04-09-2011 09:59 Information About Parkinson's Disease From A Parkinson's Disease Patient

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Side Effects of Anti-Parkinson's Disease Medication In Abundance (Dyskinesis and Hallucinations) - Video

26-10-2011 02:31 Presented by Kelly Condefer, MD

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WVMC Doc Talks: Parkinson's Disease (Oct. 25, 2011) - Video

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gene therapy for Parkinson's Disease

(Part 5 of 7) Evan Henry, a Parkinson's disease patient advocate, and Birgitt Schuele, a professor at The Parkinson's Institute, spoke at "Synapses Firing: Connections Made", a patient advocacy event hosted by the California stem cell funding agency (CIRM). The 100+ people in attendance heard from patient advocates about living with neurodegenerative disease and from scientists about recent progress in stem cell research that may lead to new treatments. The event was held on May 7th 2011, at UC-Irvine's Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.

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Stem Cells and Parkinson's Disease

(Part 2 of 3) Arnold Kriegstein, MD, Ph.D., spoke at the "Spotlight on Parkinson's Disease," an educational event presented at the CIRM Governing Board meeting on May 7, 2008. Kriegstein reviewed the limitations of previous Parkinson's clinical trials and discussed the prospects for stem cell-based cell replacement therapies for Parkinson's disease.

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Parkinson's Disease: Spotlight on Stem Cell Research - Arnold Kriegstein

Usually considered an older person's disease, Karen Rose was diagnosed with Parkinson's at just 34. She talks about the impact it's had on her life over the past ten years.

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Parkinson's disease: real story

About the Video: Experts in Parkinson's Disease have revised the guidelines for diagnosing and treating the disease in order to help people receive the best care. In this two-part program, Dr.

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Parkinson's Disease Guidelines (Part 1)

Public release date: 28-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jenny Eriksen Leary jenny.eriksen@bmc.org 617-638-6841 Boston University Medical Center

(Boston) A recent study led by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) revealed that the FOXO1 gene may play an important role in the pathological mechanisms of Parkinson's disease. These findings are published online in PLoS Genetics, a peer-reviewed open-access journal published by the Public Library of Science.

The study was led by Alexandra Dumitriu, PhD, a postdoctoral associate in the department of neurology at BUSM. Richard Myers, PhD, professor of neurology at BUSM, is the study's senior author.

According to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease each year and approximately one million Americans are currently living with the disease.

Parkinson's disease is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a buildup of proteins in nerve cells that lead to their inability to communicate with one another, causing motor function issues, including tremors and slowness in movement, as well as dementia. The substantia nigra is an area of the midbrain that helps control movement, and previous research has shown that this area of the brain loses neurons as Parkinson's disease progresses.

The researchers analyzed gene expression differences in brain tissue between 27 samples with known Parkinson's disease and 26 samples from neurologically healthy controls. This data set represents the largest number of brain samples used in a whole-genome expression study of Parkinson's disease to date. The novel aspect of this study is represented by the researchers' emphasis on removing possible sources of variation by minimizing the differences among samples. They used only male brain tissue samples that showed no significant marks of Alzheimer's disease pathology, one of the frequently co-occurring neurological diseases in Parkinson's disease patients. The samples also had similar tissue quality and were from the brain's prefrontal cortex, one of the less studied areas for the disease. The prefrontal cortex does not show neuronal death to the same extent as the substantia nigra, although it displays molecular and pathological modifications during the disease process, while also being responsible for the dementia present in a large proportion of Parkinson's disease patients.

Results of the expression experiment showed that the gene FOXO1 had increased expression in the brain tissue samples with known Parkinson's disease. FOXO1 is a transcriptional regulator that can modify the expression of other genes. Further examination of the FOXO1 gene showed that two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), or DNA sequence variations, were significantly associated with age at onset of Parkinson's disease.

"Our hypothesis is that FOXO1 acts in a protective manner by activating genes and pathways that fight the neurodegeneration processes," said Dumitriu. "If this is correct, there could be potential to explore FOXO1 as a therapeutic drug target for Parkinson's disease."

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BUSM researchers identify role of FOXO1 gene in Parkinson's disease

Increased risks for Parkinsons disease have been linked to some solvents. Parkinsons disease is a progressive, degenerative central nervous system disorder that typically affects motor skills and speech, among other functions and, while not fatal, complications can be deadly. The cause is unknown and there is no cure.

Samuel M. Goldman, M.D., M.P.H., of The Parkinsons Institute in Sunnyvale, California, and colleagues, conducted a so-called discordant twin pair design study involving 99 pairs of twins. The study was conducted to determine if exposure to specific solvents is linked to increased risks for Parkinsons disease. Participant interviews involved task-specific and lifetime occupation and hobby questions, said Medical Xpress. The study was published in the Annals of Neurology.

The researchers found that exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) was associated with a significantly increased risk of Parkinsons disease and saw a trend for significance for exposure to the chemicals perchloroethylene (PERC) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Although the present work focused on occupational exposures, solvents are ubiquitous in the environment, and this is particularly true for those implicated in this studyTCE, PERC, and CCl4, the authors wrote, according to Medical Xpress. Our findings require replication in other populations with well-characterized exposures, but the potential public health implications are considerable, the team authored.

Weve also written that over the past several years, the agricultural pesticide paraquat has been linked to Parkinsons, posing a risk to agricultural workers who toil in fields where the pesticide is sprayed, as well as to people living near the fields.

Other research revealed that people exposed at their workplaces to ziram, maneb, and paraquat tripled their risk of Parkinsons; workplace exposure to both ziram and paraquat nearly doubled Parkinsons risk; and people who worked with either paraquat or the pesticide rotenone were 2.5 times likelier to develop Parkinsons disease.

Another study found that some medications, notably the amphetamines Benzedrine or Dexedrine, used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and help patients achieve more defined focus and increase clarity and awareness, could also place those patients at risk for Parkinsons disease.

We recently wrote that another study found an association with glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsatos Roundup, and Parkinsons disease and Parkinsons-related brain disorders. According to a report from the Organic Authority, Roundup is the best-selling pesticide in the world and is the companion chemical application to many of the companys genetically modified seeds including corn, soy, canola and cotton.

According to Digital Journal, this is just the latest study to find a link between glyphosate and Parkinsons-like disorders. For example, a 2011 report published in the journal Parkinsonism Related Disorders, detailed the case of a 44-year-old women with Parkinsons-like symptoms after sustaining long-term chemical exposure to glyphosate for three years as a worker in a chemical factory.

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Higher Parkinson’s Risk Linked to Certain Solvents

FAIRMONT - It wasn't until celebrities such as Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali announced they had Parkinson's Disease that the public began to learn more about this life-altering disease.

While not a terminal illness, Parkinson's does affect the quality of life for those diagnosed.

"About one in 100 people over the age of 60 are diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease," said Rose Wichmann, manager of Struthers Parkinson's Center in Golden Valley. "It goes to two in 100 people over the age of 70. That's more than MS, more than muscular dystrophy and more than ALS-Lou Gehrig's Disease."

Wichmann was in Fairmont on Thursday speaking to a Parkinson's support group at Grace Lutheran Church. She mentioned there are several different types of Parkinson's Disease, and that every person diagnosed has slightly different symptoms.

"Not everyone has the tremors that people associate with Parkinson's," Wichmann said. "We have an acronym called 'TRAP' that lists the four main symptoms, and two or more of these need to be confirmed before receiving a diagnosis."

While tremors are well-associated with Parkinson's, other symptoms are less noticeable, such as rigidity and stiffness in the muscles. There is also the absence or slowing of movements, and posture changes, such as curling over instead of sitting or standing up straight.

"There are about 15 percent of those diagnosed with Parkinson's that never have a tremor," Wichmann said. "But what causes Parkinson's is a group of cells at the base of the brain that produce dopamine. As we age, those cells start to disappear, and about 60 to 80 percent of those disappear before displaying symptoms of Parkinsons."

Dopamine is a chemical that allows the delivery of messages through the brain. Lack of dopamine means signals are not moving as smoothly.

"We say that automatic is broken," Wichmann said. "Those movements you don't even think about, like walking, or rolling over in your sleep. Blinking also goes away, so Parkinson's sufferers have more of a stare. There is a loss of facial expressions because you don't think about if you're going to smile. It's easy for Parkinson's people to be misunderstood because you can't read their facial expressions anymore."

There are also problems with balance.

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Speaker offers insights into Parkinson's

BOSTON, June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --A new study analyzing patient data from Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital in Braintree, Massachusetts, found that blood pressure fluctuations can worsen symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Conversely, after treating Parkinson's disease patients who experienced blood pressure drops when changing from a sitting to standing position, improvements were noted in cognitive function, balance and walking, according to the researchers at Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital.

Information from the study will be presented today at the Movement Disorder Society's 16th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders in Dublin, Ireland. The corresponding abstract, "Treating Orthostatic Hypotension in Patients with Parkinson's and Atypical Parkinsonism Improves Function," will be published as an electronic supplement to The Movement Disorders Journal online edition at http://www.movementdisorders.org.

"This new research sheds light for better Parkinson's disease treatment, as blood pressure can be affected by the disease and problems often worsen over time," said Dr. Anna DePold Hohler, Medical Director of the Movement Disorders Program at Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital and Associate Professor of Neurology at Boston University Medical Center, who participated in the study. "The good news for Parkinson's disease patients is that implementing simple interventions, monitored by a physician, can significantly improve functionality."

In the United States, 1.5 million people suffer from this complex neurodegenerative disorder. For this population, blood pressure drops may occur due to a decrease in the neurotransmitter norepinepherine and as a result of medications used to treat motor symptoms.

Depending on the patient, treatment strategies might include increasing water or salt intake, use of compression stockings, and slow position changes. Specific medications may also be warranted in patients at risk for fainting.

These findings update previous work conducted at Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital recently published in the International Journal of Neuroscience, 2011.

The Movement Disorders Program at Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, a world-class rehabilitative care provider, allows patients to have physical, occupational and speech therapy along with medication adjustments, blood pressure adjustments, and deep brain stimulation adjustments as needed. As a result, improvements in patients are significant and a large number of individuals can be optimized to return home.

Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital is located at 250 Pond Street in Braintree, Massachusetts. For more information visit http://www.braintreerehabhospital.com, or call (781) 348-2500.

Media contact: CM Communications Lori Moretti or Meg Fitzgerald mfitzgerald@cmcommunications.com 617-536-3400

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Treating Orthostatic Hypotension Improves Function In Parkinson's Disease Patients, According To Braintree ...

Quality of Life, Daily Living Did Not Improve in Study

By Denise Mann WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

June 20, 2012 -- For some people with Parkinson's disease, deep brain stimulation can have immediate and dramatic effects on tremors, rigidity, balance, and other motor symptoms.

Now new research shows that these benefits may last at least three years. The findings appear online in Neurology.

Deep brain stimulation uses a battery-operated device to deliver electrical impulses -- similar to a pacemaker for the heart -- to areas of the brain that control movement. The impulses are thought to block abnormal signals that cause many of the movement problems (motor symptoms) of Parkinson's. This procedure is typically reserved for individuals who no longer respond to their Parkinson's medications or who experience unacceptable side effects from them.

According to the new findings, this treatment helped with motor symptoms such as tremor, but individuals did show gradual declines over time in their quality of life, ability to perform tasks of daily living, and thinking skills.

"This study looked past the immediate 'wow effect,'" says Michele Tagliati, MD. He wrote an editorial accompanying the new study.

"Now we want to know what we can expect over the next 10 years, and this starts to make it clearer," says Tagliati, the director of the Movement Disorders Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

"The effect on motor function is sustained," says researcher Frances M. Weaver, PhD. She is the director of the Center for Management of Complex Chronic Care at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, Ill. But "deep brain stimulation does not have an impact on the other symptoms of the disease, so there will be progression."

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Device Calms Parkinson's Tremor for 3+ Years

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/lb6wfj/handbook_of_parkin) has announced the addition of the "Handbook of Parkinson's Disease" book to their offering.

This blue-ribbon guide has long prevailed as one of the leading resources on Parkinson's Disease (PD). Fully updated with practical and engaging chapters on pathology, neurochemistry, etiology, and breakthrough research, this source spans every essential topic related to the identification, assessment, and treatment of PD. Reflecting the many advances that have taken place in the management of PD, this source promotes a multidisciplinary approach to care and supplies new sections on the latest pharmacologic, surgical, and rehabilitative therapies, as well as essential diagnostic, imaging, and nonmotor management strategies for PD.

Key Topics Covered:

Early Iconography of Parkinson's Disease

Epidemiology of Parkinsonism

Differential Diagnosis of Parkinsonism

Pathophysiology and Clinical Assessment of Parkinsonian Symptoms and Signs

Autonomic Dysfunction and Management

Sleep Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease

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Research and Markets: Handbook of Parkinson's Disease - Blue-Ribbon Guide

NOKOMIS, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Parkinsons disease is the core focus of the The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Rainbow BioSciences (OTCBB: RBCC) intends to join the Foundation in the fight against Parkinsons disease when it signs a letter of intent with an advanced therapy developer within the next few days, and with good reason: There could be 12 million people suffering from the disease by 2032.

Thanks in no small part to the high profile of its A-list namesake, the Michael J. Fox Foundation has over the past 12 years become the largest private funder of Parkinson's disease research in the world, investing nearly $179 million in research to date. Through its aggressive outreach work, the Foundation has realized unprecedented success in raising awareness of the disease and its effects around the world.

Though the global market for Parkinsons treatments is $3 billion and growing, there are currently no drugs or therapies available that are capable of stopping or slowing the diseases progression. With RBCCs focus on this devastating disease, effective new emerging therapies are on the horizon.

For more information on Rainbow BioSciences, RBCCs biotechnology division, please visit http://www.rainbowbiosciences.com/investors.

Rainbow BioSciences will develop new medical and research technology innovations to compete alongside companies such as Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTIC),Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB), Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) and Elan Corp. (NYSE:ELN).

About Rainbow BioSciences

Rainbow BioSciences, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rainbow Coral Corp. (OTCBB:RBCC). The company continually seeks out new partnerships with biotechnology developers to deliver profitable new medical technologies and innovations. For more information on our growth-oriented business initiatives, please visit our website at [www.RainbowBioSciences.com]. For investment information and performance data on the company, please visit http://www.RainbowBioSciences.com/investors.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements that include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipate" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition, description of anyone's past success, either financial or strategic, is no guarantee of future success. This news release speaks as of the date first set forth above and the company assumes no responsibility to update the information included herein for events occurring after the date hereof.

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RBCC: Michael J. Fox Foundation Invests $179 Million in the Fight Against Parkinson’s Disease

By Robert Langreth - Fri May 11 04:00:01 GMT 2012

Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google Inc.

Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google Inc. Photographer: Tony Avelar/Bloomberg

Mark Tuschman via Bloomberg.

Michael J. Fox, actor and Parkinson's activist of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, center stage, participates in a question and answer session with 23andMe Inc. employees at their offices in Mountainview, California on April 26, 2012. Photographer: Mark Tuschman via Bloomberg.

Michael J. Fox, actor and Parkinson's activist of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, center stage, participates in a question and answer session with 23andMe Inc. employees at their offices in Mountainview, California on April 26, 2012. Photographer: Mark Tuschman via Bloomberg. Photographer: Mark Tuschman via Bloomberg.

Mark Tuschman via Bloomberg.

Michael J. Fox; actor and Parkinson's activist of The Michael J. Fox Foundation speaks to Anne Wojcicki, chief executive officer of 23andMe Inc., during a visit to their offices in Mountainview, California on April 26, 2012.

Michael J. Fox; actor and Parkinson's activist of The Michael J. Fox Foundation speaks to Anne Wojcicki, chief executive officer of 23andMe Inc., during a visit to their offices in Mountainview, California on April 26, 2012. Photographer: Mark Tuschman via Bloomberg.

Sergey Brin, the 38-year-old co- founder of Google Inc. (GOOG), is making strides in his quest to find a cure for Parkinsons, a progressive disease his DNA and family history suggest may afflict him as early as 10 years from now.

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Google’s Brin Makes Strides in Hunt for Parkinson’s Cure: Health

WAPELLO - Despite having Parkinson's disease, Wapello native Jeff Weikert plans to race a motorcycle this summer for the final time.

"It's kind of a drug, and you get addicted to it," Weikert said. "I've raced pretty much everything from cars to motorcycles pretty much my whole life."

On July 8, Weikert will get the chance to race a motorcycle in the 90th annual Pike's Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado Springs, Colo.

"I want to show people that someone with Parkinson's disease can still compete," Weikert said.

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The race is run on a 12.42-mile course with 156 turns that begins at 9,390 feet only to finish at the 14,110-foot summit of Pikes Peak.

Payne's Cycle Center out of Rock Island, Ill., has rebuilt the Honda 250cc Cheney-framed bike he will be riding.

This year, the race has 16 classes and features a variety of automotive, exhibition, open wheel, super stock car and motorcycle classes with a field approaching 200 competitors.

Weikert, 50, was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease in March 2009.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. It develops gradually, often starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand.

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Area man with Parkinson's to race to the clouds

by Philip Haldiman - Mar. 25, 2012 10:08 PM The Republic | azcentral.com

Everybody knows that Muhammad Ali floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.

But he can also throw a pretty mean fundraising party.

Celebrity Fight Night has raised more than $70 million since it started in 1994, when celebrities first donned oversize boxing gloves and duked it out for the fight against Parkinson's disease in front of 400 people.

Celebrity Fight Night in Phoenix

Now a mainstay of fundraising events in the Valley, this year the gala set a record with 1,300 people in attendance and raised more than $9.1 million Saturday at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in north Phoenix.

The money raised will go to the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at St. Joseph's Barrow Neurological Institute, as well as other charities.

The 10,000-square-foot facility, established in 1997 and named after the former heavyweight boxing champion, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1984, is on the campus of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.

The progressive disorder of the brain can cause tremors, rigidity, poor posture and coordination, and difficulty performing voluntary movements.

Saturday's Fight Night XVIII was a black-tie affair featuring stars from many walks of life -- athletes, actors and comedians -- mingling with Valley residents. Celebrities like Evander Holyfield, Billy Crystal, Bo Derek and Kurt Warner walked the red carpet.

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Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night targets disease

Public release date: 20-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Layne Cameron layne.cameron@ur.msu.edu 517-353-8819 Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. Curcumin, a compound found in the spice turmeric, is proving effective at preventing clumping of a protein involved in Parkinson's disease, says a Michigan State University researcher.

A team of researchers led by Basir Ahmad, an MSU postdoctoral researcher, demonstrated earlier this year that slow-wriggling alpha-synuclein proteins are the cause of clumping, or aggregation, which is the first step of diseases such as Parkinson's. A new study led by Ahmad, which appears in the current issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, shows that curcumin can help prevent clumping.

"Our research shows that curcumin can rescue proteins from aggregation, the first steps of many debilitating diseases," said Lisa Lapidus, MSU associate professor of physics and astronomy who co-authored the paper with Ahmad. "More specifically, curcumin binds strongly to alpha-synuclein and prevents aggregation at body temperatures."

Lapidus' lab uses lasers to study protein folding. Proteins are chains of amino acids that do most of the work in cells. Scientists understand protein structure, but they don't know how they are built a process known as folding. Lapidus' team is shedding light on the process by correlating the speed at which protein folds with its tendency to clump or bind with other proteins.

When curcumin attaches to alpha-synuclein it not only stops clumping, but it also raises the protein's folding or reconfiguration rate. By bumping up the speed, curcumin moves the protein out of a dangerous speed zone allowing it to avoid clumping with other proteins.

Finding a compound that can fix a protein when it first begins to misfold can lead scientists to identify drugs that can treat certain diseases. Doctors won't be prescribing curcumin pills any time soon, though, Lapidus said.

"Curcumin's usefulness as an actual drug may be pretty limited since it doesn't go into the brain easily where this misfolding is taking place," she said. "But this kind of study showcases the technique of measuring reconfiguration and opens the door for developing drug treatments."

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Curcumin shows promise in attacking Parkinson's disease

21-02-2012 22:17 February 21, 2012 NHK News MOXNews.com

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Embryonic Stem Cell Breakthrough Reverses Parkinson Disease In Primates - Video