT!)?  This video is for you!   http://youtu.be/6zXWQPbR1qw begins chapter six...

Perhaps this series will give validation to those who have been told that PD is only a physical problem...

from NPF's handbook...learn the lowdown on emotional/cognitive changes, sleep disturbances and caregiver tips. In abbreviated form to bring you the most important features from this handbook, which may be downloaded from National Parkinson Foundation.  Look for other chapters on youtube

Chapter 1 PD and mental health                                                                                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBSQlQB65ko

Chapter 2  Emotional changes in PD                                                                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy-4N8oHXlM

Chapter 2 continued

http://youtu.be/o-AIk-QC5Pg  

Chapter 3  Cognitive Changes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqJmaChWv70  (15 minutes)

Chapter 4 Psychosis  in Parkinson's

http://youtu.be/HS79li6kznM (13 minutes)

Chapter 4 continued

http://youtu.be/F68BkbBFnW0

Chapter 5 Dementia with Lewy Bodies

http://youtu.be/6gI2uYG7oKk 

http://www.caregiverproducts.com

I normally don't advertise a sight. I haven't purchased anything yet but this sight may help someone.

A very good site for possible items needed such as eating utensils for  hands that tremor. All different items to maintain a better  way of coping using things to make us feel independent.

http://www.caregiverproducts.com

Weighted Utensils - Silverware, Flatware, Cutlery, Cups, Plates and Bowls

Weighted utensils are ideal for those with Parkinson's Disease or hand tremors. The ergonomic designs of these Weighted Utensils help reduce hand tremors allowing more control when eating. The heavy weighted utensils help to stabilize the tremulous hand and to give proprioceptive feedback to those with sensory problems.

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New Gene Targets For Parkinson’s Treatment Found After 22,000 Individual Scans

                             By Chris Weller | Nov 25, 2013 11:50 AM EDT         

  

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(Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.)  Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have targeted a new set of genes responsible for igniting key mechanisms of Parkinson's disease.

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have uncovered a new batch of genes that may provide breakthrough treatment options for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease, the degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that begins with reduced motor control, and eventually worsens to include neurological decay.

In the new study, NIH researchers combed through 22,000 individual genes in order to arrive at several dozen that they believe could offer therapeutic benefits for patients suffering from Parkinson’s. Through their research, they also found certain genes that may hold the key to diseases of the mitochondria; structures often referred to as the “powerhouses” of the cell, because of their role in producing the cell’s energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), through respiration.

“We discovered a network of genes that may regulate the disposal of dysfunctional mitochondria, opening the door to new drug targets for Parkinson’s disease and other disorders,” Dr. Richard Youle a researcher at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and a leader of the study, said in a statement.

The study utilized RNA interference — a naturally occurring process scientists have used since 1998 to manipulate a cell’s genes — in order to investigate the effect of turning off nearly 22,000 genes individually. The team was searching for parkin, a protein that swims freely inside the cell and tags damaged mitochondria as waste. Specifically, they were investigating how silencing each gene affected parkin’s ability to tag the mitochondria, a process that, if unfulfilled, leads to an accumulation of the damaged structures inside the cell. Among the dozens they found linked to decreased parkin tagging, the team found at least four, called TOMM7, HSPAI1L, BAG4 and SIAH3, that may act as helpers.

“These genes work like quality control agents in a variety of cell types, including neurons,” said Dr. Youle, adding that some genes, such as TOMM7 and HSPAI1L, inhibited parkin tagging, while others, including BAG4 and SIAH3, enhanced tagging. “The identification of these helper genes provides the research community with new information that may improve our understanding of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders.”

Currently ranked as the 14th leading cause of death in the United States, Parkinson’s affects roughly one million Americans — exceeding the combined diagnoses of multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Approximately 60,000 Americans are newly diagnosed each year, with men roughly one-and-a-half times more likely to have the disorder than women.

Some Parkinson’s cases have been linked to mutations in the genes that code for parkin, a factor that initially prompted researchers to investigate the specific genes responsible for parkin tagging. While the specific mechanisms behind Parkinson’s aren’t well known, researchers speculate genetics and environmental factors play partial roles. The greatest symptoms of Parkinson’s originate in the decreased activity in dopamine-secreting cells in the brain, which result from mitochondria-induced cell death. Sufferers lose motor function and various cognitive processes as the disease worsens.

Being able to pinpoint which genes ultimately regulate this mitochondria function will help scientists develop treatment options that target certain genes specifically, obviating the need for blanket treatments with harsh side-effects.

“This study shows how the latest high-throughput genetic technologies can rapidly reveal insights into fundamental disease mechanisms,” said Dr. Story Landis, director of the NINDS. “We hope the results will help scientists around the world find new treatments for these devastating disorders.”

Source: Hasson S, Kane L, Yamano K. High-content genome-wide RNAi screens identify regulators of parkin upstream of mitophagy. Nature. 2013.

NEW DRUG FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE PSYCHOSIS

2th November 2013 - New research

Lancet [2013] Oct 31 [Epub ahead of print] (J.Cummings, S.Isaacson, R.Mills, H.Williams, K.Chi-Burris, A.Corbett, R.Dhall, C.Ballard)

Parkinson's Disease psychosis, which includes hallucinations and delusions, is frequent and debilitating in some people with Parkinson's Disease. Pimavanserin, which is a serotonin 5-HT2A inverse agonist that is presently being assessed, aims to treat Parkinson's Disease psychosis. A clinical trial assessed the effect of Pimavanserin. 

They took 40mg pimavanserin per day. The primary measure was the antipsychotic benefit using the Parkinson's disease-adapted scale for assessment of positive symptoms (SAPS-PD). According to the Parkinson's disease-adapted scale for assessment of positive symptoms (SAPS-PD) those people taking pimavanserin reduced their score by 5.79 compared with a reduction of 2.73 by those taking a placebo. Over 10% of the patients discontinued because of an adverse event. However, in previous clinical trials there was either no effect or it was beneficial for some but not all measures of psychosis

THE PREVALENCE OF HEADACHES IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

0th November 2013 - New research

Neurological Sciences [2013] Nov 7 [Epub ahead of print]  
Researchers assessed the prevalence of headache in people with Parkinson's Disease and the association between the side of Parkinon's Disease symptom onset and the side of their headache. Headaches were found to occur significantly less in people with Parkinson's Disease, 40% of whom had headaches, than in people who do not have Parkinson's Disease, 70% of whom had headaches.  The prevalence of headaches being significantly lower in people with Parkinon's Disease is unexplained by the researchers.

Fewer people with Parkinson's Disease (74%) had headaches throughout life in contrast to the 94% of people who had headaches throughout life who did not have Parkinson's Disease.  Considering only people who had headaches during the previous year, people with Parkinson's Disease had a higher association with migraine rather than tension headaches compared to people who did not have Parkinson's Disease. The headache side in people with Parkinson's Disease was also on the same side as the side of Parkinson's Disease onset in 84 % of people.

THE CAUSES OF FALLS IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

6th November 2013 - New research

Neurologia i neurochirurgia polska [2013] 47 (5) : 423-430 (Rudzinska M, Bukowczan S, Stozek J, Zajdel K, Mirek E, Chwala W, Wójcik-Pedziwiatr M, Banaszkiewicz K, Szczudlik A.) 
Neurologia i neurochirurgia polska [2013] 47 (5) : 431-437 (Rudzinska M, Bukowczan S, Stozek J, Zajdel K, Mirek E, Chwala W, Wójcik-Pedziwiatr M, Banaszkiewicz K, Szczudlik A.) 

People with Parkinson's Disease suffer falls more frequently than most other people. Over the year falls occurred in 54% of people with Parkinson's Disease. Around 20% of people with Parkinson's Disease fell frequently. This occurred more commonly with age.

Analysis of causes of falls revealed that sudden falls were the most common (31%), followed by episodes of freezing and festination (19%), neurological and sensory disturbances (mostly vertigo) (12%), environmental factors (12%), postural instability (11%), orthostatic hypotension (4%), and severe dyskinesia (3.6%). In people with Parkinson's Disease, factors due to themselves were dominant, whereas in the control group external factors were responsible for falls with the same frequency. Every third fall intensified the fear of walking. Over a third (34%) of falls caused injuries. Among them bruises of body parts other than the head were most frequent. 

SENSORY PEN FOR DETECTING PARKINSON'S DISEASE

1st October 2013 - News release

A means of diagnosing Parkinson’s Disease is being developed by MANUS Neurodynamica using sensory pen technology. It is called the DiPAR project. The system, combining sensor and computing technology, requires the patient to perform a set of writing tasks, drawing activities or a combination of both. The system records all movements of the pen as well as other parameters such as drawing pressure, plus acceleration and deceleration of movement, to identify patterns that are indicative of specific kinds of neuromotor disorder. The sensory pen can be used by non-specialists with minimal training so that large numbers of people would be able to be screened.

The system’s software records key features regarding the movement of the pen, relating it to the motion of the limb, particularly the role of the hand and fingers in coordinating overall pen motion. The recordings enable the operator to assess akinesia, bradykinesia, tremor, rigidity and other signs of motor deterioration that cannot be easily detected by other means. The software takes inputs from a variety of sensors in the pen and converts them, using proprietary algorithms, into outcome percentages that represent the likelihood of the presence of Parkinson's Disease or other neuromotor disorders.

DEPRESSION TREBLES THE RISK OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE

3rd October 2013 - New research

Neurology [2013] Oct 2 [Epub ahead of print] (Cheng-Che Shen, Shih-Jen Tsai, Chin-Lin Perng, Benjamin Ing-Tiau Kuo, Albert C.Yang)

In the largest study of its kind, involving more than 23,000 subjects, people who had depression were found to have more than three times the chance of developing Parkinson's Disease. This suggests that depression is a strong indication of future Parkinson's Disease, even beyond that of other early indicators.
Parkinson's Disease is primarily due to the insufficient formation of dopamine in the brain, in the dopaminergic neurons. Besides affecting muscle function and therefore the characteristic muscular symptoms of Parkinson's Disease such as as rigidity and tremor, dopamine insuffiency also affects the emotions.

This is why dopamine insufficiency can also lead to depression. However, even biochemically, dopamine is not the only factor involved in depression, which is why depresssion and Parkinson's Disease do not always coincide. Therefore, depression, even when severe, does not inevitably lead to Parkinson's Disease and why it is possible to have Parkinson's Disease without also having depression.

UNDERSTANDING PARKINSON'S DISEASE : AN INTRODUCTION FOR PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS

3rd October 2013- New book

Naheed Ali

Publisher's description :  Understanding Parkinson’s Disease offers patients and their caregivers the kind of cutting-edge information that will allow them to successfully confront this debilitating disease on a number of fronts. Patients will also be uniquely exposed to alternative approaches to managing the symptoms of the disease, including allopathic, osteopathic, and naturopathic approaches. The reader will be introduced to essential information on the risk factors associated with Parkinson’s, the signs and symptoms, the different stages of the disease, the various treatments, as well as how the disease develops. 

IMPLANT TO HELP SLOW PARKINSON’S DISEASE

 

Dr. Steven Gill has been researching the benefits of Glial-cell line Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF)  in PARKINSON’S DISEASE for many years.

Together with his team of researchers from Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, United Kingdom, he had developed a new implant device to deliver GDNF directly to the affected area of the brain.

GDNF has been shown to be an especially potent factor for dopaminergic cell survival and for improving motor deficits such as those seen in PARKINSON’S DISEASE.

Finding ways to deliver GDNF to the affected areas in appropriate ways has been the challenge

The new device developed by this team consists of a small port surgically implanted behind the patient’s ear.

From this port, a system of tubes connects to the basal ganglia and regulated dose of GDNF can be pumped directly to the brain once a month.

To date, six patients have undergone this treatment and the team is now recruiting 36 more patients for a new trial.

If this treatment technology proves successful and safe, many other neurological diseases will be able to benefit from this technique.

Review by Marcia McCall

Photo credit: http://news.sky.com/story/1153456/brain-implant-could-stop-parkinsons-growth