Parkinson’s disease

260px-wii_wiimoteaThe Nintendo Wii may help treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, including depression, a Medical College of Georgia researcher says.

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease that impairs motor skills. Dr. Herz theorized that the popular computer game console, which simulates various sports and activities, could improve coordination, reflexes and other movement-related skills, but he found additional benefits as well. [continue reading…]

Voices of Parkinson’s

parkinsons_image

 

Check out the latest “Patient Voices feature” in todays New York Times. Where seven men and women, in their own words describe the impact of Parkinson’s Disease on themselves or a family member Link to listen to this audio feature.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurologic disorder that occurs as a result of the death of nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine. The loss of dopamine production in the brain can lead to tremors, balance problems, stiff facial expressions and muffled speech, among other things.In the United States, an estimated 1 million people have the disease, and another 60,000 are diagnosed each year. Although the condition usually develops after the age of 60, 15 percent of those diagnosed are under 50

Source: The New York Times,
By Karen Barrow
Published: Wednedsay, August 6, 2008,

Research led by investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) has shown that therapeutic cloning, also known as somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), can be used to treat Parkinson’s disease in mice. The study’s results are published in the March 23 online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.For the first time, researchers showed that therapeutic cloning or SCNT has been successfully used to treat disease in the same subjects from whom the initial cells were derived. While this current work is in animals, it could have future implications as this method may be an effective way to reduce transplant rejection and enhance recovery in other diseases and in other organ systems. [continue reading…]

A test that profiles molecular biomarkers in blood could become the first accurate diagnostic test for Parkinson’s disease, new research shows.

The screen relies on changes in dozens of small molecules in serum. These “metabolomic” alterations form a unique pattern in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a team led by researchers at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

They published their findings in the journal Brain.

[continue reading…]