Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

New technology being developed in America analyses tremors, breathiness and other weaknesses in people's voices which are believed to be one of the condition's earliest symptoms. Experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology claim that their computer programme can pick out Parkinson's sufferers with 99 per cent accuracy simply by analysing their speech. Dr Max Little, a British researcher who is leading the initiative at MIT, now hopes to determine whether the same results could be produced from a patient speaking over the telephone. By recruiting Parkinson's patients and health volunteers to take part in a three-minute telephone call where they will say "ah", speak some sentences and answer a few questions, he said the system could be programmed to diagnose people remotely, allowing earlier treatment. He said: "Science tells us voice impairment might be an early sign of Parkinson's. It sounds counterintuitive as Parkinson's is a movement disorder but the voice is a form of movement. "Neurologists look at changes in the ability to move, which is done with the limbs, but we are looking in the vocal organs the sounds that come out of the mouth. We are fairly confident we can detect the disease over the telephone." … Continue reading →

NATICK, Mass., Sept. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX) received CE Mark approval for use of its Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The Vercise DBS System is the first and only commercially available DBS system to incorporate multiple independent current control, which is designed to selectively stimulate targeted areas in the brain. This system is an innovative technology that is designed to provide physicians fine control of stimulation. "The launch of the Vercise DBS System represents a key expansion for Boston Scientific,"said Maulik Nanavaty, senior vice president and president of Boston Scientific's Neuromodulation Division. "Vercise DBS is the only system on the market able to finely control stimulation with multiple independent current control. This unique technology underscores our commitment to improving patients' lives." The first commercial implant of the Vercise DBS System was performed by a team at the University Clinic Wurzburg in Germany that included Prof. Dr. Cordula Matthies, Head of Functional Neurosurgery and Prof. Dr. Jens Volkmann, Director of the Department of Neurology. "We welcome the Vercise DBS System," said Prof. Dr. Volkmann. "We believe it represents advancement in DBS technology through flexible and unique programming options. We believe the … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2012) In collaboration with colleagues at Oxford, a team of researchers at Ume University in Sweden has now further elaborated its discovery of a way to detect Parkinson's disease at an early stage, and applications in clinical care are not far away. The project is an example of bridging the gap between basic and clinical research in care environments. The new findings are based on close cooperation between the medical chemist Ludmilla Morozova-Roche's and the neurologist Lars Forsgren's research teams at Ume University and Jason Davis's team at Oxford University in the UK, who were primarily responsible for the chemical analyses. Their findings are now being published in the journal Chemical Science. Parkinson's disease attacks the nervous system and, like many other diseases, is caused by proteins that lump together into so-called amyloid. Behind these new findings lies a discovery from the spring of 2011, when the Ume scientists were able to determine endogenous antibodies against the most important amyloid protein, alpha-synuclein. These antibodies were seen as being able to function as a diagnostic marker, thereby enabling early detection of the disease. In the new article the discovery is elaborated further in the form of a simplified … Continue reading →

A team at MIT has developed a computer programme that is able to recognise the tremors, breathiness and weakness in the voice These symtpoms are thought to be early indicators of the degenerative condition Study leader Dr Max Little is building up a database of 10,000 voices to support his project By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 10:05 EST, 26 September 2012 | UPDATED: 12:28 EST, 26 September 2012 Leaving a simple phone message could help spot the early signs of Parkinsons years before serious symptoms develop, say scientists. Researchers have discovered they can detect the disease through voice recordings with initial studies already showing a 99 per cent accuracy rate. A team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a computer programme that is able to recognise the tremors, breathiness and weakness in the voice, which are thought to be early indicators of the condition. The technology works partly by tracking the motion of the vocal cords and detecting any tremor The voice analysis software can even provide an unprecedented level of detail that can distinguish how far along a patient is with the disease. The Parkinsons Voice Initiative led by British scientist Dr Max Little, is looking to see … Continue reading →

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. (AMBS), a biotechnology company developing new treatments and diagnostics for Parkinson's disease (PD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) centered around its patented anti-apoptotic therapeutic protein MANF, today announced the publication of positive, peer-reviewed efficacy data for MANF in an animal model of myocardial infarction. The results were published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC) by the Glembotski Lab at the San Diego State University's (SDSU) Department of Biology and the SDSU Heart Institute. The research paper entitled "Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) protects the heart from Ischemic damage and is selectively secreted upon ER calcium depletion" reports a ~44% reduction in infarct zone size in MANF-treated mice when compared with controls. "The generation of positive ischemia/reperfusion in-vivo animal data in a model of myocardial infarction represents a significant scientific milestone for MANF as scientifists look to establish the therapeutic profile of MANF in ischemic heart disease," said Gerald E. Commissiong, President & CEO of Amarantus. "As the research on MANF moves forward around the globe, Amarantus will leverage the data generated by collaborators and independent researchers to improve the value of our IP portfolio as well as overall shareholder value." … Continue reading →

The public is invited to a conference next week to learn about the latest advancements in the fight against Parkinson's disease. The American Parkinsons Disease Association Information and Referral Center of Nebraska will host its first conference titled, Advances with Parkinsons: Reasons for Optimism, on Friday, Oct. 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the DC Center, 11830 Stonegate Drive in Omaha. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Suggested donation is $20 to cover the cost of food. Topics will include advances in treatment, disease management, nutrition, exercise and caregiving. Ten health professionals will speak, including a nationally recognized expert in Parkinsons disease, Lawrence Elmer, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Neurological Disorders at the University of Toledo Medical Center. For more information or to register, contact Karen Anderson at (402) 559-8839, karen.anderson@unmc.edu or download a form online and mail it. A registration form can be downloaded at the link below. Registration deadline is Oct. 2. The APDA Information and Referral Center is housed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Neurological Sciences and works in cooperation with the Nebraska Chapter of the APDA. See original here: Learn About Latest Advances … Continue reading →

Public release date: 25-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Karin Eskenazi ket2116@columbia.edu 212-342-0508 Columbia University Medical Center New York, NY (September 25, 2012) Researchers in the Taub Institute at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have identified a mechanism that appears to underlie the common sporadic (non-familial) form of Parkinson's disease, the progressive movement disorder. The discovery highlights potential new therapeutic targets for Parkinson's and could lead to a blood test for the disease. The study, based mainly on analysis of human brain tissue, was published today in the online edition of Nature Communications. Studies of rare, familial (heritable) forms of Parkinson's show that a protein called alpha-synuclein plays a role in the development of the disease. People who have extra copies of the alpha-synuclein gene produce excess alpha-synuclein protein, which can damage neurons. The effect is most pronounced in dopamine neurons, a population of brain cells in the substantia nigra that plays a key role in controlling normal movement and is lost in Parkinson's. Another key feature of Parkinson's is the presence of excess alpha-synuclein aggregates in the brain. As the vast majority of patients with Parkinson's do not carry rare familial mutations, a key question has been … Continue reading →

A Day To Remember is a campaign to drive awareness of dementia, launched bythe Department of Health with support from the Alzheimers Society. Itaims to increase early diagnosis rates for dementia across England by tackling the publics fears of talking about the condition. New research shows: Half of people (50 percent) say they would find it hard to talk about dementia to a friend or family member they thought might have it; A third (33 percent) say that personal concerns (such as fear of upsetting someone or feeling awkward or anxious) would discourage them from talking about dementia or memory loss with a friend or relative. That nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of people would not be confident telling the difference between the signs of dementia and the normal signs of ageing. Sir Michael Parkinson, Fiona Phillipsand Gordon Banks join forces in this video to talk about their experiences of alzheimer's and dementia in their families. They also discuss the importance of speaking up if you think a member of your family might be suffering from the condition, because early diagnosis can make the world of difference when it comes to treatment. To learn more about A Day To Remember head … Continue reading →

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. (AMBS), a California-based development-stage biotechnology developing new treatments and diagnostics for Parkinson's disease (PD) centered around its patented therapeutic protein MANF, today announced the release of a 2-page research report by OneMedPlace Research. The report can be found at http://www.onemedplace.com/reports/Amarantus_Research_Analysis.pdf. The report states: "Treatment with MANF prior to inducing PD-like conditions in animals protected the subjects from the onset of neuron degeneration. Even more impressively, in animals where Parkinson's was already present, treatment with MANF provided restorative benefits that included regaining motor function, as well as the maintenance and increase in function of the neurons that were still present. Cumulatively, these studies provide strong evidence that MANF has the potential to serve as a first-in-class curative treatment for degenerative neurological disorders that include PD. Amarantus is currently in the design and development stages to move MANF into clinical trials." The report also states: "Amarantus owns the license for Power3 Medical Products' NuroPro Blood Test as it relates to Parkinson's disease. NuroPro is a diagnostic platform for the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases. The PD application of this diagnostic has completed proof-of-concept and Phase I clinical validation studies." About Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. … Continue reading →

BY KATHY ROUTLIFFE | kroutliffe@pioneerlocal.com September 24, 2012 8:58AM Evan Bucklew, 6, and sister Madeleine, 8, cheered on their dad Bill Bucklew, who completed the Sept. 9 Ironman Wisconsin triathlon. Bucklew, of Wilmette, raised $3,400 for Parkinson's disease research on behalf of the Michael J. Fox Foundation.Evan Bucklew, 6, and sister Madeleine, 8, cheered on their dad Bill Bucklew, who completed the Sept. 9 Ironman Wisconsin triathlon. Bucklew, of Wilmette, raised $3,400 for Parkinson's disease research on behalf of the Michael J. Fox Foundation.Evan Bucklew, 6, and sister Madeleine, 8, cheered on their dad Bill Bucklew, who completed the Sept. 9 Ironman Wisconsin triathlon. Bucklew, of Wilmette, raised $3,400 for Parkinson's disease research on behalf of the Michael J. Fox Foundation. storyidforme: 36912372 tmspicid: 13488985 fileheaderid: 6223947 WHO: Bill Bucklew WHAT: Wisconsin Ironman WHY: Raising money for Parkinsons research HOMETOWN: Wilmette To learn more about Parkinsons disease and the Michael J. Fox Foundation, visit http://www.michaeljfox.org/. To donate in Bucklews effort, visit www2.michaeljfox.org/site/TR/TeamFox/TeamFox?px=1607346&pg=personal&fr_id=1053 . Read more: Bucklew runs against Parkinson’s … Continue reading →