Scientists have discovered a new avenue for the treatment of vision loss, one of the complications of Parkinson's disease. Gentle, non-invasive treatment with a soft infra-red light can potentially protect and heal the damage that occurs to the human retina in Parkinson's disease, says Professor Jonathan Stone from The Vision Centre and the University of Sydney. "Near infra-red light treatment has long been known to promote the healing of wounds in soft tissues such as skin. Our recent studies are showing that it can also protect the retina of the eye from toxins which attack its nerve cells," Professor Stone said. "We have been studying a mouse 'model' of Parkinson's disease, in which such a toxin is used to create a Parkinson-like condition. The toxin targets brain cells which use a particular signalling molecule called dopamine, and the infrared light - in the right dose and with the right timing - blocks the toxic effect." The toxin also kills certain key retinal cells which are important in giving sharpness to the retina's coding of visual images. Infrared light also protects these retinal cells and reduces the damage. The new results suggest that infra-red radiation will be effective in Parkinson's disease, … Continue reading →

Anda Berada di Sini : Dunia Berita 03 Ogos, 2012 16:59 PM Caffeine May Serve As Treatment Option For Parkinson's Disease, Says Study VANCOUVER, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- A new study has found that caffeine may help control movement in people suffering from Parkinson's disease, opening the door to new treatment options for the disease, Xinhua news agency quoted local media Thursday. The study, conducted at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, was recently published in Neurology, the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The researchers followed a group of 61 people with Parkinson's. While the control group received a placebo pill, the other group received a dose of caffeine that was the equivalent of between two and four cups of coffee per day for six weeks. People who received caffeine supplements experienced an improvement in their motor symptoms over those who received the placebo, which was due to improvement in speed of movement and a reduction in stiffness, according to author of the study Dr. Ronald Postuma. Although larger-scale studies need to be carried out over a longer period to clarify these caffeine-related improvements, Dr. Postuma said that caffeine should be explored as a … Continue reading →

VANCOUVER, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- A new study has found that caffeine may help control movement in people suffering from Parkinson's disease, opening the door to new treatment options for the disease, Xinhua news agency quoted local media Thursday. The study, conducted at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, was recently published in Neurology, the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The researchers followed a group of 61 people with Parkinson's. While the control group received a placebo pill, the other group received a dose of caffeine that was the equivalent of between two and four cups of coffee per day for six weeks. People who received caffeine supplements experienced an improvement in their motor symptoms over those who received the placebo, which was due to improvement in speed of movement and a reduction in stiffness, according to author of the study Dr. Ronald Postuma. Although larger-scale studies need to be carried out over a longer period to clarify these caffeine-related improvements, Dr. Postuma said that caffeine should be explored as a treatment option for Parkinson's disease. "It may be useful as a supplement to medication and could therefore help reduce patient dosages," Dr. Postuma … Continue reading →