TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - The University of Toledo Medical Center has created one of the top facilities for Parkinson's Disease in the nation. The nearly 6,000-square-foot Gardner/McMaster Parkinson's Center is used for research and education into Parkinson's, with a goal of one day finding a cure. University officials say the facility is very beneficial to Northwest Ohioans, providing increased access to treatment for patients and bringing specialist of Parkinson's Disease all under one roof. Parkinson's Disease is diagnosed in more than 50,000 Americans each year. Symptoms include rigid muscles, tremors, and changes in speech. Parkinson's is genetic, but the exact cause is still unknown. Dr. Lawrence Elmer, Professor in the Department of Neurology and the Director of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Program, says many families struggle with the need for help in treating loved ones, but a lack of Parkinson's specialists. Elmer says that should not be the case. "Parkinson's is one of the most treatable illnesses in all of neurology right now," said Elmer. Craig Thomas takes us inside the new Parkinson's center on Your Morning.' For more information, visit utmc.utoledo.edu. Copyright 2013 Toledo News Now. All rights reserved. Excerpt from: UTMC fights Parkinson's with … Continue reading →

A high-tech surgical treatment used rarely in this area to treat movement disorders has brought hope to Parkinsons disease patients, including one Arkansas City man. In 2012, Carroll Shoup underwent two surgeries, including an initial six-hour surgery, to implant medical devices in his brain and chest for a therapy called deep brain stimulation, or DBS. Shoup, 68, was diagnosed with Parkinsons more than 15 years ago. He decided to undergo DBS, which was introduced in this country between five to 10 years ago, after the medication he was taking for the disease lost its effectiveness. I didnt have bad tremors, he said in a recent interview with the Traveler. My medications started wearing off in shorter periods of time. Theyd wear off after an hour and a half. Shoup started considering DBS therapy about two years ago after attending a neurologists presentation on the subject. At that time, he was having some problems with involuntary movements, he said. DBS involved a complex surgical procedure that would require great stamina on the part of the patient, he realized. But the results of a successful surgery were worth the cost brain stimulation to alleviate the tremors and fatigue that he was experiencing. … Continue reading →

Photo by Zachary Kaufman Helen Ramatowski, 68, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in early 2011. Then, in late 2012, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite her own health struggles, Ramatowski has devoted herself to raising money for the nonprofit Parkinson's Resources of Oregon, which also serves Southwest Washington. A neurologist diagnosed Vancouver resident Helen Ramatowski with Parkinson's disease in January 2011. She had diagnosed herself months earlier. Parkinson's Resources of Oregon For more stories, blogs and information on nutrition, fitness, health and advice on how to be healthier, visit columbian.com/livewell. After watching both her mother and brother live with the disease, Ramatowski knew her symptoms were signs of what was to come. Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disease that leads to tremors and difficulty with walking, movement and coordination. There is no cure. About 1.5 million Americans have Parkinson's disease; an estimated 25,000 people with the disease live in Oregon and Southwest Washington, according to Parkinson's Resources of Oregon. Ramatowski's first sign came in early 2010 when she noticed what appeared to be a tremor in her left leg. Her physician made a note to keep an eye on her leg. Go here to see the original: Pushing … Continue reading →

Michael J. Fox left prime-time television more than a decade ago to focus on his battle with Parkinsons disease. Now hes back, with the help of drugs that keep his own shaking from the illness mostly under control. Fox, 51, will star in The Michael J. Fox Show, a comedy on Comcast Corp. (CMCSA)s NBC about a news anchor who returns to work after being diagnosed with Parkinsons, a condition that causes nerve cells to misfire, leaving patients unable to control their movements. The program will air on Thursdays when the new TV season starts, NBC said yesterday in a statement. NBC is betting the actors return to the spotlight can help it climb out of last place among the four major broadcast networks in total viewers. Fox, who disclosed his condition in 1998 and last anchored the series Spin City in 2000, has kept many of the specifics of his health struggles private. Parkinsons is different in every patient, Michael Okun, national medical director of the National Parkinson Foundation, said in a phone interview. Personally I think hes being very responsible for not giving a lot of details. NBC is presenting its 2013-14 schedule to advertisers as part of … Continue reading →

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- US WorldMeds today announced the launch of a new clinical trial investigating APOKYN (apomorphine hydrochloride injection) as a rapid and reliable treatment for morning akinesia in Parkinsons disease. AM IMPAKT, short for Apokyn for Motor IMProvement of Morning AKinesia Trial, is a Phase IV, multi-center, open-label study that will enroll approximately 100 subjects at 12 study sites across the US. Stuart H. Isaacson, M.D., Associate Professor at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Director of the Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorders Center of Boca Raton and Research Director of the Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, is the lead investigator on the study. We are very excited to have commenced this important study, said Dr. Isaacson. We hope to show that APOKYN will provide a valuable treatment option for Parkinsons disease patients with morning akinesia due to delayed onset of levodopa by rapidly and reliably restoring their motor function and enabling them to get on with their day. We plan to have initial results available in August. Patients with morning akinesia can experience hand tremor, muscle stiffness, and difficulty in moving and walking in the morning because their first daily dose of oral … Continue reading →