News on Parkinson's disease

I had the amazing opportunity to attend a conference about Parkinson's Disease.  During the Michael J Fox Foundation conference at the Anschutz Medical Campus on September 27, 2014, I noticed that many of the theories about Parkinson's disease that were first introduced in 2009 are now research supported claims. 

History of Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery (DBS)

The history of DBS, was described at the conference:

1900s- Surgical treatments were done to destroy areas of the brain that were believed to cause tremor. Pallidotomy was also introduced in the mid 1900s to target the basal ganglia and Thalamotomy to target the thalamus.

1960s- Levadopa era: The drug is used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's Disease such as stiffness. The movie Awakenings shows how the drug was first used.

1980s- Pallidotomy is still used for Parkinson's Disease, but is now only used to treat dystonia.

1997- Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is introduced for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. (**refer to previous blog post to find out more information about DBS)

Gut microbes Leads to Parkinson's disease

A theory that is now a research supported claim is that abnormal bacteria in your gut contributes to Parkinson's disease.  The bacteria Helicobacter in the gut has been found to be the greatest contributor, where research has shown a correlation between this bacterium and low dopamine in the brain.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that is used by nerve cells to communicate with each other and the body.  In Parkinson's disease, there is a loss of dopamine producing cells leading to motor dysfunction in the body, because the nerve cells are not getting enough dopamine to communicate properly. Some how the abnormal bacteria is a contributor for the loss of dopamine in the brain.




Further information:
Maintain a healthy gut

Environmental factors leads to Parkinson's disease

Pesticides and insecticides that are added by farmers to crops is a neurotoxin that has been linked to neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease.  Consuming water from a well has also been linked to Parkinson's disease, and this is because well water contains many chemicals that are toxic to the brain. The chemicals that are present in well water are those pesticides that run off from agriculture. Additionally, individuals living in agricultural sites where pesticides and insecticides are constantly used in large quantities can also be exposed to these neurotoxins by breathing the air, this is called airborne exposure.


Other information

What delays Parkinson's Disease symptoms? 

It seems that Neurologists with a Parkinson's Disease specialty will also suggest exercise; apart from prescribing medications, they will prescribe physical therapy.  The exercise that are known to delay Parkinson's disease symptoms, and are supported by research, are exercises that involve stretching, any aerobic activity, and weight training.

Aerobic Exercise- Activities that involves the circulation of oxygen for long periods of time. Examples include: jogging, walking, swimming, cycling for long periods of time.

Anaerobic Exercise- Activities that does not involve the circulation of oxygen, but involves short bursts of breath. Examples include: weight lifting, using resistance machines, short periods of time of sprinting.

Staying mentally active has also been shown to improve cognition in individuals with Parkinson's Disease. For example, engaging in any brain activity that involves creative problem solving, such as: learning how to play the instrument or new steps in ballroom dancing, and working on solving any puzzles on a regular basis. From my personal experience, I have observed how working on solving complex puzzles daily, can improve memory in individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Further informations:
Aerobic Exercise
More tips
cycling

Future Treatments for Parkinson's Disease

Towards the end of the conference information about possible future treatments were presented on.  Professionals and specialists within the field, expressed the importance of exploring other treatments due to the slow progress of pharmaceuticals in developing efficient drugs to treat Parkinson's disease.

Stem cell  transplants was one of the treatments suggested that can have a positive impact, and can be used to replace damaged dopamine producing cells in the substantia nigra that have caused
 Parkinson's disease. In the figure below I have combined three images to very briefly describe the results of stem cell transplant; specifically dopamine producing cells.

Citations:

Carter, J. (n.d.). Improving Brain Function with Exercise, Connectedness, and Creativity. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from http://www.pdf.org/en/summer09_brain_function

Causes: What Causes Parkinson's Disease. (2014, January 1). Retrieved October 6, 2014, from http://www.pdf.org/en/causes

Cone, M. (2009, August 5). Rural Well Water Linked to Parkinson's Disease. Scientific American, 1-1.

Deep Brain Stimulation: History of DBS. (2014, June 6). Retrieved October 12, 2014, from http://www.wakehealth.edu/Neurosciences/Movement-Disorders-Center/Deep-Brain-Stimulation--History-of-DBS.htm

H. Saey, T. (2011, May 23). Stomach Bug My Be Linked to Parkinson's. Science News, 1-1.

Naik, A. (2014, April 4). Aerobic Vs. Anaerobic Exercise. Retrieved October 10, 2014, from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/aerobic-vs-anaerobic-exercise.html




Images:

Parkinson's disease In-Depth Report. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/parkinsons-disease/print.html

Samuel Weiss. 1999. Pathways for neuronal stem cell biology and repair. Nature biotechnology.

Image retrieved from: Guiliano, Vince. Aging Sciences-Anti-Aging Firewalls. N.p., 30 June 2012. Web. 26 Oct. 2012. <http://www.anti-agingfirewalls.com/2012/06/30/a-stem-cell-cure-for-parkinsons-disease-so-close-and-yet-so-far-away/>.