CottageCountryNow.ca TORONTO - Canadian researchers are taking a novel approach in trying to find an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease and it involves taking advantage of small holes drilled in the skull for another therapeutic procedure. During surgery to implant electrodes into the brains of Parkinson's patients an increasingly common procedure known as deep brain stimulation, or DBS doctors at Western University have been removing a tiny scoop of brain cells from selected patients, then growing them in the lab. The hope is that regenerative cells contained in the biopsied tissue could one day be reprogrammed as therapeutic agents and reimplanted into a patient's own brain to treat Parkinson's or other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis. "With further advances, it's possible that these cells could be transformed in the laboratory to yield specific cell types needed for a particular disease, for example, dopamine neurons in Parkinson's disease," said neurosurgeon Dr. Matthew Hebb. In Parkinson's disease, brain cells that secrete the chemical dopamine are progressively destroyed, leading to tremors and other movement-related symptoms. In a recently published study of 19 Parkinson's patients who had brain biopsies during DBS surgery, the researchers say they were able to grow millions of … Continue reading →

Depression is known to raise the risk of a host of diseases including cancer and stroke, but although it is known to be more common among Parkinson's patients than the general population, it remains unclear whether it is a cause or a symptom. Researchers from Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan examined the medical records of 4,634 people who suffered from clinically diagnosed depression, and 18,544 who did not, over a ten-year period. They found that 66 people with depression, or 1.42 per cent, went on to be diagnosed with Parkinson's during the next decade compared with 97 of those without depression, or 0.52 per cent. After other factors such as age were taken into account, patients with depression were found to be 3.24 times more likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson's than those without. Even when researchers excluded the records of patients who were diagnosed with Parkinson's shortly after their depression diagnosis, the link was still apparent suggesting that depression raises the risk of Parkinson's over the long term. Greater age and having a form of depression which does not respond well to treatment both independently raised the risk of a Parkinson's diagnosis, the scientists added. Dr Albert Yang, … Continue reading →

TORONTO - Canadian researchers are taking a novel approach in trying to find an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease and it involves taking advantage of small holes drilled in the skull for another therapeutic procedure. During surgery to implant electrodes into the brains of Parkinson's patients an increasingly common procedure known as deep brain stimulation, or DBS doctors at Western University have been removing a tiny scoop of brain cells from selected patients, then growing them in the lab. The hope is that regenerative cells contained in the biopsied tissue could one day be reprogrammed as therapeutic agents and reimplanted into a patient's own brain to treat Parkinson's or other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis. "With further advances, it's possible that these cells could be transformed in the laboratory to yield specific cell types needed for a particular disease, for example, dopamine neurons in Parkinson's disease," said neurosurgeon Dr. Matthew Hebb. In Parkinson's disease, brain cells that secrete the chemical dopamine are progressively destroyed, leading to tremors and other movement-related symptoms. In a recently published study of 19 Parkinson's patients who had brain biopsies during DBS surgery, the researchers say they were able to grow millions of patient-specific … Continue reading →

The debilitating disorder Parkinson's disease may be more likely to occur in depressed individuals. Researchers in Taiwan tracked more than 22,000 adults for 10 years, and found those who had depression were more than three times more likely to develop Parkinson's than those who were not depressed. "Depression is linked in other studies to illnesses such as cancer and stroke," Dr. Albert C. Yang, a psychiatrist with the Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, said in a statement. "Our study suggests that depression may also be an independent risk factor for Parkinson's disease." Parkinson's disease is caused by the loss of a brain chemical called dopamine, which is responsible for muscle and motor control and other essential functions. Symptoms of the disease include tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement, posture problems and troubles with balance and coordination. The disease is degenerative, meaning it gets worse over time. Tremors may eventually interfere with daily activities like walking, talking or eating, leading to permanent disability. Risk factors for Parkinson's include older age, heredity, and being exposed to toxins like pesticides, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is more common in men than in women. Depression and Parkinson's disease have well-established links. Up … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/zw3772/disease_and) has announced the addition of the "Disease and Therapy Review: Parkinson's Disease" report to their offering. The Parkinson's Disease and Therapy Review provides an overview of the disease and related conditions, with incidence and prevalence numbers and percentages for major countries worldwide, information on diagnosis, and an overview of treatment. Dosing and treatment cost information is provided for various treatment types. General information on the Parkinson's Disease market, as well as sales of leading drugs and therapies are provided. Disease and Therapy Reviews were developed to provide a basic understanding of the key facts about a disease and market in a quick, easy-to-read format. These reports are prepared by the author's senior market research team. Each Disease and Therapy Review provides a concise analysis of the most important information about a particular disease, its treatment, and the market opportunities. Reports begin with an overview of the condition, and also contain tables that summarize the available worldwide incidence and prevalence data for the condition, a review of current diagnosis strategies and treatment options, general information about the market size, and information about important market trends. Key Topics Covered: I. Overview Ii. Incidence And Prevalence Iii. … Continue reading →