By Shane Huntington Neuroscientist and neurologist Prof Malcolm Horne discusses Parkinsons disease, and examines new technological developments and the prospects they offer for early diagnosis and treatment of the condition. SHANE HUNTINGTON Im Dr Shane Huntington. Thanks for joining us. Among the many degenerative neurological disorders that can afflict us, Parkinson's disease is one such condition that can radically change the way we live and function. Second only to Alzheimer's disease in prevalence in the ageing West. Many of us have an image of the Parkinson's sufferer with increasingly debilitating tremors. But the symptoms of the disease go well beyond the visible. We don't know the cause, we don't have a cure, yet progress is being made. Today on Up Close we discuss research into Parkinsons and what the future holds for sufferers and those who support them. With new genetic technologies improving by the day are we are on the verge of cracking this disease? Can we identify the risk factors and try to avoid them? To answer these questions and more we are joined by Professor Malcolm Horne, Head of the Neurodegeneration Lab at the Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Consultant Neurologist at St Vincent Hospital … Continue reading →

MIDDLETOWN The August edition of the Healthline radio show will Parkinson's disease. The show's guest will be Mary Ellen Thibodeau, executive director of the Connecticut chapter of the American Parkinson's Disease Association Thibodeau will discuss the possible causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's. The Middletown Health Department said Parkinson's affects about 500,000 Americans, but that number is expected to increase with the nation's aging population. Parkinson's is a brain disorder that can cause shaking and stiffness, as well as problems with balance and coordination, the health department said. The average age of onset is 60. Healthline is produced by the Middletown Health Department. The show can be heard Saturday, Aug. 2 at 3:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. on WIHS 104.9 FM and every Sunday during February at 6:30 p.m. on WCNX Radio 1710 AM. The show can also be heard on demand at http://www.wcnxradio.com. Originally posted here: Middletown Healthline Radio Show To Discuss Parkinson's … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 1-Aug-2014 Contact: Dr. Teymuras Kurzchalia kurzchalia@mpi-cbg.de 49-351-210-2567 Max-Planck-Gesellschaft This news release is available in German. Parkinson's disease affects neurons in the Substantia nigra brain region their mitochondrial activity ceases and the cells die. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics show that supplying D-lactate or glycolate, two products of the gene DJ-1, can stop and even counteract this process: Adding the substances to cultured HeLa cells and to cells of the nematode C. elegans restored the activity of mitochondria and prevented the degeneration of neurons. They also showed that the two substances rescued the toxic effects of the weed killer Paraquat. Cells that had been treated with this herbicide, which is known to cause a Parkinson's like harm of mitochondria, recovered after the addition of the two substances. Both glycolic and D-lactic acids occur naturally in unripe fruits and certain kinds of yoghurt. Products with an enriched concentration of these substances could thus be a therapeutic route for a treatment of Parkinson's or for even preventing the onset of the disease. Teymuras Kurzchalia and Tony Hyman both have labs at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics with rather … Continue reading →