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Archive for February, 2008

Parkinson’s Patient Looking to Start Support Group

Monday, February 25th, 2008

Parkinson’s disease has changed things for Orillia resident Jack Fountain.

Diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease 11 years ago, today he finds activities such as climbing the stairs, walking or even standing for extended periods of time tiring and difficult.

“Everything changes,” he said. “(Parkinson’s) gradually weakens your body and your mind.”

Fountain is interested in finding other area residents who are dealing with the effects of Parkinson’s disease to form a support group in Orillia.

“I’m looking for people who want to get together and cope together,” he said.

In the past, Orillia had a fairly active Parkinson’s organization under former resident George Heathwood, who was responsible for putting together the annual SuperWalk for Parkinson’s.

After Heathwood moved away from the community a few years ago, the walk was moved to Midland in 2007, where it will be held again this year on Sept. 14.

While Fountain said there is no plan to organize a walk in Orillia, he would like to connect with other people facing the challenges of Parkinson’s.

“George Heathwood had a very good organization going and, when he left, it left a big hole,” he said. “But I think if you don’t belong to some kind of organization, it’s hard to know where you’re at and how it’s affecting you.”

While the progression of the disease can be treated with medication, there is no cure.

Fountain said he has days that are better than others in terms of symptoms. But sometimes that can change even from hour to hour.

“It’s important for people to know about this,” he said of the disease and how it affects people in the community.

Anyone interested in being involved with a Parkinson’s support group can contact Fountain at ruthfount@ encode.com.

For more information on the 2008 SuperWalk for Parkinson’s, go online to www.superwalk.com.

Source: Packet and Times

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Identical Twins Helping Researchers with Parkinson’s Disease

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

The researchers studied 19 pairs of monozygotic, or identical, twins and found differences in copy number variation in DNA. Copy number variation (CNV) occurs when a set of coding letters in DNA are missing, or when extra copies of segments of DNA are produced.

Humans receive one chromosome from their mother and one from their father, providing for two copies of the genome. In some cases, bits of DNA are missing from a chromosome, leaving the offspring with just one copy of that bit of DNA. In other instances, mutations may produce three, four or more copies of a particular bit of DNA. In most cases, variation in the number of copies likely has no impact on health or development. But in others, it may be one factor in the likelihood of developing a disease.

Researchers at UAB( University of Alabama), Leiden University Medical Center and VU University, The Netherlands; and Uppsala University and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden recently published their findings.*

â€œThe presumption has always been that identical twins are identical down to their DNA,â€ said Carl Bruder, Ph.D. and Jan Dumanski, Ph.D., of UABâ€™s Department of Genetics and the studyâ€™s lead authors. â€œThatâ€™s mostly true, but our findings suggest that there are small, subtle differences due to CNV. Those differences may point the way to better understanding of genetic diseases when we study so-called discordant monozygotic twinsâ€¦.a pair of twins where one twin has a disorder and the other does not.â€

Bruder points out that one twin might develop a particular diseaseâ€¦Parkinsonâ€™s, for exampleâ€¦while the other does not. Previously, it was thought that environmental factors were the likely culprits, not genetics. Bruder and Dumanski think their findings indicate that CNV may play a critical role and this can be efficiently studied in identical twins.

â€œMore importantly, changes in CNV may tell us if a missing gene, or multiple copies of a gene, are implicated in the onset of disease,â€ Bruder said. â€œIf twin A develops Parkinsonâ€™s and twin B does not, the region of their genome where they show differences is a target for further investigation to discover the basic genetic underpinnings of the disease.â€

The UAB lab is one of the few worldwide that can make the full genome BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) arrays that are used to find the changed DNA regions.

The findings were published Feb. 14 online in the American Journal of Human Genetics. http://eproofing.dartmouthjournals.com/pdfproofing/ajhg0069r.pdf

The research was funded by support from UAB, the Swedish Cancer Society, the Swedish Childrenâ€™s Cancer Foundation, the U.S. Army Research and Material Command, National Institutes of Health, The Netherlands Genomics Initiative and the National Institutes of Health.

Source: Science Daily

Posted in General, Research | No Comments »

The Tango and Parkinson’s Disease

Tuesday, February 19th, 2008

There has been a lot of buzz about the effects that the tango has had on improving balance and mobility.

One researcher, Madeline E. Hackney, a pre-doctoral trainee in movement science, states that the community factor that involves the tango is what makes it such a success. I’ve learned that the community factor of any physical therapy/program can make the biggest difference in having success. While I was training for my first marathon race I had a friend, who happened to be an all-American runner, train with me. He helped meÂ to find consistency when it was easy to miss a day running. Because he pushed me I was able to push myself and finish my first grueling marathon. The same aspect is applied to the tango and to other activities that have a community aspect. The people around you can really make the biggest difference in what you get out of the physical exercise, but there are other reasons why tango lessons may be very effective.

“Researchers at the Washington University in St. Louis medical school compared the benefits of tango lessons over exercise classes, which are a more traditional form of mobility therapy for Parkinson’s sufferers. While it was found that both forms of therapy improved mobility, the tango group showed a marked improvement in balance over the exercise group. The study was published in the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy” (www.mcknights.com).

Posted in General, Health Care | No Comments »

New Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson’s, Movement Disorders, Under Evaluation

Monday, February 18th, 2008

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) is one of a handful of sites nationwide testing a new device for patients with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor, a neurological movement disorder.Â The study will help determine whether a new Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) technology is effective in providing relief for patients who are unable to adequately control symptoms of their disease with medication.

The DBS system is a surgically implanted medical device that delivers an electrical stimulation to areas of the brain that control movement. The system consists of a neurostimulator â€“ a pocket-watch-sized device that is implanted under the collarbone â€“ and wires, or leads, which run from the neurostimulator under the skin and into the brain through an opening in the skull. The leads are surgically guided to one of two areas in the brain depending upon the patient and the condition being treated. The system then functions in a manner similar to a heart pacemaker by delivering mild electrical pulses that disrupt or block the irregular nerve signals responsible for symptoms of Parkinsonâ€™s disease and essential tremor.

â€œIn these diseases, we think that there is abnormal firing in circuits in the brain important for controlling movement,â€ said neurosurgeon Jason Schwalb, M.D., co-investigator of the study. â€œWhen these circuits do not work or abnormal signals resonate within these circuits, people can develop tremor, rigidity, difficulty initiating movement and increased tone in opposing muscles that can even be painful. It is believed that DBS disrupts abnormal firing patterns present in movement disorders at discrete points in this circuitry and replaces them with more regular patterns of firing.â€

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that erodes a person’s control over their movements and speech. Over time, Parkinsonâ€™s patients may experience stiffness or rigidity of the arms and legs, slowness or lack of movement, and walking difficulties, in addition to tremor of their hands, arms, legs, jaw or face. Essential tremor is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary shaking of hands and, less frequently, other parts of the body. In both conditions, these symptoms can make simple, everyday tasks like getting dressed, shaving, eating with utensils and drinking from a glass almost impossible.

In most patients, the problems associated with these diseases can be managed with medication. However, in some instances these medications are not effective or, in patients with an advanced stage of the disease, the medications slowly lose their potency.

â€œMany Parkinsonâ€™s patients experience a wearing off between doses as their medications lose effectiveness over time,â€ said URMC neurologist Frederick Marshall, M.D., co-investigator in the study. â€œWhile adjusting the timing of the dose or changing medications can sometimes help, there comes a point when, as a neurologist, I reach the end of my medical rope in terms of what I am able to really achieve for the patient. With the right patients, surgical intervention like DBS then becomes a more effective option.â€

URMC is one of 12 locations nationwide participating in the study of the new Libra DBS system. The trial is being funded by the deviceâ€™s manufacturer, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANS), a division of St. Jude Medical Company.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213162623.htm

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Exercise and Eating Healthy

Thursday, February 14th, 2008

I received an email a few days ago from a man who had decided to be a little bit more active in health procedure, here’s his story:

I was diagnosed with PD approximately four years ago and of course the symptoms were devastating on my law practice and my personal life. Depression and an apathetic life was a great part of the last 4 years when somehow I was inspired to start walking and praying. Although my specific prayer request never came to fruition something much greater did, over a period of time I noticed a measure of peace and calmness that had previously eluded me most of my life.

I came up with the idea to do a documentary on Parkinson’s Disease and committed myself to at least several hours of study daily over the last 9 months. During the course of my research and sifting through all of the so called miracle cures I found that alternative medicine was a viable approach. Having always been somewhat of a skeptic I followed some of the suggestions with regard to life style changes and common sense teachings. I changed my diet that eliminated refined and manufactured foods, started exercising which was primarily walking and yoga, reduced my stress level through meditation and detoxed my body with natural supplements. In addition I started titrating my medication under my doctors supervision and what an amazing change that transpired. I am not symptom free but am so much better as almost all are shocked in the difference in my disposition, a clearer mind and much better appearance.

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Electric Acupuncture

Wednesday, February 13th, 2008

For musician and songwriter Freddy Powers and his wife Catherine, the journey through Parkinson’s disease has been grueling. Parkinson’s is degenerative, depressing and deadly. It starts in the brain, where cells that make dopamine begin to malfunction. Dopamine is the chemical messenger the brain sends out to tell parts of the body to move.

“Freddy was really walking very slow, moving real slow and his arm was clenched up real tight,” Catherine said. “But the two main things was he had really lost his smile, and his eyes had become real cloudy and really despondent.”

But doctors may have stumbled on a promising new treatment.Â AfterÂ only 10 daily treatments with a machine that electronically stimulates acupuncture points, things changed.

“It was like I brought home a new husband,” Catherine says. “He went from just, you know, almost not with me half the time, or it didn’t feel like or look like he was with me, to all of a sudden, he was back; he was back to my Freddy.”

Dr. Donald Rhodes was working on a machine to help alleviate chronic pain in his office in Corpus Christi when he noticed symptoms of other kinds improved in Parkinson’s and diabetes patients.

“Diseases that respond to this treatment are grouped together by circulation,” Rhodes said. “If we can improve circulation, good things happen.”

Freddy’s neurologist Rob Izor said the treatment is like acupuncture, but with a kick. Intrigued, Izor followed up with a 30-day pilot study with five patients, each of whom experienced some kind of improvement.

“He told me I was, what did you call me? You called me, ‘blah,’” sParkinson’s patient Candyce Drum reminded Izor, remembering her treatment.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” Izor said.

“He said my first, the ‘pre,’ was ‘blah,’ and then the second’s a little livelier,” Drum said.

“Well, one thing is I sleep a lot better,” Parkinson’s patient Eugene Faires said. “I’ve always had trouble sleeping, particularly going to sleep, and I sleep better.”

To be sure the machine is what is really at work, though, a larger study is needed.

“Hopefully, with some publicity and interest from a humanitarian—” Izor began.

“You need money,” said KXAN Austin News’ Jim Swift.

“We need money, yes,” Izor said.

“When I lay on the beach to get sun, they call it, ’shake and bake,’” Freddy says.

“He came back home with his smile,” Catherine said.

“You got your smile back, is that true?” Swift asked.

“Well, it depends on ifÂ you say something funny,” Freddy said.

Source: http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=7857409&nav=menu73_2

Posted in General, News | No Comments »

Michael J. Fox Foundation Awards $3 Million

Monday, February 11th, 2008

Michael J. Fox Foundation Awards up to $3 Million to Industry Teams to Jumpstart Promising PD Drug Development

As part of its ongoing efforts to do whatever it takes to speed delivery of transformative treatments and a cure for Parkinsonâ€™s disease, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsonâ€™s Research has awarded up to $3 million in total funding to four industry teams seeking to push potential new PD treatments closer to the clinic. The awards were granted under MJFFâ€™s Therapeutics Development Initiative (TDI) program. Open exclusively to industry researchers, TDI is the cornerstone of the Foundationâ€™s efforts to expand industry investment in PD drug development. Through TDI, the Foundation shares the risk of drug development, thus helping to speed companiesâ€™ abilities to reach critical decision points for Parkinsonâ€™s disease projects. Each of the four TDI grant awardees listed below will undertake research aimed at solving critical gaps in the development of new PD treatments.

â€œWhile industry plays a vital role in shepherding new therapeutics through the development process toward clinical trials and patients, competitive pressures and tough allocation decisions too often get in the way of making the kinds of â€˜big betsâ€™ necessary for breakthrough developments,â€ said Katie Hood, CEO of The Michael J. Fox Foundation. â€œBy funding industry partners directly, TDI seeks to advance promising treatments that might otherwise get stuck at the pre-clinical stage. Our capital may be comparatively modest, but it can serve as a â€˜carrotâ€™ to leverage companiesâ€™ expertise and infrastructure and speed the development of therapeutics that could have an immense impact on patientsâ€™ quality of life.â€

While the Foundation has funded industry researchers since its inception, the Therapeutics Development Initiative was launched in 2006 as part of a larger initiative to capture the attention and imagination of company decision-makers and encourage them to allocate resources to Parkinsonâ€™s projects. To date, of the approximately $21 million the Foundation has committed in total funding to industry, almost a third (nearly $8 million) has gone to 14 projects under TDI. The current round of awardees will focus on developing and optimizing new treatments targeting alpha-synuclein toxicity; chronic inflammation; trophic factors; and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Christine Bulawa, PhD, of FoldRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., will work to develop a disease-modifying drug that could block the toxicity associated with clumping of the protein alpha-synuclein, a hallmark of PD pathology. Dr. Bulawaâ€™s team has identified chemical compounds that protect neurons from alpha-synuclein toxicity and will now work with the compounds in a rodent model of Parkinsonâ€™s. The researchers hope to identify promising small molecules that, with further optimization, can be developed into drug candidates to be tested in PD patients in clinical trials.

Chronic inflammation plays a role in the death of the dopamine-producing neurons that are lost in Parkinsonâ€™s disease. Patrick Flood, PhD, of TheraLogics, Inc., and his group will test compounds that specifically target the inflammatory pathway in a PD animal model to determine whether certain drugs can protect against this neuronal loss. The team will assess whether blocking inflammation reverses destruction of dopamine-producing neurons, and actually leads to regeneration of these cells within the brain, to determine the most effective dose and timing for therapeutic intervention.

The blood-brain barrier is a thin layer of tightly packed cells separating the central nervous system from the bodyâ€™s bloodstream. This layer is crucial to protecting the brain from foreign substances, but also poses a major challenge in delivering potentially therapeutic treatments via orally administered drugs. Antonia Orsi, PhD, and her team from Phytopharm have developed a small orally active molecule that crosses the blood-brain barrier. In vivo and in vitro, the molecule increases levels of trophic factors, specialized proteins that potently promote survival of neurons. The team has already demonstrated that the compound can increase the number of dopaminergic neurons in a mouse model of PD. The goal now is to gain greater understanding of the neurorestorative properties of this compound in mice and, if successful, test the compound in a primate model of Parkinsonâ€™s disease.

Mitochondria are the â€˜energy factoriesâ€™ of body cells. It is believed that mitochondrial function is decreased in people with Parkinsonâ€™s disease and that mitochondrial toxins induce parkinsonian symptoms in animal models. Rebecca Pruss, PhD, and her colleagues at Trophos are developing unique compounds that improve mitochondrial function and that are currently being evaluated in patients for the treatment of ALS and diabetic neuropathy. Dr. Pruss will test whether these compounds are neuroprotective in an animal model of Parkinsonâ€™s disease.

Grant abstracts and researcher bios for all projects are available on the Foundationâ€™s Web site, www.michaeljfox.org.

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsonâ€™s Research is dedicated to ensuring the development of a cure for Parkinsonâ€™s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda. To date, the Foundation has funded more than $115 million in research directly or through partnerships.

Source: http://michaeljfox.org/newsEvents_mjffInTheNews_article.cfm?ID=231