Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

Feb. 6, 2013 Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have identified a protein trafficking defect within brain cells that may underlie common non-familial forms of Parkinson's disease. The defect is at a point of convergence for the action of at least three different genes that had been implicated in prior studies of Parkinson's disease. Whereas most molecular studies focus on mutations associated with rare familial forms of the disease, these findings relate directly to the common non-familial form of Parkinson's. The study was published today in the online edition of the journal Neuron. The defective pathway is called the "retromer" pathway, in part because it can guide the reutilization of key molecules by moving them back from the cell surface to internal stores. In this study, defects in the retromer pathway also appear to have profound effects on the cell's disposal machinery, which may explain why Parkinson's disease brain cells ultimately accumulate large protein aggregates. The trafficking defects associated with Parkinson's can be reversed by increasing retromer pathway activity, suggesting a possible therapeutic strategy. No current therapies for Parkinson's alter the progression of the disease. The researchers also found evidence that, even in unaffected individuals who simply carry common genetic … Continue reading →

Findings implicate two genetic variants that disrupt protein sorting in neurons Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have identified a protein trafficking defect within brain cells that may underlie common non-familial forms of Parkinsons disease. The defect is at a point of convergence for the action of at least three different genes that had been implicated in prior studies of Parkinsons disease. Whereas most molecular studies focus on mutations associated with rare familial forms of the disease, these findings relate directly to the common non-familial form of Parkinsons. The study was published recently in the online edition of the journalNeuron. The defective pathway is called the retromer pathway, in part because it can guide the reutilization of key molecules by moving them back from the cell surface to internal stores. In this study, defects in the retromer pathway also appear to have profound effects on the cells disposal machinery, which may explain why Parkinsons disease brain cells ultimately accumulate large protein aggregates. The trafficking defects associated with Parkinsons can be reversed by increasing retromer pathway activity, suggesting a possible therapeutic strategy. No current therapies for Parkinsons alter the progression of the disease. The researchers also found evidence that, even in … Continue reading →

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Genetics;Biology / Biochemistry;Alzheimer's / Dementia Article Date: 07 Feb 2013 - 3:00 PST Current ratings for: Non-Familial Parkinson's Cause And Treatment Clue Found In Three Genes 5 (2 votes) The researchers, from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) in New York, write about their findings in the 6 February issue of Neuron. Most people with Parkinson's disease have the sporadic, non-familial form of the disease, with a small proportion having familial Parkinson's, or the form that can be attributed to known genetic factors. The defect is in a pathway known as the "retromer" pathway, because it guides the recycling of key proteins by moving them back from the surface of the cell to its internal stores. The researchers found that defects in this pathway may disrupt the ability of cells to dispose of unwanted proteins, which may explain why brain cells of people with Parkinson's accumulate clumps of protein. They suggest the defects can be reversed by increasing pathway activity, offering a possible route to treatment. There are currently no treatments that alter progression of Parkinson's. They also found evidence that the molecular changes behind the defects in the retromer … Continue reading →

SALISBURY, Md. - You may not be able to tell by looking at him, but Art Cooley knows Parkinson's all too well. He tells WMDT "in 2008/2009 I began to exhibit symptoms and after going to the doctor up to Johns Hopkins resources, they confirmed that I had Parkinson's disease." Considered a neurological disorder, Parkinson's can be treated by neurologists, but it can take a doctor trained as a movement specialist to provide a proper diagnosis. A recent study estimates as many as 7,000 people are living with this disease on Delmarva, but there aren't any movement specialists on the peninsula. This has brought the Lower Shore Parkinson's Support Group, the MAC center, and Johns Hopkins to work together to provide a new way to help patients diagnose the debilitating disease. Dr. Renee Fredericksen is the Special Projects Director for MAC Inc. in Salisbury. There, she runs the Caregiver Resource Center where a new Telemedicine program will start mid February. "Telemedicine enables us to use telephone lines and computer access to bring doctors with specialties and other specialist in the world right into your home," says Fredericksen. While the consultations aren't available in the home just yet, Fredericksen says that … Continue reading →

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA; TASE: TEVA) today announced that it has enrolled the first patient in the Phase IV clinical trial of Azilect. The study will evaluate the cognitive function in adults with mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease. The study will evaluate the effect of Azilect on cognitive function in adults with mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's, as assessed by the Scales for Outcomes of Parkinson's Disease-Cognition after 24 weeks of treatment. The study includes 170 patients at 30 sites in the US. Cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease is a major cause of disability and increased care partner burden, said Dr. Robert A. Hauser, director of the Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Center at the University of South Florida, the co-primary investigator of the study. As currently there are no available treatments for cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease, any therapy that may demonstrate benefit would be welcomed for this significant unmet need." Teva chief scientific officer and president Global R&D Dr. Michael Hayden said, Mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease is common in non-demented Parkinson's patients and is associated with increasing age, disease duration and disease severity." Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - http://www.globes-online.com - … Continue reading →

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --One of the first known surgeons to offer Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) as an outpatient treatment, Christopher Duma, MD, FACS, is bringing a new option and hope to the estimated 60,000 Americans diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease every year. The pioneering brain surgeon, who has successfully controlled tremors in thousands of movement disorder patients, is now performing his minimally invasive implantations at DISC Surgery Center at Newport Beach. Patients can literally walk in, have the surgery and be home in time for dinner, with their quality of life improved exponentially. DISC's outpatient setting also means individualized attention, fewer complications and a dramatically reduced risk of infection. With a marked improvement in 90% of cases, DBS is delivered by an implant that conducts a fine electrical impulse to particular parts of the brain. Wires are implanted in the brain and are connected to a device under the skin near the collar bone that regulates a continuous current. Despite being called 'stimulation' DBS actually shuts down areas of the brain that are causing the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. Unlike medications that tend to have negative side effects over time, DBS has a positive record for minimal side … Continue reading →

In July 2009, during one of their daily dog walks, Libbe Erickson noticed that her husband, Kim, was dragging his feet. A year later, Kim, a pilot for Delta Airlines, was on a layover in Honolulu. He got up one morning, went into the bathroom of his hotel and started shaving. He looked into the mirror and saw that his right hand was shaking. "It wasn't from being tired or from working out," Kim Erickson said. "I had just woken up; I was fairly rested." When he got home, Erickson went to see a neurologist in Stillwater. The diagnosis: Parkinson's disease, a disorder of the brain that leads to tremors as well as trouble with walking, movement and coordination. There is no known cure, but the Ericksons, who live in Grant, are working to change that. The couple became research advocates for the Parkinson's Disease Foundation and are working to get other Parkinson's patients involved in studies that could lead to new drugs. "The only way we're going to make advances is if people living with Parkinson's participate in research studies," Kim Erickson said. "The real hindrance with Parkinson's research right now is the number of study participants is so … Continue reading →

Thursday, January 31, 2013 - 7:07pm El Paso- The Chief Medical Director at Highlands Regional Rehab Hospital in El Paso says Parkinson's Disease is a progressive, degenerative brain disorder that has no cure. 1. 5 million Americans have Parkinson's with the most noted characteristic being the shaky hands or tremors. Some will not seek treatment and suffer quietly, others may take up to 30 pills a day to control it. As this disease continues, simple tasks like walking, talking or riding a bike become very difficult. Doctor Sandberg spoke about a procedure that is now widely recognized by most insurance companies. No longer experimental, D.B.S. Or Deep Brain Stimulation by a company called Medtronic is the difference for some between victim and victor. It's sort of like a pacemaker for your brain. This electric stimulus implanted deep within the brain has allowed Parkinson's patients more freedom from the disease. Roy Roden got the operation a few months ago and has been riding his bicycle across the country to talk to other patients talking about the D.B.S. procedure. He and his wife have ridden half-way from Seattle to Miami and is convinced this procedure has allowed him the freedom to control … Continue reading →

Insightec on Wednesday reported encouraging Phase 1 clinical test results for its pioneering ExAblate Neuro system, which provides a non-invasive alternative for treating chronic neurological disorders. The trials were conducted on 30 patients suffering from Parkinson's, essential tremor, and neuropathic pain. InSightec is a private company, 69% owned by Elbit Medical, the medical division of Moti Zisser's Elbit Imaging group. Its ExAblate Neuro system aims focused ultrasound beams guided by magnetic resonance through the skull to treat tissue deep in the brain without requiring incisions or radiation. The system demonstrated the ability to burn away targeted tissue deep in the brain with high precision. The treatment could become an alternative for patients on whom surgery can't be performed or for those refusing to undergo invasive brain procedures. InSightec CEO Kobi Vortman explained that the system focuses treatment at the center of the brain and destroys two to three millimeter areas of the thalamus, the collection of neurons near the midbrain responsible for sensory information processing. This causes a significant reduction or complete cessation in symptoms such as tremors, speech difficulties, and walking difficulties among Parkinson's patients. This treatment for patients with neurological diseases can provide an alternative to surgery or … Continue reading →

Jan. 31, 2013 The relationship between genetics and Parkinson's has been investigated for more than a decade, but it is only over the last few years that significant results have begun to be obtained. The first mutations related to the development of this disease were found in 2004. A team from the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country came across a mutation of the LRRK2 gene, which is particularly prevalent among the population of Gipuzkoa. It is the R1441G mutation and is known as the Basque mutation. Now, Doctor Javier Ruiz, a doctor on the same team, has submitted a thesis in which he has studied this mutation; apart from the study of its prevalence, the study includes the calculation of its penetrance, the description of its clinical phenotype, its progression, and the neuropathological study of a patient carrying this mutation. The results have been published in the journals Neurogenetics and Movement Disorders. In actual fact, it was no easy task relating Parkinson's with certain genes. "At first, one-off descriptions were made and they pointed to the old idea that Parkinson's was something sporadic, but this is not true," says Ruiz, the author of the study. When a decade ago people … Continue reading →