Treatment of Parkinson's Disease
To date, there is no known cure for Parkinson's, despite the ongoing research efforts of scientists across the world. Having said that, there are a number of treatments available which can substantially relieve the pain many patients feel as a result of the symptoms of the disease. It is not the case that every patient will require medication and drugs to treat their condition, and these will only be administered where the severity of the symptoms has a strong adverse affect on the patient's lifestyle. The course of treatment offered to a patient will vary with the amount of disruption the symptoms cause, the state of the patient's condition and the severity of the condition within the patient. Even in these cases, it is not always a guarantee that the symptoms will be helped, although these treatments will go someway to making life more comfortable.
The most effective treatment for the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease by a long shot is the drug levodopa. This is derived from a naturally produced chemical in plant matter and animals, and works with the nerve cells to produce the dopamine which has been eroded by the patient's condition, and is thought to be an underlying cause of the disease. The drug allows the majority of patients to extend the period of time in which they can lead their normal lives, effectively stalling the development of their Parkinson's. Unfortunately, this treatment is only really effective in helping rigidity and bradykinesia, and may be of no help to the tremor or balance problems the patient may be experiencing. The drug is so effective, many patients forgot they are suffering from the disease as they continue to lead their lives as normal. However, levodopa is only a short term solution, as it can never replace the nerve cells which have been irretrievably damaged within the brain.
As with most medications, there are a number of side effects with levodopa, including restlessness, low blood pressure and vomiting. In some cases patients may also occasionally feel confused as to their surroundings , although this is a rare occurrence. It is important for physicians and patients to work together to come up with a happy medium between the benefits and side effects when using levodopa.
When combined with the drug tolcapone, levodopa significantly reduces the effects of the disease, and helps block the destruction of dopamine which worsens the condition. Having said that, this tends to increase involuntary movement and twitching over a long course of treatment, and is sometimes withdrawn for several days at a time to ensure its continued effectiveness. However, patients should never completely cease treatment with levodopa without their physician's guidance, due to the extreme and serious side effects that can emerge as a result.
Although there is no cure for the disease, these treatments can go a long way to suppressing the debilitating and disabling symptoms of the condition, and making life more bearable for the many thousands of sufferers around the world.
Parkinson's disease news on the Web
Gene Therapy Helps Children With Rare, Incurable Brain Disease
Using gene transfer techniques pioneered by University of Florida faculty, Taiwanese doctors have restored some movement in four children bedridden with a rare, life-threatening neurological disease. The first-in-humans achievement may also be helpful for more common diseases such as Parkinson's that involve nerve cell damage caused by lack of a crucial molecule in brain tissue... |
Unravelling How Locomotion Starts
Scientists at the University of Bristol have shed new light on one of the great unanswered questions of neuroscience: how the brain initiates rhythmic movements like walking, running and swimming... |
Potential To Predict Parkinson's Disease Via Colonoscopy Or Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
Two studies by neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center suggest that, in the future, colonic tissue obtained during either colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy may be used to predict who will develop Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder of aging that that leads to progressive deterioration of motor function due to loss of neurons in the brain tha... |
Damaged Stem Cells Commit Suicide For The Good Of The Embryo
Embryonic stem cells - those revered cells that give rise to every cell type in the body - just got another badge of honor. If they suffer damage that makes them a threat to the developing embryo, they swiftly fall on their swords for the greater good, according to a study published online in the journal Molecular Cell... |
Once-Marginalized Parkinson's Disease Theory May Be Valid
The March issue of the FEBS Journal reports that scientists from the Californian University in San Diego have discovered new evidence for a theory that was once marginalized with regard to the underlying causes of Parkinson's disease, which conflicts with an older theory that Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases are caused by insoluble intracellular fibrils called amyloids... |
Strong Support Uncovered For Once-Marginalized Theory On Parkinson's Disease
University of California, San Diego scientists have used powerful computational tools and laboratory tests to discover new support for a once-marginalized theory about the underlying cause of Parkinson's disease. The new results conflict with an older theory that insoluble intracellular fibrils called amyloids cause Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases... |
Parkinson's Patients Might Respond To 19th Century Vibration-Chair Therapy
To relieve symptoms of Parkinson's disease, Jean-Martin Charcot, a famous neurologist in the 19th century developed a "vibration chair" that showed improvements in his patients. However, Charcot died soon afterwards, before being able to conduct a more comprehensive evaluation of his therapy... |
Parkinson's Protein Causes Disease Spread In Animal Model
Last year, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that small amounts of a misfolded brain protein can be taken up by healthy neurons, replicating within them to cause neurodegeneration... |
Understanding How Parkinson's Disease Starts And Spreads
Injection of a small amount of clumped protein triggers a cascade of events leading to a Parkinson's-like disease in mice, according to an article published online this week in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Progressive accumulation of clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease coincides with the onset of motor dysfunction... |
Easing Depression In Parkinson's Patients Without Worsening Other Symptoms
Today's anti-depressant medications can ease depression in Parkinson's patients without worsening other symptoms of the disease, according to a study published online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "Depression is the number-one factor negatively affecting the quality of life for people with Parkinson's disease," said Irene Hegeman Richard, M.D... |
Ocular Tremors Parkinson's Disease Link
A study, published Online First by Archives of Neurology, reveals that persistent eye tremors seem to be common in individuals suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD). Ocular tremors can prevent eye stability during fixation and results from the study indicate that precise oculomotor testing could provide an early physiological biomarker for diagnosing Parkinson's disease. George T... |
Eating Berries May Lower Men's Parkinson's Risk
Men who regularly consume foods rich in flavonoids, such as berries, apples, certain vegetables, tea and red wine, may significantly reduce their risk for developing Parkinson's disease, according to a study published in the journal Neurology this week that saw no such effect among women... |
Potential Strategy To Restore Motor And Cognitive Function In Parkinson's Disease
An agent under consideration for use in PET imaging combats neuronal death to relieve Parkinsonian symptoms in animal models, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. The movement-related symptoms of Parkinson's disease, including muscle rigidity and tremors, are caused by the loss of dopamine-secreting neurons in the brain... |
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