For a printable version of this article click here. In order to refer to this article on its own click here.      

30th March 2013 - New book

Publisher's description : I never assume a sufferer or family member is aware of the “secrets” that may lead to hope and to a happier life. We must share these secrets, and this is the purpose of this book. Each chapter of this book reveals an important secret, and with each secret I will explain the insight, the rationale, the empiricism, and the science behind it. In each chapter I will also try to reveal a little more about myself, and a lot more about the patients and talented clinicians who gifted the Parkinson's secrets. These patients planted the seed of faith. They learned to grow hope, and they discovered the core values necessary to achieve happiness despite the chronic illness of Parkinson's disease. Click here for more details. For more books concerning Parkinson's Disease go to Parkinson's Disease Books.  

24th March 2103 - News release

NEW L-DOPA PRODUCT EXCEEDS THE EFFECT OF STALEVO

A new L-dopa product, which is presently called ODM-101, significantly decreased daily OFF-time without increasing ON-time with troublesome dyskinesias when compared to Stalevo, which is a standard medication in advanced Parkinson's Disease when people experience end-of-dose wearing off symptoms using L-dopa.

Stalevo contains three active substances in one tablet : L-dopa, plus carbidopa and entacapone, both of which help to maintain L-dopa levels. For more information go to Stalevo. ODM-101 has the same components as Stalevo but has a higher and fixed amount of carbidopa (either 65mg or 105 mg) regardless of the L-dopa dosage. As it made by the same manufacturers it is effectively an improved form of Stalevo.

People with Parkinson's Disease were given two forms of ODM-101 with two different amounts of carbidopa : ODM-101/65mg and ODM-101/105mg. Both of them reduced daily OFF-time more than Stalevo. ODM-101/105mg was marginally better than ODM-101/65mg. Similarly, both ODM-101 combinations increased the ON-time without troublesome dyskinesia significantly more than Stalevo. There were no significant differences between the treatments in ON-time with troublesome dyskinesia or in UPDRS II and III symptom scores. Overall, tolerability and safety of ODM-101 was comparable to that of  Stalevo. For more information go to the News release. For a printable version of this article click here. In order to refer to this article on its own click here. 

23rd March 2013 - New research

PIMAVANSERIN CLINICAL TRIAL RESULTS IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

In a phase III clinical trial, Pimavanserin had effect in the treatment of psychosis in Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis usually consists of visual hallucinations and delusions. It is normally due to Parkinson's Disease drugs not Parkinson's Disease.  It eventually occurs in up to 60% of people with Parkinson's Disease. Pimavanserin is an antagonist of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. It is taken orally as a tablet once-a-day.

Patients took 40mg Pimavanserin for only six weeks. So its long term effects have not been assessed. The adverse events were little different from those found in people taking a placebo. Pimavanserin demonstrated significant antipsychotic efficacy and significant improvements in all secondary efficacy measures. Statistically significant benefits were also observed in exploratory measures of nighttime sleep, daytime wakefulness, and caregiver burden. For more information go to the News release. For a printable version of this article click here. In order to refer to this article on its own click here. 

14th March 2013 - New research

BEING OVERWEIGHT IS MORE PREVALENT IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Arquivos de Neuropsiquiatra [2012] 70 (11) : 843-846 (H.Morales-Briceño, A.Cervantes-Arriaga, M.Rodríguez-Violante, J.Calleja-Castillo, T.Corona) Complete abstract

Underweight and malnutrition are well documented in Parkinson's Disease (PD), while being overweight has been less reported. Researchers carried out a study comparing the weight and height of people with and without Parkinson's Disease. In those people with Parkinson's Disease only 1% were underweight, 33% were within the normal range, 47%% were overweight, and 19% were obese. Being normal weight and overweight were more prevalent in those people who had Parkinson's Disease when compared to those people who did not. Being obese and, even moreso, being underweight  were more common in those people who did not have Parkinsons' Disease. For a printable version of this article click here. In order to refer to this article on its own click here. 

5th March 2013 - News release

CLINICAL TRIAL OF SUBCUTANEOUS L-DOPA FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE

NeuroDerm announced today the results of a Phase I safety and pharmacokinetic trial of ND0612. ND0612 is a novel drug formulation for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease. NeuroDerm is a pharmaceutical company that specializes in the development of novel dermal delivery routes for CNS drugs.

ND0612 is a combination of L-dopa and carbidopa, as is Sinemet, but it is a liquid formula administered continuously sub-cutaneously (via the skin) through a patch pump. It is designed to provide steady L-dopa blood levels for the reduction of motor complications in Parkinson’s Disease.

In this double-blind, placebo controlled, dose-escalation trial in young, healthy volunteers, ND0612 was shown to be safe and tolerable in all of the tested doses. Clinically meaningful L-dopa concentrations were reached. For the first time in humans, steady state L-dopa concentrations were maintained in a practical manner both day and night, thereby enabling more even levels of L-dopa than oral forms of L-dopa. The full results of this study will be presented at a future scientific meeting. For more information go to the News release For a printable version of this article click here. In order to refer to this article on its own click here. 

4th March 2013 - New book

Publisher's description : People with Parkinson’s commonly have symptoms and problems unique to their condition that can interfere with daily activities. When initially diagnosed they all too often don’t know what to do or where to turn. This book, written specifically for them, clears up questions they may have regarding their self-help. It gives step by step instructions in properly handling daily activities like walking, getting out of bed or chairs, and other potentially problematic everyday movements. It also guides them in finding the optimal medical team to help them stay well. For caregivers there are easy-to-follow instructions in safely assisting a person with PD without jeopardizing themselves or the one they are helping. Click here for more details. For more books concerning Parkinson's Disease go to Parkinson's Disease Books.  

3rd March 2013 - New survey

SURVEY OF THE CAUSES OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Parkinson's Database are conducting a survey of the causes of Parkinson's Disease. They believe that the mass accumulation of data for Physicians and Researchers will provide better treatments and faster diagnosis. They want to accumulate as much pertinent data on Parkinson's Disease and related diseases as possible. They believe that this data needs to come from the patients themselves in order to paint a much clearer picture of this disease for researchers. They do not want personal information. They believe that they will receive a much wider and more honest responses by providing anonymity. For more information go to Parkinson's Database For those interested in participating the survey is linked to on the left hand side of the page. In order to refer to this article on its own click here. 

18th February 2013 - News release

COGANE FAILS CLINICAL TRIALS FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Phytopharm announced the results of the Phase II, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, dose-ranging trial of Cogane in unmedicated patients with early-stage Parkinson’s Disease. Cogane was found to have no beneficial effects at all on Parkinson's Disease symptoms. For more information go to the News release

Cogane, which can be taken orally, readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and has been shown to stimulate the release of GDNF. GDNF can indirectly stimulate the formation of dopamine, the substance whose insufficiency causes Parkinson's Disease.  However, GDNF deficiency has never been shown to be the cause of Parkinson's Disease. Previous studies claiming efficacy for Cogane in Parkinson's Disease were only carried out in Macaque monkeys who did not actually have Parkinson's Disease. For a printable version of this article click here. In order to refer to this article on its own click here. 

15th February 2013 - New research

New England Journal of Medicine [2013] 368 (7) : 610-622 (Schuepbach WM, Rau J, Knudsen K, Volkmann J, Krack P, Timmermann L, Hälbig TD, Hesekamp H, Navarro SM, Meier N, Falk D, Mehdorn M, Paschen S, Maarouf M, Barbe MT, Fink GR, Kupsch A, Gruber D, Schneider GH, Seigneuret E, Kistner A, Chaynes P, Ory-Magne F, Brefel Courbon C, Vesper J, Schnitzler A, Wojtecki L, Houeto JL, Bataille B, Maltête D, Damier P, Raoul S, Sixel-Doering F, Hellwig D, Gharabaghi A, Krüger R, Pinsker MO, Amtage F, Régis JM, Witjas T, Thobois S, Mertens P, Kloss M, Hartmann A, Oertel WH, Post B, Speelman H, Agid Y, Schade-Brittinger C, Deuschl G; EARLYSTIM Study Group) Complete abstract

Researchers assessed whether it would be suitable to use Subthalamic stimulation at an earlier stage of Parkinson's Disease. Subthalamic stimulation, which is referred to as DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation), involves the use of electrodes that are implanted into the brain and connected to a small electrical device called a pulse generator that can be externally programmed. DBS can reduce the need for L-dopa and related drugs, which in turn decreases the involuntary movements called dyskinesias that are a common side effect of L-dopa. For more information go to Deep brain stimulation

In a two year clinical trial people with Parkinson's Disease and early motor complications (with an average age of 52 and a mean duration of Parkinson's Disease of 7.5 years) underwent neurostimulation plus medical therapy or only medical therapy alone. The primary end point was quality of life, as assessed with the use of the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) with scores ranging from 0 to 100 and higher scores indicating worse function.

For the primary outcome of quality of life, the mean score for the neurostimulation group improved by 7.8 points, and that for the medical-therapy group worsened by 0.2 points. Neurostimulation was superior to medical therapy with respect to motor disability, activities of daily living, L-dopa induced motor complications, and time with good mobility and no dyskinesia. Serious adverse events occurred in 54% of the people in the neurostimulation group and in 44% of those in the medical therapy group. Serious adverse events related to surgical implantation or the neurostimulation device occurred in 17% of people. For a printable version of this article click here. In order to refer to this article on its own click here. 

14th February 2013 - New research

Oxidative stress is involved in the progression of Parkinson's Disease. Recent studies have confirmed that molecular hydrogen (H2) functions as a highly effective antioxidant in cultured cells and animals.

Drinking molecular hydrogen dissolved water had reduced oxidative stress and improved Parkinson's Disease features in animals. A pilot study was carried out in people with Parkinson's Disease who were taking L-dopa. Each person drank either a litre a day of molecular hydrogen water or only water (without the molecular hydrogen). Symptom scores improved in those people who drank molecular hydrogen water and worsened in those people who only drank normal water. The drinking of molecular hydrogen water was found to safe and well tolerated. It would therefore be an easy means of delaying or reducing symptoms. A larger clinical trial is intended. For a printable version of this article click here. In order to refer to this article on its own click here. 

8th February 2013 - News release

International Stem Cell Corporation have claimed positive results from its pre-clinical study using stem cells in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. The primary goal of the study was to demonstrate the benefits of neuronal cells derived from human stem cells. The neuronal cells were derived from human parthenogenetic stem cells, which are not obtained via reproduction. They can become neurons when they are implanted in to the brain.

The study was carried out for 12 weeks on rats who did not actually have Parkinson's Disease. The rats were instead given 6-OHDA (6-Hydroxydopamine), which is a toxin used to kill dopaminergic neurons (the cells involved in Parkinson's Disease). The actual results for the study have not been disclosed. It has only been stated that "signs of improvement in rotational behavior of these animals were clearly observed."  For more information go to the News release

Although it was claimed for many years that stem cells could rid Parkinson's Disease, stem cell operations have not fulfilled those claims. It was widely believed that stem cell operations were essential because there was a massive loss of cells involved in Parkinson's Disease. However, no study has ever demonstrated massive cell loss in Parkinson's Disease. For a printable version of this article click here. In order to refer to this article on its own click here. 

6th February 2013 - New book

Publisher's description : Terry Rummins was diagnosed with Parkinson's 10 years ago. So, I've Got Parkinson's Disease is her story and covers her diagnosis and the progression of the condition - from the first warning tremors in her right hand to her day-to-day life now. Terry has written this book in the hope that describing her experience will benefit others who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's and to help them understand their expectations of how the condition may affect them. This is a candid story, told with humour and contains a positive message for those recently diagnosed and those close to them. It is also for anyone interested in what happens when life presents an unpleasant surprise. Click here for more details. For more books concerning Parkinson's Disease go to Parkinson's Disease Books.  

29th January 2013 - New research

USING CELL PHONES TO MONITOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE

IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering (submitted) [2013] (A.Tsanas, M.A.Little, P.E.McSharry, L.O. Ramig)  Complete abstract

Dysphonia is an impairment in the ability to produce vocal sounds that can occur in Parkinson's Disease. A wide range of dysphonia measures have been used to predict Parkinson's Disease severity using speech signals. Researchers demonstrated that this method can match standard methods of diagnosing Parkinson's Disease.

Telephone monitoring of Parkinson’s Disease has attracted interest as a potential means of assessing this. Purpose built devices have been developed that record various signals that can be associated with symptom severity, as quantified on standard Parkinson's Disease scores such as the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Previous studies have demonstrated replication of UPDRS scores to within less than 2 points of a clinical raters’ assessment of symptom severity, using solely high-quality speech signals. 

This study investigated using the cellular mobile telephone networks for Parkinson's Disease monitoring. The Parkinson's Disease (UPDRS) symptom score could be estimated to within about 3.5 points difference from the clinicians’ assessment, which is useful because even different clinicians vary by as much as 4 to 5 points. This provides evidence that the phone network is adequate for inexpensive, mass-scale Parkinson's Disease symptom monitoring. For a printable version of this article click here. In order to refer to this article on its own click here. 

28th January 2013 - New book

Dysphagia is difficulty in swallowing and occurs in many people with Parkinson's Disease. Publisher's description : The goal of this book is to fill a gap that currently exists between the theoretical learning that takes place in the university setting, and practical management of clients in the workplace. Dysphagia is becoming an increasingly large part of the work done by Speech Language Pathologists. We wanted to provide a resource that helps to bridge the gaps between theoretical learning and hands-on practice and provide a resource that unpacks clinical reasoning and helps new clinicians think about how and why recommendations about managing clients with dysphagia are made. Click here for more details. For more books concerning Parkinson's Disease go to Parkinson's Disease Books.  

12th January 2013 - New research

PARKINSON'S DISEASE DOES NOT CAUSE COMPULSIONS

Neurology [2013] 80 (2) : 176-180 (Weintraub D, Papay K, Siderowf A) Complete abstract

Although compulsions can often occur in Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson's Disease does not actually cause compulsions or related problems. When people with Parkinson's Disease were compared with people who do not have Parkinson's Disease the frequencies of compulsions were little different : gambling (1.2% v 0.7%), buying (3% v 2%), sexual behaviour (4.2% v 3.5%), eating (7% v 10%), punding (prolonged, purposeless, and stereotyped behaviour) (5% v 2%), hobbyism (5% v 12%), walkabout (0.6% v 0.7%), any compulsions (18% v 20%).

The fact that Parkinson's Disease itself does not seem to cause an increased risk of developing compulsions or related behaviour further reinforces the reported association between Parkinson's Disease drugs and causing compulsions. Given that approximately 20% of people with newly diagnosed Parkinson's Disease report some impulse control or related behaviour symptoms, long-term follow-up is needed to determine whether such people are at increased risk for impulse control disorder development once Parkinson's Disease drugs are initiated. For a printable version of this article click here. In order to refer to this article on its own click here. 

11th January 2013 - News release

SALIVA GLAND TEST FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE

New research has suggested that  testing a portion of a person's saliva gland may be a means of diagnosing Parkinson's Disease.  It was previously shown in autopsies of people with Parkinson's Disease that the abnormal proteins associated with Parkinson's are consistently found in the submandibular saliva glands, which are found under the lower jaw.

The study involved 15 people with an average age of 68 who had Parkinson's disease for an average of 12 years, who responded to Parkinson's medication and who did not have known saliva gland disorders. Biopsies were taken of two different saliva glands. The abnormal Parkinson's protein was detected in nine of the 11 patients who had enough tissue to study. This is the first study demonstrating the value of testing a portion of the saliva gland to diagnose a living person with Parkinson's Disease. For more information go to the News release  For a printable version of this article click here. In order to refer to this article on its own click here.