World's Fourth-Youngest Documented Case With Parkinson's Disease

Fei Jiao
Sanmenxia City, China

Fei Jiao receives deep brain stimulation therapy to help manage symptoms of

 Parkinson's disease

While still in elementary school, a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease completely 

disrupted Fei Jiao's life path. According to Jiao, he is the youngest reported case

 of Parkinson's disease in China, and he is the world's fourth-youngest 

documented case.

Prior to his surgery Fei struggled to even walk. After receiving deep brain

 stimulation therapy at 20, Jiao regained his mobility. Now, at the age of 23, he 

uses his new-found mobility every day. He can not only walk, but runs at least

 20 miles every week.

In addition, Fei gives back and helps others by volunteering his time to counsel

 Parkinson's disease patients and affected families at the hospital where he was 

treated.

http://www.medtronic.com/globalheroes/our_heroes.html

Constipation Treatment Under Study for Parkinson’s Patients

This is Dr. John C. Morgan, neurologist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University and Director of the National Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence at Georgia Regents Medical Center Credit: Phil Jones

Georgia Regents Medical Center is among about a dozen centers nationally exploring the potential of a new drug that may offer relief to people with Parkinson’s who have failed standard approaches to treating constipation.

“Constipation in Parkinson’s is very prevalent,” said Dr. John C. Morgan, neurologist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University and Director of the National Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence at Georgia Regents Medical Center.

In fact, it’s one of a handful of related problems, like an impaired sense of smell, that can actually precede a Parkinson’s diagnosis by years then remain a factor as more classic symptoms, such as tremors and stiffness, progress, Morgan said. Additionally, constipation can be a side effect of the myriad of medications patients may take for Parkinson’s.

The Augusta-based center is enrolling about a half-dozen patients in the two-week study offered through the Parkinson’s Study Group that will compare the efficacy of this drug that activates ghrelin to placebo.

Early studies of RM-131 in healthy individuals have shown it is safe and well-tolerated for up to 14 days and that it improves the rate of stomach emptying and bowel function, both important in avoiding constipation.

While better-known symptoms of Parkinson’ are clear indicators that movement is affected, a healthy gut also depends on movement to get food through the body, said Morgan, a study Principal Investigator.

Parkinson’s appears to result from the death of brain cells, also called nerve cells, which produce dopamine, a chemical messenger important to movement. The gut actually has as many nerve cells as the brain which is why the destruction also takes a toll on a patient’s ability to defecate, Morgan said.

“The gut does not move correctly all the way down – from the mouth to the anus, we think,” Morgan said. “But it can also be a problem with the pelvic floor because when we poop, we actually have to relax our muscles to get stool out and patients with Parkinson’s may have difficulty relaxing those pelvic floor muscles.”

Study participants will keep a diary of their bowel activity and keep researchers posted on any abdominal pain they may experience. The most common side effects reported for RM-131 include dizziness, drowsiness and loose stools or diarrhea.

Morgan notes that while the cause of nerve cell death in the brain and gastrointestinal tract in Parkinson’s is not known, the brain shows signs of inflammation, which can indicate an autoimmune response, as seen in diseases such as lupus, arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

He always encourages patients to eat well and stay as active as possible and regularly asks about their bowel habits. However, even with due diligence, a percentage of patients continue to struggle with constipation, some to the point that they become impacted and require external stimulation, such as an enema, to get relief. In addition to the obvious discomfort, failure to defecate means the body holds onto toxins for extended periods, which can actually result in mental confusion, Morgan said.

While constipation is a transient state for most people, a study following thousands of Japanese-American men for decades showed the incidence of Parkinson’s was highest in those reporting less than one bowel movement daily and declined as the number of regular bowel movements increased.

( I have not  found any updates at this time Sept 2014)

http://www.npfsouthflorida.org/2014/new-constipation-treatment/

What is Respite?

What is Respite? Respite is planned or emergency care provided to a child or adult with special needs in order to provide temporary relief to family caregivers who are caring for that child or adult. For more information on how to find and choose respite care,  According to the Lifespan Respite Care Act (PL 109-442), Lifespan Respite is defined as 'coordinated systems of community-based respite for family caregivers of children or adults regardless of special need.'

The mission of the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center is to assist and promote the development of quality respite and crisis care programs; to help families locate respite and crisis care services in their communities; and to serve as a strong voice for respite in all forums.

The ARCH National Respite Network includes the National Respite Locator, a service to help caregivers and professionals locate respite services in their community, the National Respite Coalition, a service that advocates for preserving and promoting respite in policy and programs at the national, state, and local levels, and the Lifespan Respite Technical Assistance Center which is funded by the Administration for Community Living, Administration on Aging (AoA)in the US Department of Health and Human Services. In-home Models Many families prefer respite that is provided in the home. There are several advantages to in-home respite: The care recipient may be most comfortable in the home setting and does not have to adjust to a different environment. The parents/caregivers may be more comfortable if the care recipient does not have to leave the home; The home is already equipped for any special needs the child/adult may have. The cost is relatively economical (especially if you  hire and train your own provider). Transportation barriers for the care recipient are eliminated. Sometimes in-home care is coordinated by a broker, an individual or agency who agrees to recruit, provides basic training, and keeps a database of all respite providers. Families can be matched with a provider by calling the broker and are usually responsible for training, payment, and repeat scheduling.  If you have a Lifespan Respite Program in your state, they will be able to assist you in finding providers, payment resources and training options. Listed here are some of the typical models used in in-home respite. Model 1: Home-Based Services Home-based respite services may be provided through a public health nursing agency, a social service department, a volunteer association, a private nonprofit agency and/or a private homemaker service or home health agency. A trained and perhaps licensed employee of the agency is available to come into the home and offer respite. Ideally, services should be available twenty-four hours a day, 365 days per year. Model 2: Sitter-Companion Services Sitter services may be provided by individuals who are trained in caring for children or adults with special needs . Often this type of service can be a project of a service organization or specialized agency (Camp Fire, Jaycees, Junior League, local ARC or United Cerebral Palsy Associations), which is willing to sponsor training and/or maintain a register of trained providers to link to families in need. Model 3: Consumer-Directed Respite This model is similar to having a friend or relative volunteer to care for a child or adult with special needs. The primary difference is that the person providing care is identified or selected by the family and trained by a respite program or the families themselves. Providers may be paid or unpaid. If they are paid, it is often through a voucher program offered directly to family caregivers to allow them to locate, hire, train, and pay their own providers. Out-of-Home Models Out-of-home respite provides an opportunity for the care recipients to be outside the home. This may be a particularly attractive option for adolescents who are preparing to leave the family home for a more independent living arrangement, for young adults with disabilities who prefer to be with people their own age, or even aging populations with mild to moderate memory loss because it gives them an opportunity to experience new surroundings, different expectations, peer relationships and even cognitive and emotional stimulation. Families are free to enjoy time in their own home without the constraints of constant care, and they can devote more attention to siblings and other family members. Listed below are some special considerations regarding out-of-home models. Transportation may be required and special equipment may need to be moved. The individual receiving care may not like the unfamiliar environment or may have difficulty adjusting to the changes. The services may be offered in a variety of settings more restrictive than the care recipient's home, such as special medical centers or nursing homes. Model 4: Family Care Homes or Host Family Model In this model, respite is offered in the provider's home. This could be the home of a staff person from a respite program, a family day care home, a trained volunteer's family home, or a licensed foster home used only for respite stays. Offering respite in a provider's home enables an individual to receive services in a more familiar setting. It is recommended that homes used under this model be licensed under state regulations governing foster homes or similar homes used for group care. Model 5: Respite Center-based Model Some respite programs contract with existing day care centers to provide respite to children with special needs. This is an effective model in rural areas, because it allows children to be in a supervised environment in a facility that may be relatively close to home. Children may be placed in these settings on a short term "drop in" basis, as well. Day care centers may be housed in churches, community centers, and after school programs. Not all centers are licensed by the state to provide services. Similar centers utilizing church, mosque or synagogue social halls, community centers, or senior service centers offer similar services for the aging population on a regular, daily, or intermittent basis (e.g., one weekend day a month). Certain service organizations, such as Easter Seals, human service agencies, or community-based private independent respite providers may offer respite in a center-based setting, employing trained staff and/or volunteers. Model 6: Respite in Corporate Foster Home Settings for Children and Teens In some states, foster care regulations and licensing accommodate the development and operation of foster care "homes" which are managed by a non-profit or for-profit corporation. In this situation, several children or adolescents who have disabilities are placed outside their family homes and live together in a homelike environment with the help of a trained, rotating staff. These corporation operated foster homes may provide respite care, either as vacancies occur in the homes, or as the sole purpose for which the "home" exists. Some adolescents adapt especially well to this situation, enjoying a setting that is like semi-independent living Model 7: Residential Facilities Some long-term residential facilities, particularly those serving persons with developmental disabilities, have a specified number of beds set aside for short-term respite. Some examples of such facilities are community residences (such as group homes and supervised apartments), nursing homes, and state-owned facilities. Increasingly, assisted living programs or nursing homes for the aging population are offering respite for overnight, weekend or extended stays. Model 8: Parent / Family Caregiver Cooperative Model Parent or Family Caregiver cooperatives have been developed in communities, especially rural areas, where respite services are very limited. In this type of model, families of children with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses develop an informal association and "trade" respite services with each other. This model has been used successfully for young veterans with traumatic brain injury or other conditions who are living at home. This exchange program allows families to receive respite on scheduled dates. In most parent or family caregiver cooperatives, fees are not assessed. This model has proven to be especially effective for families whose children or other family members have similar disabilities. Model 9: Respitality Model Respitality is an innovative concept for providing respite. It provides a cost-effective partnership between the private sector and respite agencies. During Respitality, participating hotels provided the family with a room, a pleasant dining experience, and perhaps entertainment while a local respite program provides respite either in the family's home or in an out-of-home respite situation. The Respitality concept was developed by United Cerebral Palsy of America. Model 10: Hospital-Based Facility-based respite occurs primarily in hospitals. It provides a safe setting for children and adults with high care needs. It can be a good alternative for a small community that has a hospital with a typically low census or a hospital with low weekend occupancy. Individuals can receive high quality care while remaining in a familiar setting with familiar people. In larger communities, a hospital provides the sense of security parents and caregivers need when considering respite. Veterans (VA) hospitals often provider respite for eligible veterans. Model 11: Camps Camp has been a form of respite for many families for many years. Whether or not a child has a disability, camp can be a positive experience for any child as well as a break for parents/caregivers. For children with disabilities, chronic or terminal illnesses, the chance to participate in either an integrated or adapted camp can be life-expanding. Many places around the country offer such experiences, either as day or overnight camps. Such models are sometimes available for adults as well through agencies such as Easter Seals or United Cerebral Palsy. Model 12: Adult day care centers Also known as adult day services, have been providing a form of respite for caregivers for more than twenty years. Such services have expanded dramatically in the last decade as demand has increased but also as new funding sources, such as Medicaid waivers, became available. Adult day care centers provide a break (respite) to the caregiver while providing health services, therapeutic services, and social activities for people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia, chronic illnesses, traumatic brain injuries, developmental disabilities, and other problems that increase their care needs. Some adult day care centers are dementia specific, providing services exclusively to that population. Other centers serve the broader population. One difference between traditional adult respite, both group and in-home care, and adult day care is that adult day centers not only provide respite to family caregivers but also therapeutic care for cognitively and physically impaired older adults. Generally, although programs vary, participants attend the program for several hours a day to a full day (eight hours), up to five days a week. Most programs do not offer weekend services, although a few may offer half-day services on Saturdays. How to Choose a Respite Provider Some states require licensing for respite providers. If your state does not, it is even more important to do a thorough background and qualifications check, especially if you are dealing with individuals who are not associated with companies or agencies. Most company and agency providers will have done background and reference checks for their employees, but do not assume, ask instead. Here is a quick checklist to use when considering a provider: Telephone screening Personal Interview  Ask for references Check references, criminal background Evaluate costs and financing Write a contract that provides specific details The idea is to get to know the prospective provider as well as possible before committing to the relationship. Then, you must communicate your expectations in very specific terms. Finally, these expectations should be in writing to help assure that both parties understand them, and will not need to rely on memory if and when difficulties arise later.  For more information on respite for specific ages or conditions, see free downloadable ARCH Fact Sheets. ARCH also recently updated its National Respite Guidelines that may help you learn what to look for in a high quality respite setting. A variety of consumer guides, workbooks, and checklists also are available to help you sort out the myriad of options you may have in your community, and in some instances, offer guidance so you can train the respite provider yourself: Information to download if you choose. Please go to:   http://archrespite.org/consumer-information

Parkinson's Disease Spreads In Brain Similar To Infection: Researchers

VIENNA, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- Researchers have found Parkinson's disease spreads in the brain from cell to cell similar to the way an infection does, Xinhua news agency reports citing local media.

A team led by Gabor Kovacs of Medical University of Vienna said they are now able to show how, with the use of a specially-developed antibody, spreading of the disease occurs in the human brain, the Der Standard newspaper said.

This had previously only been observed in experimental models, but for the first time also observable in humans.

The focus of the research was on the Alpha-synuclein protein abundant in the human brain.

In patients with Parkinson's disease (and closely-associated Lewy body dementia), the protein appears in a pathologically-altered state.

The study showed how human nerve cells absorbed the pathologically-altered form of the protein and how it was transmitted from one cell to the next.

"This explains why in the course of the disease the state of patients continues to become worse and new symptoms appear -- because the 'contagion' process can spread the disease to other regions of the brain," Kovacs said.

Kovacs said blocking the spreading mechanism of Alpha-synuclein protein could now be targeted as a means of therapy for patients, and the antibody could be used to aid in making diagnoses of both Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia.

The study supports similar claims from Munich-based neuropathologist Armin Giese who reported similar behaviour with Alzheimer's disease last Tuesday.

-- BERNAMA

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/wn/newsworld.php?id=1070875

Mechanism of Parkinson's spread demonstrated

This study demonstrates for the first time that human nerve cells take up the pathological α-synuclein and thereby transfer the disease from one cell to the next. "This explains why patients with Parkinson's disease deteriorate more and more from a clinical perspective and develop new symptoms, because the disease is able to spread to other parts of the brain through this infection process," says Gabor G Kovacs.

Credit: © James Steidl / FotoliaAn international, interdisciplinary group of  researchers led by Gabor G. Kovacs from

 the Clinical Institute of Neurology at the MedUni Vienna has demonstrated, through the use of a new antibody, how Parkinson's disease spreads from cell to cell in the human brain. Until now, this mechanism

 has only been observed in experimental models, but has now been demonstrated

 for the first time in humans too.

the focus of the study, recently published in the       journal Neurobiology of Disease, is the protein α-synuclein. This protein is present in the human brain but develops into a pathologically modified form in the presence of Parkinson's disease and a common type of age-related dementia (known as Lewy body dementia, responsible for up to a quarter of all dementia-related diseases).

This study, which was carried out by a team from the MedUni Vienna in collaboration with researchers from the USA, Germany and Hungary, demonstrates for the first time that human nerve cells take up the pathological α-synuclein and thereby transfer the disease from one cell to the next. "This explains why patients with Parkinson's disease deteriorate more and more from a clinical perspective and develop new symptoms, because the disease is able to spread to other parts of the brain through this infection process," says Gabor G Kovacs, commenting on the central finding of the study.

New antibody achieved major breakthrough

The researchers demonstrated this mechanism using an antibody that scientists from the MedUni Vienna played a key role in helping to develop in collaboration with the German biotech firm Roboscreen. As the study shows, this antibody is the first to distinguish between the physiologically present and disease-associated form of α-synuclein and reacts exclusively with the pathological form.

Mechanism of spread demonstrated for the first time could provide a basis for new treatments for Parkinson's

"For patients with Parkinson's disease, this means that α-synuclein's mechanism of spread from cell to cell could serve as a point of therapeutic attack if we are able to block this cell-to-cell transfer mechanism," continues Kovacs. In diagnostic terms, this antibody also represents a major breakthrough, since the antibodies used previously were unable to distinguish between the physiological and disease-associated form, which meant that they could not be used as easily for diagnostic purposes, e.g. in body fluids.

New antibody improves diagnosis

The fact that this is now possible for the first time has been demonstrated by a further study, also recently published in the specialist publication Clinical Neuropathology. According to this study, the new antibody can be used to detect disease-associated α-synuclein in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with brain disease associated with α-synuclein. This is of major importance for clinical practice, because it means it will be possible to clinically determine whether the dementia is caused by Lewy bodies or not. This study arose through close collaboration between the Clinical Institute of Neurology (Gabor G. Kovacs) and the University Department of Neurology (Walter Pirker) at the MedUni Vienna.

---

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Medical University of Vienna.Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Gabor G. Kovacs, Leonid Breydo, Ryan Green, Viktor Kis, Gina Puska, Péter Lőrincz, Laura Perju-Dumbrava, Regina Giera, Walter Pirker, Mirjam Lutz, Ingolf Lachmann, Herbert Budka, Vladimir N. Uversky, Kinga Molnár, Lajos László.Intracellular processing of disease-associated α-synuclein in the human brain suggests prion-like cell-to-cell spread. Neurobiology of Disease, 2014; 69: 76 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.05.020

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140922091042.htm

New smartphone software developed at Aston University will bring the doctor into the patient's

There's an App for That

Tuesday September 16, 2014

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29122853 - Symptoms of Parkinson's are currently difficult to measure objectively after the patient leaves the doctor's clinic.

New smartphone software developed at Aston University will bring the doctor into the patient's pocket to assess their movements and speech at home.

Trials are now recruiting online, seeking people with and without the disease.

Parkinson's is one of the commonest neurodegenerative diseases, affecting around 127,000 people in the UK.

Diagnosis is based on symptoms including tremor, stiffness and difficulty with movements and speech. However, studies have shown that up to 20% of people diagnosed with Parkinson's show no evidence of the disease in post-mortem examinations.

"Most people who have the disease will never be objectively measured," explained Dr Max Little, a mathematical researcher with Aston's Nonlinearity and Complexity Research Group.

Dr Little's team has developed software that uses the microphone and motion detector of a standard smartphone to provide data to supplement traditional clinical assessment.

Machine learning

Voice change can be an early indicator of Parkinson's. Patients or their family may notice their voice becoming quieter, drifting in pitch and showing vocal tremors.

Over the past eight years, Dr Little and colleagues have been developing tools to capture and quantify these changes in the lab and in the home. Using machine learning they are now able to "very accurately separate those who have Parkinson's from those who don't" - with up to 99% agreement with the diagnosis made by the neurologist in clinic.

Their most recent study, the Parkinson's Voice Initiative, included 17,000 participants providing voice samples via telephone.

Parkinson's is one of the commonest neurodegenerative diseases

Smartphones use accelerometers to measure force in three dimensions. These sensors can be used to collect data on Parkinson's with the phone stowed in the pocket - detecting "freezing of gait" when walking and other characteristic signs of the disease.

By integrating this with GPS and other smartphone data, Dr Little's software can perform complex analyses of behaviours including "how many phone calls you make, what's your socialisation behaviour, are you spending a lot of time outside of the house, are you predominantly sitting or walking, how much do you explore your environment" - all of which can contribute to a diagnostic algorithm for Parkinson's.

Personal diagnostic software raises new issues for diseases like Parkinson's which currently lack disease-modifying treatments.

"For the first time, we could do population screening for Parkinson's," explained Dr Michele Hu, consultant neurologist at the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre.

"But preclinical testing is a massive ethical can of worms - the issues must be carefully pre-empted and thought out. We don't know yet how accurate this could be as a predictor and the only way we will know is by very carefully following at-risk individuals over time."

"The ethics clearly has to be worked out - what are we going to use these tools for? What would you like to know? What would you not like to know?" asked Dr Little. "We have made this tool and it's up to the community to decide what to do with it."

Ongoing trials

"Our Western population is aging and 2-3% of people over the age of 75 will develop Parkinson's," explained Dr Hu. "Our aim is to provide a biomarker to diagnose Parkinson's prospectively by focusing on individuals with high risk for the disease."

People at risk include those with a genetic susceptibility to the disease and those with REM sleep behaviour disorder, in which the sleeping individual makes complex and often violent movements during dream sleep.

In a study led by Dr Hu using the new software, subjects are continuously monitored by smartphone for one week, then followed up every 18 months. "It's a much better way of assessing overall disease - a better measure of progression and response to treatment," added Dr Hu.

Dr Little is also seeking 2,500 people with or without Parkinson's to participate in a study with the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Participants download an app to their smartphone and complete a range of active and passive tests of voice, gait and dexterity.

No two patients experience Parkinson's in the same way. Consequently, in future Dr Little is interested in developing a tool "that could potentially provide specific feedback to people on symptoms that matter to them". Smartphone applications could play an important role in empowering patients to make treatment decisions based on quantitative data they collect for themselves.

But we can't throw the doctor out yet. So far the software has only been shown to discriminate between Parkinson's and healthy controls - the neurologist has a trickier job identifying Parkinson's in a clinical population. "If we wanted to make this into a tool that would do differential diagnosis we would have to test it in that environment," conceded Dr Little.

Dr Little is planning to extend the technology to other disorders including Friedrich's ataxia in children. Smart watches may advance the applications of such software even further.

Dr Anette Schrag is a reader in clinical neurology at the Institute of Neurology, University College London. "This is a very interesting technique that might prove extremely useful in identifying individuals with Parkinson's disease," she commented.

"The diagnostic value of this technique now needs to be replicated and shown not only in those with well-established Parkinson's disease but also in those where the diagnosis is not clear or has just been established."

Northwest Parkinson's Foundation

GDNF-Transfected Macrophages Produce Potent Neuroprotective Effects in Parkinson's Disease Mouse

The pathobiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) projecting to the striatum. Currently, there are no treatments that can halt or reverse the course of PD; only palliative therapies, such as replacement strategies for missing neurotransmitters, exist. Thus, the successful brain delivery of neurotrophic factors that promote neuronal survival and reverse the disease progression is crucial. We demonstrated earlier systemically administered autologous macrophages can deliver nanoformulated antioxidant, catalase, to the SNpc providing potent anti-inflammatory effects in PD mouse models. Here we evaluated genetically-modified macrophages for active targeted brain delivery of glial cell-line derived neurotropic factor (GDNF). To capitalize on the beneficial properties afforded by alternatively activated macrophages, transfected with GDNF-encoded pDNA cells were further differentiated toward regenerative M2 phenotype. A systemic administration of GDNF-expressing macrophages significantly ameliorated neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in PD mice. Behavioral studies confirmed neuroprotective effects of the macrophage-based drug delivery system. One of the suggested mechanisms of therapeutic effects is the release of exosomes containing the expressed neurotropic factor followed by the efficient GDNF transfer to target neurons. Such formulations can serve as a new technology based on cell-mediated active delivery of therapeutic proteins that attenuate and reverse progression of PD, and ultimately provide hope for those patients who are already significantly disabled by the disease.

 

Citation: Zhao Y, Haney MJ, Gupta R, Bohnsack JP, He Z, et al. (2014) GDNF-Transfected Macrophages Produce Potent Neuroprotective Effects in Parkinson's Disease Mouse Model. PLoS ONE 9(9): e106867. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106867

Editor: Tsuneya Ikezu, Boston University School of Medicine, United States of America

Received: May 27, 2014; Accepted: August 9, 2014; Published: September 17, 2014

This is an open-access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.

Data Availability: The authors confirm that all data underlying the findings are fully available without restriction. All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.

Funding: This study was supported by the grants of the US National Institutes of Health 1R01 NS057748 (to EVB), RR021937 and R01 CA116591 (to AVK), US Department of Defense Award No. W81XWH-09-1-0386 (to AVK) and W81XWH11-1-0770 (to AVK), and the Russian Ministry of Science and Education No. 02.740.11.5231 and No. 11.G34.31.0004 (to AVK). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Model Yuling Zhao,   Matthew J. Haney,   Richa Gupta,   John P. Bohnsack,   Zhijian He,   Alexander V. Kabanov,   Elena V. Batrakova 

Sep. 17, 2014

Read additional information:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0106867

Yoga Hope for Parkinson’s Patients

• September 6, 2014

The sad news of beloved comic Robin William’s death was followed by reports he was fighting Parkinson’s disease.  His widow, Susan Schneider, revealed the star struggled with depression and anxiety during the early stages of the disease.  Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that is caused by nerve cell degeneration in a region of the brain that controls voluntary movement. The symptoms include tremors, a shuffling walk, muscle stiffness, stooped posture, and a mask-like, expressionless face. Other non-motor symptoms include depression, dementia and cognitive impairment.  In memory of Robin Williams, here are ways yoga practice can help people with Parkinson’s disease.

Yoga Hope for Parkinson’s

A 2014 systematic review, published in the Journal of Parkinsonism and Restless Leg Syndrome, reveals yoga can help patients suffering from Parkinson’s symptoms.

Canadian researchers analyzed seven yoga studies examining the effectiveness of a yoga program on patients with Parkinson’s disease.

The researchers found yoga improved mobility, balance and lower-extremity function, and reduced fear of falling and loss of strength and flexibility. Furthermore, yoga was shown to improve well-being, mood, depression and sleep.

“This review suggests that yoga provided an alternative method for addressing some of the reversible factors that impact motor function in PD, as well as contributing to an improved psychosocial well-being,” the study authors conclude.

Yoga Improves Motor Symptoms

A first randomized study, published in Yoga & Physical Therapy, suggests yoga can improve balance, strength, flexibility, posture, and gait in people with Parkinson’s.

Researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center administered yoga practice or no intervention (control group) to 13 patients with Parkinson’s disease. Physical function assessment tests were obtained from the participants.

The yoga group participated in one hour of Iyengar-style yoga twice a week for 12 weeks. The yoga program was adapted for patients with Parkinson’s including yoga postures, breathing and meditation.

The researchers found the yoga group had significant improvement in motor function and balance scores. Furthermore, there was significant improvement in strength, range of motion, flexibility, foot unloading and foot lift off.

“Findings suggest that yoga practice improves motor function which may be partially explained by improvements in balance, strength, posture and gait,” the study authors write. “Due to the progressive nature of PD yoga programs may offer a way to maintain wellness and perhaps quality of life.”