MinTankesmie

- Hos pasienter med Parkinsons sykdom er aktiviteten for mitokondrier og elektrontransport forstyrret med det resultat at de ikke lenger produserer tilstrekkelig energi for cellen

Vitamin K2: New hope for Parkinson's patients? (Vitamin K2: Nytt håp for pasienter med Parkinsons sykdom)
worldpharmanews.com 14.5.2012
Neuroscientist Patrik Verstreken, associated with VIB and KU Leuven, succeeded in undoing the effect of one of the genetic defects that leads to Parkinson's using vitamin K2. His discovery gives hope to Parkinson's patients. This research was done in collaboration with colleagues from Northern Illinois University (US) published on the website of the authorative journal Science.

"It appears from our research that administering vitamin K2 could possibly help patients with Parkinson's. However, more work needs to be done to understand this better," says Patrik Verstreken.

If we looked at cells as small factories, then mitochondria would be the power plants responsible for supplying the energy for their operation. They generate this energy by transporting electrons. In Parkinson's patients, the activity of mitochondria and the transport of electrons have been disrupted, resulting in the mitochondria no longer producing sufficient energy for the cell. This has major consequences as the cells in certain parts of the brain will start dying off, disrupting communication between neurons. The results are the typical symptoms of Parkinson's: lack of movement (akinesia), tremors and muscle stiffness.

The exact cause of this neurodegenerative disease is not known. In recent years, however, scientists have been able to describe several genetic defects (mutations) found in Parkinson's patients, including the so-called PINK1 and Parkin mutations, which both lead to reduced mitochondrial activity. By studying these mutations, scientists hope to unravel the mechanisms underlying the disease process. (...)

(Anm: Mitochondria (mitokondrie). (mintankesmie.no).)

(Anm: Vitamin K2 Is a Mitochondrial Electron Carrier That Rescues Pink1 Deficiency. Science. 2012 May 10. [Epub ahead of print].)

Diverse artikler

Google-stifter finansierer medicinalfirmaers forskning
medwatch.dk 11.5.2012
Sergey Brin, der har opbygget en enorm formue gennem Google, kaster af personlige årsager betydelige summer ind i GSK og Pfizers forskning i Parkinsonslægemidler.

Den ene af de to Google-stiftere, Sergey Brin, opdagede i 2008, at han har et gen, der prædisponerer ham for Parkinsons. Et gen, som han deler med sin mor, der allerede har udvklet sygdommen.

Dette fik ifølge Bloomberg den hovedrige IT-entreprenør (han har en anslået formue på 19 mia. dollar) til øge donationerne til forskningen på området.
Indtil videre har han doneret 132 mio. dollar, hovedsageligt til Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Og en del af pengene er gået direkte til GSK og Pfizers udvikling af lægemidler.

I 2009 donerede Brin 15 millioner dollar, der er møntet på udviklingen af såkaldt LRRK2-medicin, og han har været hovedsponsor på Fox Fondens LRRK2-indsats siden. (...)

Alastair Reith, der er GSK's forskningsleder på projektet, mener ikke, at arbejdet med lægemidlerne havde været muligt uden donationen, for hjernesygdomme er ifølge lederen ikke højt på prioritetslisten hos medicinalfirmaerne. (...)

Study: Flavonoids May Help Protect Against Parkinson’s
healthland.time.com 5.4.2012 (Time)
Berries, tea, apples and red wine are all rich in a naturally occurring compound called flavonoids, and a new study finds that men who eat a diet high in these healthy compounds may have a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease.

Previous research has shown that regular consumption of flavonoids is linked with reduced blood pressure and inflammation, as well as a lower risk of a variety of diseases, including heart disease, some cancers and dementia. But this is the first study to find that flavonoids may also protect brain cells against Parkinson’s. (...)

(MORE: Popcorn is Packed With Antioxidants) (...)

Spillegal av medisin: Tapte 2,5 millioner på 16 måneder
vg.no 6.2.2012
(...) Nå viser studier at risikoen for slike bivirkninger er større enn først antatt.

- Jeg var ikke meg selv. Den medisinen roter med hjernen - lystkontroll og impulskontroll.

Rell Rune Loraas (54) er Parkinson-syk, og har spilt bort alt han eier og mer. I en kommunal leilighet i Tønsberg ser han tilbake på en tid da nettgamblingen tok totalt overhånd. Selv ante Loraas ingenting om at det plutselige spillesuget kunne ha noe å gjøre med medisinene han tok. (...)

I 2007 begynte Loraas med Neupro-plaster - en av flere Parkinson-medisiner med såkalte dopaminagonister. Det samme året gikk Statens Legemiddelverk ut og advarte mot spilleavhengighet som mulig bivirkning av virkestoffet. (...)

Loraas husker at legen bladde opp i Felleskatalogen og at det sto noe om økt libido og hyperseksualitet under sjeldne bivirkninger helt mot slutten. (...)

Antipsychotics and mortality in parkinsonism (Antipsykotika og dødelighet ved Parkinsons sykdom)
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2012 Feb;20(2):149-58.
(...) BACKGROUND: : The use of antipsychotic medications is associated with an increased risk of death in older adults with dementia. The risk of death in patients with preexisting parkinsonism who receive antipsychotic drugs is not known.

RESULTS: : Among 5,391 individuals with parkinsonism who died during the study period (2002-2008) and a matched comparison group of 25,937 who were still alive, individuals exposed to atypical antipsychotic drugs had a higher risk of death (unadjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.8, 95% CI: 2.1-3.8, adjusted OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.4-2.7). Results were similar for quetiapine use compared with no antipsychotic use (unadjusted OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.6-4.0, adjusted OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-3.0). Typical antipsychotics were associated with an increased odds of death compared with atypical antipsychotics (unadjusted OR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.1-5.2, adjusted OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.1-5.7).

CONCLUSIONS: : Individuals with parkinsonism who are newly prescribed antipsychotic medications have a higher risk of death within 30 days than those who do not start these medications. Although it is not possible to establish causality, the results suggest an increased risk. It is important to be vigilant for accompanying serious medical conditions that may increase mortality in individuals requiring treatment with antipsychotics and to consider alternative approaches to treating psychosis, agitation, and aggression in this population. (...)

Psykose ved Parkinsons sykdom
Tidsskr Nor Legeforen 2012; -1868:155-8 (24.1.2012)
(...) Bakgrunn. Psykose er hyppig ved Parkinsons sykdom, og opptrer med økende frekvens utover i sykdomsforløpet. Utredning og behandling vil ofte være komplisert og involvere flere sykehusspesialiteter i tillegg til fastlegen. Vi beskriver forekomst, utforming, årsaker og behandling av psykose ved Parkinsons sykdom.

Materiale og metode. Artikkelen bygger på et litteratursøk i PubMed etter kontrollerte medikamentelle behandlingsstudier samt på et skjønnsmessig utvalg artikler basert på artikkelforfatternes kliniske og forskningsmessige erfaring.

Resultater. Ved nyoppdaget Parkinsons sykdom har om lag 1 % av pasientene psykotiske symptomer. I senere stadier med tillegg av demens opptrer slike symptomer hos om lag halvparten av pasientene. En falsk følelse av nærvær, synsillusjoner og synshallusinasjoner er vanligst, men vrangforestillinger og hallusinasjoner for andre sansemodaliteter forekommer. Det finnes ulike forklaringsmodeller for bakenforliggende patologiske forhold og årsaksmekanismer. Fornyet legevurdering anbefales når symptomer på psykose oppstår. Klozapin er fortsatt det eneste antipsykotikum med dokumentert effekt mot psykose ved Parkinsons sykdom.

Fortolkning. Forekomst av psykotiske symptomer ved ulike stadier av Parkinsons sykdom er grundig dokumentert. Ikke-medikamentelle behandlingstiltak er ofte effektive, men tilstrekkelig dokumentasjon mangler. Medikamentell behandling med klozapin har vist effekt mot psykose ved denne sykdommen, men det er behov for nye legemidler som er enklere å administrere. (...)

Parkinson's Called Hidden Killer
medpagetoday.com 4.1.2012
Life expectancy for patients with Parkinson's disease is poorer than some previous studies have suggested, with barely one-third of patients surviving six years with the condition, researchers said.

Among nearly 140,000 Medicare beneficiaries with Parkinson's disease diagnosed in 2002 -- about half of whom were younger than 80 -- 64% had died by 2008, reported Allison W. Willis, MD, and colleagues at Washington University in St. Louis.

This rate was similar to that seen in Medicare patients suffering myocardial infarctions and Alzheimer's disease, and substantially higher than in those diagnosed with congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or colorectal cancer, the researchers pointed out in Archives of Neurology. (...)

Exposure to Toxic Solvents Linked to Parkinson's Disease (Eksponering for løsemidler linket til Parkinsons sykdom)
news.yahoo.com 14.11.2011
MONDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to the industrial solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) appears to greatly increase the risk of Parkinson's disease, and exposure to two other solvents also boosts the chances of developing the neurodegenerative disorder, a new study indicates.

As many as 500,000 people in the United States have Parkinson's disease and more than 50,000 new cases are diagnosed in the country each year. Some research suggests that genetic and environmental factors might trigger Parkinson's, and several studies have reported that exposure to solvents may increase the risk.

In this new study, U.S. researchers interviewed 99 pairs of elderly twins about their lifetime occupations and hobbies. Exposure to TCE was associated with a sixfold increased risk of Parkinson's disease. Exposure to perchloroethylene (PERC) and carbon tetrachloride (CCI4) were also associated with increased risk.

The study was led by researchers at The Parkinson's Institute in Sunnyvale, Calif., and was published Nov. 14 in the journal Annals of Neurology. (...)

Eit steg nærare behandling av Parkinsons
nrk.no 8.11.2011
Ved Parkinsons sjukdom dør det nerveceller i hjernen som produserer dopamin.

Hjerneceller laga frå menneskelege stamceller har vist lovande resultat i dyreforsøk.– Eit godt skritt i riktig retning, seier norsk ekspert.

Amerikanske forskarar har klart å lage nye dopaminproduserande hjerneceller, som er dei cellene som blir øydelagde hos menneske med Parkinsons sjukdom (sjå faktaboks), og har sett desse cellene inn i forsøksdyr.

I studien som er publisert i tidsskriftet Nature fann forskarane at dei tilførte hjernecellene også såg ut til å reversere rørsleproblem hos dyr med parkinsonsjukdom.

•Les også: Drømmer kan varsle Parkinsons
•Les også: Musikk hjelper mot parkinsons

– Har løyst eit nøkkelproblem
Lorenz Studer og hans kollegaer ved Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center har funne ein ny metode for å lage dopaminproduserande hjerneceller frå menneskelege stamceller.

Forskarane har tilsett eit nytt molekyl til cellene (kalla CHIR99021) for å aktivere eit svært spesifikt signal i cellene. Dei meiner at dette signalet er alfa og omega for å lage den riktige typen hjerneceller. (...)

Parkinsonmedicin ger oönskad blodkärlstillväxt
lakemedelsvarlden.se 14.9.2011
Nu har forskare från Lunds universitet kunnat visa hur standardmedicinen mot Parkinsons sjukdom, L-dopa, orsakar dyskinesi, ofrivilliga ryckiga rörelser. Medicinen aktiverar en tillväxtfaktor som styr blodkärlstillväxten i de hjärnområden som styr motoriken.

DYSKINESI Att de okontrollerade rörelserna är en effekt av behandlingen med L-dopa är sedan länge välkänt. Men nu har forskarna genom studier på råttor kunnat visa att medicinen aktiverar en tillväxtfaktor som styr bildningen av nya blodkärl i hjärnan.

Upptäckten öppnar nu upp för att man i framtiden ska kunna begränsa de ofrivilliga rörelserna.

- I råttförsöken har vi hämmat blodkärlstillväxt i hela kroppen och därmed lyckats begränsa dyskinesierna. Att hämma blodkärlstillväxt i hela kroppen är dock inte ett alternativ för långvarig behandling men det är viktigt att kunna identifiera orsaken till förändringarna. Det är första gången effekten av en parkinsonterapi kartlagts på blodkärlsnivå, vilket gör det hela mycket spännande med tanke på de måltavlor för nya terapier som skulle kunna tänkas komma upp, säger en av forskarna bakom studien Elisabeth Ohlin i ett pressmeddelande.

Studien har publicerats i tidskriften Brain. (...)

(Anm: Vascular endothelial growth factor is upregulated by l-dopa in the parkinsonian brain: implications for the development of dyskinesia. Brain 2011;134 (8):2339-2357 (September).)

(Anm: dyskinesi; dyskinesi. (av dys- og gr. 'sette i bevegelse'), forstyrrede kroppsbevegelser. (...) mer eller mindre permanent art, oftest ved langvarig bruk av nevroleptika. (...) Typisk er stereotype, rytmiske bevegelser i ansikt, tunge og kjevemuskulatur. En viss samtidig muskulær urofølelse kan forekomme (akathisi). Kilde: Store norske leksikon.)

Parkinsonmedicin kan bidra till ofrivilliga rörelser
dagensmedicin.se 15.9.2011
Läkemedel som tas mot Parkinsons sjukdom kan påverka motoriken negativt och öka ofrivilliga rörelser. Det visar ny forskning från Lunds universitet.

För första gången kopplar forskare samman blodkärlstillväxt i hjärnan med de ofrivilliga rörelser som parkinsonpatienter kan drabbas av. En anledning kan vara att medicineringen påverkar blodkärlen så att dessa inte fungerar som de ska.

– Våra fynd visar att standardmedicinen mot parkinson, L-dopa, framkallar blodkärlstillväxt i den del av hjärnan som styr motoriken, säger forskaren Elisabet Ohlin vid Lunds universitet till TT.

Hennes forskning har också visat att de ofrivilliga rörelserna kan begränsas om tillväxten av blodkärl i hjärnan blockeras. Ett medel som visat sig verksamt för detta är ett cancerläkemedel. Men i längden är detta ingen bra metod, enligt Elisabet Ohlin.

– Nu kan vi försöka utveckla en medicin som kan tas ihop med L-dopa, och därmed minska de ofrivilliga rörelserna, säger hon. (...)

Virus Destroys Parkinson's Symptoms (Virus tar knekken på Parkinsonssymptomer)
ivanhoe.com 31.8.2011
DETROIT, MI (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common neurological disorders with as many as 60-thousand Americans diagnosed every year. Patients may have tremors, stiffness, and loss of motor control as the disease progresses. Now, a new study is showing experimental gene therapy may hold real promise for some patients. (...)

Parkinson's Patients Get No Benefit From Antidepressants Sertraline Or Mirtazapine, But Have More Side Effects (Parkinsonspasienter har ingen nytte av antidepressiva Sentraline (Zoloft) eller mirtazapine (Remeron), men har flere sideeffekter)
Editor's Choice
medicalnewstoday.com 19.7.2011
Two antidepressants prescribed often for individuals with Parkinson's disease - sertraline or mirtazapine - were found to have no benefits for such patients. In fact, they also experienced unpleasant side effects., according to the results of the HTA-SADD trial published in The Lancet. The article was written by Professor Sube Banerjee and team, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK.

The trial involved 325 patients from nine different centers in England. They all had either possible Alzheimer's disease, depression which had lasted at least 4 weeks, or a dementia-related depression above a certain score. Any patient who was a suicide risk, contraindicated for the drugs, was already on antidepressants, or was at the time already taking part in another trial, was ineligible for this study. (...)

(Anm: Sertraline or mirtazapine for depression in dementia (HTA-SADD): a randomised, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2011 (Early Online Publication, 18 July 2011).)

Antipsychotic Rx Still Common in Parkinson's (Antipsykotikaforskrivning fremdeles vanlig ved Parkinsons sykdom)
medpagetoday.com 14.7.2011
Half of Parkinson's disease patients with psychosis continue to receive antipsychotic drugs despite a black box warning that this could be deadly, researchers found.
In a Veterans Affairs (VA) system study comparing Parkinson's patients with psychosis and those with psychosis and dementia but not Parkinson's, 50.0% of the Parkinson's patients with comorbid psychosis were prescribed antipsychotics in 2008, Daniel Weintraub, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues reported in the July issue of the Archives of Neurology.

The drugs prescribed were almost exclusively atypical antipsychotics. The rate of prescribing had not changed since 2002, despite strong warnings from the FDA in 2005 and 2008, the investigators noted.

The warnings pointed to 1.6-to-1.7-fold elevated mortality among elderly dementia patients in observational studies with use of atypical antipsychotics, which was generalized to apply to older conventional antipsychotics as well.

While those concerns arose largely from data on Alzheimer's disease patients, use for dementia and other psychoses in the Parkinson's population is a particular concern, Weintraub's group indicated.

Those drugs can worsen parkinsonism and have limited evidence for efficacy in psychosis with Parkinson's, they noted. (...)

Living Well With Parkinson’s
well.blogs.nytimes.com 14.6.2011
In today’s Personal Health column, Jane Brody explores the lives and challenges of people living with Parkinson’s disease. She writes:

For patients with Parkinson’s disease…there still is no cure. But researchers have begun to make progress in identifying causes of the disease, and a new study promises to help identify better treatments. (...)

Drømmer kan varsle Parkinsons
nrk.no 1.4.2011
Danske forskere kan ha funnet viktig spor i Parkinsons-gåten.

Voldsomme bevegelser og lyder mens du drømmer kan være et varsel om Parkinsons sykdom, ifølge forskere ved København Universitet.

Søvnlidelsen RBD er nemlig blant de tidlige symptomene på lidelsen som er avdekket i en fersk studie publisert i Journal of Neurology. (...)

Parkinson kan spores i dine drømme
fpn.dk 29.3.2011
Danske forskere har opdaget, at tidlige stadier af Parkinsons sygdom kan spores i søvnen.

Parkison-patienter har i følge danske forskere symptomer på sygdommen flere år før, diagnosen bliver stillet.

Det gælder f.eks. søvnlidelsen RBD eller REM sleep behavior disorder, som er et stadie under nattesøvnen, hvor vi drømmer. Vores øjne bevæger sig i hurtige ryk bag øjenlågene, men vores krop slukker normalt for bevægeapparatet under denne type søvn. Ved RDB er bevægeapparatet stadig aktivt.

Det betyder, at en REM-sovende person med RBD vil bevæge sig, spjætte med arme og ben, skrige, sparke eller slå.

"Vores hypotese er, at de allertidligste stadier af Parkinson viser sig ved forskellige andre lidelser, som f.eks. søvnlidelsen REM behavior disorder. Der er i de senere år sket store fremskridt inden for behandlingen af Parkinsons sygdom, men vi har stadig ingen behandling, som mindsker sygdommens senere symptomer, omkostninger og øgede dødelighed," siger Poul Jennum, der er professor i klinisk neurofysiologi ved Center for Sund Aldring på Københavns Universitet og Søvncentret på Glostrup Hospital. (...)

Parkinsons sjukdom og demens
Tidsskr Nor Legeforen 2011; 131:552 (18.3.2011)
MR-analysar viser at auka ventrikkelsystem i hjernen kan vere med på å forklare utvikling av demens hjå pasientar med Parkinsons sjukdom.

Parkinsons sjukdom er ein kronisk nevrologisk liding som påverker både motorikk og kognitiv funksjon. Sjukdommen rammar for det meste eldre og inneber auka risiko for demensutvikling. Demens har ei rekkje negative konsekvensar for både pasient og pårørande. Mild kognitiv svikt er nedsett evne til å tenkje, hugse, oppfatte og lære, men evna er ikkje så sterkt nedsett at det går utover daglegdagse aktivitetar. (...)

Lyckad genterapi mot Parkinson
sverigesradio.se 17.3.2011
För första gången har forskare visat på människor att genterapi kan fungera mot Parkinsons sjukdom.

De har direkt i hjärnan sprutat in felfria gener, som gör att hjärncellerna börjar producera mera av ett ämne som Parkinson-patienter har för lite av. Ämnet kallas GABA och behövs för kroppens rörlighet.

En grupp på drygt 20 patienter som fick genomgå en sådan operation förbättrade sin rörlighet med nästan 25 procent enligt det poängsystem som används.

I en annan grupp som blev opererade på låtsas - utan att få några nya gener - blev effekten bara hälften så stor.

Effekten mättes ett halvår efter operationen.

Studien beskrivs i torsdagens nummer av tidskriften Lancet, och författarna hoppas att genterapi ska bli ett sätt att behandla olika neurologiska sjukdomar när andra metoder inte hjälper. (...)

(Anm: AAV2-GAD gene therapy for advanced Parkinson´s disease: a double-blind, sham-surgery controlled, randomised trial. Lancet Neurology 2011 (online March 17).)

PARIS: The key to Parkinson's? (PARIS: Nøkkelen til Parkinsons sykdom?)
Ivanhoe.com 7.3.2011
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers have discovered PARIS -- the protein -- may be responsible for the most common form of Parkinson's disease (PD).

PD affects about 1 million older Americans. Previous research has shown a protein known as "parkin" protects brain cells by "tagging" certain toxic elements for natural destruction. Mutations of the parkin gene cause rare forms of PD that runs in families, but researchers were unclear about parkin's role in sporadic, late-onset PD.

Investigators from Johns Hopkins used genetically-altered mice and human brain tissue to show that the protein PARIS accumulates when the parkin gene is mutated and its protein degrading ability is blocked. Too much PARIS tamps down the production of a protective protein called PGC-1alpha. (...)

(Anm: PARIS (ZNF746) Repression of PGC-1α Contributes to Neurodegeneration in Parkinson's Disease. Cell 2011;144(5):689-702 (4 March).)

Amfetamin ökar risk för parkinson
sverigesradio.se 21.2.2011
Amfetamin kan öka risken att drabbas av parkinson med 60%, enligt en ny amerikansk studie som presenteras på American Academy of Neurology:s konferens i vår.

Forskarna bakom studien utgick från data från en stor hälsoundersökning som genomfördes i Kalifornien på 60- och 70-talet, där drygt 66 000 personer deltog. Vid en senare uppföljning hade drygt elva hundra av deltagarna drabbats av parkinson – och för de deltagare som regelbundet intagit amfetamin i form av medicinerna Benzedrine och Dexedrine så ökade risken att drabbas med omkring 60%.

Amfetamin används medicinskt för att behandla patienter med ADHD eller narkolepsi, men är också den näst vanligaste illegala drogen i Sverige efter Cannabis. (...)

Studien presenteras på American Academy of Neurology's 63rd Annual Meeting in Honolulu April 9-16, 2011. (...)

(Anm: ADHD (oppmerksomhetssvikt-hyperaktivitets-syndromet) (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) (mintankesmie.no).)

Parkinsons sykdom, en oversikt
nhi.no 11.2.2011
Parkinson sykdom skyldes at celler i hjernen som er med å styre bevegelser blir ødelagt. Symptomene kan komme snikende og det kan ta tid å få stilt riktig diagnose. Det er en betydelig belastning å oppleve at man i mindre grad kan utføre viljestyrte bevegelser.

Skjelvinger, stivhet i armer og ben og dårlig koordinasjon begrenser muligheten for å delta på mange dagligdagse aktiviteter. Stemmen er også avhengig av muskelstyring, og den blir også rammet ved Parkinson sykdom. (...)

- Sexgal av Parkinsonmedisiner
vg.no 10.2.2011

SEXAVHENGIG: Didier Jambert, her sammen med kona i rettssalen i Nantes i Frankrike, fikk svært kraftige bivirkninger av medisinen mot Parkinsons sykdom.

Medisinen skulle hjelpe mot Parkinsons. I stedet hevder tobarnsfaren (51) at han ble både spillegal og sexavhengig.

Nå krever Didier Jambart fra Nantes i Frankrike rundt fire millioner kroner i erstatning fra legemiddelgiganten GlaxoSmithKline.

Ifølge nyhetsbyrået AFP hevder 51-åringen at medisinen Requip fikk ham hektet på gambling, uhemmet homofil sex og gjorde ham suicidal. (...)

Kjent effekt
Medisinsk direktør Olav Flaten i GlaxoSmithKline sier til VG at både spillegalskap og hyperseksualitet er kjente bivirkninger for Requip og lignende preparater.

- Dette er en mindre vanlig eller sjelden bivirkning, sier Flaten. (...)

Man Claims Parkinson's Drug Turned Him Into a Gay Sex Addict
healthland.time.com 1.2.2011
Didier Jambart, 51, of Nantes, France, began taking GlaxoSmithKline's drug Requip (ropinirole) in 2003 to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Soon after, the married father of two began exhibiting strange, uncharacteristic behavior, his lawyers said.

Agence France-Presse reports that Jambart:

...says he has attempted suicide three times, claims he became addicted to Internet gambling, losing the family's savings and stealing to feed his habit.

He also became a compulsive gay sex addict and began exposing himself on the Internet and cross-dressing. (...)

It's impossible that the drug made Jambart gay. But compulsive behaviors are a known side effect of ropinirole. A drug fact-sheet put together by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists says that before taking ropinirole: (...)

Metal pollution tied to Parkinson's disease
reuters.com 27.10.2010
(Reuters Health) - People living near a steel factory or another source of high manganese emissions are at higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease, suggests a new study.

As many as one million Americans live with the degenerative disease, according to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation. Pesticides from farms have long been suspected of upping the chances of developing Parkinson's, but much less is known about the influences of city living.

"Environmental risk factors for Parkinson's disease have been relatively under-studied, especially in urban areas where the overwhelming majority of Parkinson's disease patients reside," Dr. Brad A. Racette of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, told Reuters Health in an e-mail. (...)

Tør ikke risikere en forværring
Michael J. Fox nægter ny operation
bt.dk 11.10.2010
(...) I 1998 undergik Fox en hjerneoperation, og indgrebet, der var en succes, fik reduceret skuespillerens rystelser i venstre side af kroppen. (...)

Det varede imidlertid ikke længe, før den højre side også bar præg af sydommen, og flere læger har derfor rådet ham til at gennemgå en ny operation.

Men i et nyligt interview med Dr. Sanjay Gupta fra CNN fortalte Fox, at han ikke ønsker at udføre en anden operation, før lægerne kan garantere et bedre resultat. (...)

Kognitive problemer vanlig blant Parkinson-pasienter
dagensmedisin.no 7.10.2010
En norsk studie fastslår at én av fire Parkinson-pasienter uten demensdiagnose har mild kognitiv svikt.

Manglende dokumentasjon på dette feltet trigget professor dr.med. Dag Årsland til å sette fokuset på Parkinson-pasienter uten demens. (...)

– Dette er avgjørende forutsetninger for det viktige arbeidet med å utvikle medisiner som kan bremse denne utviklingen, sier Årsland. (...)

Nytt test hittar patienter med hög risk för Parkinsons sjukdom
dagensmedicin.se 20.9.2010
Två neuroradiologiska metoder kan användas för att identifiera patienter med en sällsynt sömnstörning som har hög risk att drabbas av neurodegenerativa sjukdomar, enligt en ny studie.

Patienter som har sömnstörningen RBD, rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, saknar muskelparalys under drömsömnen och lever därför ut sina drömmar genom rörelser.

Det är känt att patienter som har så kallad idiopatisk RBD, där orsaken är okänd, har ökad risk för att senare drabbas av olika neurodegenerativa sjukdomar som Parkinsons sjukdom och demens. (...)

(Anm: Decreased striatal dopamine transporters uptake and substantia nigra hyperechogenicity as risk markers of synucleinopathy in patients with idiopathic rapid-eye-movement sleep behaviour disorder: a prospective study. (The Lancet Neurology, Early Online Publication, 15 September 2010).)

Sleeping Disorders Foreshadow Dementia And Parkinson’s? (Søvnlidelser varsler demens og Parkinsons sykdom?)
ivanhoe.com 2.8.2010(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Having a sleeping disorder may be warning your body of future dementia or Parkinson’s.

According to a new study, researchers identified 27 people who experienced rapid eye movement (REM) disorder for at least 15 years prior to developing either Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies or multiple system atrophy, which impairs your bodies' automatic functions, like heart rate, blood pressure, bladder function and digestion. (...)

When Does Parkinson Disease Start? (Når starter parkinsons sykdom?)
Arch Neurol. 2010;67(7):798-801 (July)
There is convincing evidence that the Parkinson disease neurodegenerative process begins many years before the onset of motor manifestations. Initial estimates based on nigral neuropathological findings or striatal dopamine imaging suggested a 5- to 6-year preclinical period. However, more recent evidence of Lewy body pathology in other neuronal populations preceding nigral involvement suggests that the preclinical phase may be much longer. Epidemiologic studies of nonmotor manifestations, such as constipation, anxiety disorders, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and anemia, suggest that the preclinical period extends at least 20 years before the motor manifestations. Olfactory impairment and depression may also precede the onset of motor manifestations; however, the lag time may be shorter. Recognition of a nonmotor preclinical phase spanning 20 or more years should guide the search for predictive biomarkers and the identification of risk or protective factors for Parkinson disease. (...)

Fallrisk för patienter med parkinson förutsågs av tester
dagensmedicin.se 253.6.2010
Ett batteri av tester kan förutsäga vilka patienter med Parkinsons sjukdom som löper hög risk att falla omkull och skada sig, enligt en ny studie.

Risken för att ramla är ett stort problem bland personer med Parkinsons sjukdom, men det är dåligt undersökt hur patienternas fallrisk kan förutspås. Det menar forskare vid Queensland University of Toronto som nu undersökt saken i en ny studie. (...)

Pesticides Linked to Parkinson's (Plantevernmidler linket til Parkinsons sykdom)
medpagetoday.com 14.6.2010
Workplace exposure to some pesticides -- when combined with certain genetic variants -- appears to be linked with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, researchers said.

In a case-control study, genetic variants in a transporter gene responsible for pumping toxic compounds out of cells were not associated with Parkinson's disease in general, according to Fabien Dutheil, PhD, of Université Paris Descartes in Paris, and colleagues.

But among men, the relationship between organochlorine exposure and Parkinson's disease was approximately 3.5 times stronger in those who carried two variant alleles compared with those who were not carriers, Dutheil and colleagues said in the June issue of Archives of Neurology. (...)

– Kaffe og røyk forebygger Parkinson
nrk.no 11.6.2010
(...) - Forekomsten av Parkinsons sykdom blant de som røyker og drikker kaffe er lavere enn hos de som ikke røyker og drikker mindre kaffe, bekrefter overlege og forsker Vidar Gundersen ved nevrologisk avdeling på Oslo universitetssykehus, Rikshospitalet.Forskerne vet ikke sikkert hvorfor det er slik, men store studier viser det med tydelighet, forteller Gundersen til NRK Sånn er livet.(...)

Ingen grunn til å begynne å røyke
Vidar Gundersen vil heller ikke på noen måte anbefale røyking fra et helseperspektiv.

- Skadevirkningene av røyk er helt klart større enn den beskyttende effekten det kan ha mot Parkinson, slår han fast.(...)

Parkinson's Drug Impacts Vision (Legemiddel mot Parkinsons sykdom påvirker synet)
ivanhoe.com 4.6.2010
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Doctors have long known that amantadine treatment causes abnormal changes in the cornea in some Parkinson's patients. Now, new research shows using more of the drug for longer periods of time has a greater impact on a patient's vision. (...)

Parkinson's drugs linked with tvangsmessig behaviors (Parkinsonslegemidler linket til til tvangsmessig atferd)
reuters.com 10.5.2010
(Reuters) - Parkinson's drugs can triple the odds that people develop impulse control problems such as gambling, binge eating, shopping sprees and compulsive sexual behaviors, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

The study of more than 3,000 people with Parkinson's disease confirms that so-called dopamine agonists, such as GlaxoSmithKline's Requip or ropinirole or Boehringer Ingelheim's Mirapex or pramipexole, can cause impulse control problems. (...)

AAN: 'Big' Exercise Has Big Benefits in Parkinson's (AAN (American Academy of Neurology): "Masse" trening har stor nytte ved Parkinsons sykdom)
medpagetoday.com 16.4.2010
TORONTO -- Patients with Parkinson's disease who participated regularly in exaggerated-movement exercises showed marked reductions in many symptoms, suggesting a degree of neuroprotection, researchers said here.

After 12 weeks, the 20 patients in the study had a mean 58% reduction from baseline in physician-assessed motor impairment as scored on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), according to Air Force Maj. Maria Alvarez, MD, of Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland AFB in San Antonio.

And all six patients considered at high risk of falling at baseline -- defined as a score less than 19 on the Tinetti Gait and Balance index -- had scores above this threshold following the program, she reported at a poster session during the American Academy of Neurology meeting. (...)

Severity of REM atonia loss in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder predicts Parkinson disease.
Neurology. 2010 Jan 19;74(3):239-44.
BACKGROUND: Over 50% of persons with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) will develop Parkinson disease (PD) or dementia. At present, there is no way to predict who will develop disease. Since polysomnography is performed in all patients with idiopathic RBD at diagnosis, there is an opportunity to analyze if baseline sleep variables predict eventual neurodegenerative disease. (...)

CONCLUSIONS: In patients with REM sleep behavior disorder initially free of neurodegenerative disease, the severity of REM atonia loss on baseline polysomnogram predicts the development of Parkinson disease. (...)

FDA to Review Safety of Parkinson's Combo Pill (FDA gjennomgår sikkerhet for kombinasjonspille mot Parkinsons sykdom)
medpagetoday.com 31.3.2010
WASHINGTON -- The FDA has launched a review of clinical trial data that appear to link a polypill that combines three Parkinson's disease drugs with an increased risk of prostate cancer.

Stalevo -- a combination of carbidopa, levodopa, and entacapone -- was compared with another combo pill (Sinemet), which contains carbidopa and levodopa, in the STRIDE-PD study (Stalevo Reduction in Dyskinesia Evaluation -- Parkinson's Disease).

In that trial, the prostate cancer rate was higher in the Stalevo arm than in the Sinemet arm. (...)

Ny risikofaktor ved Parkinsons sykdom
Tidsskr Nor Legeforen – Publisert først på nett 23.10.2009
Mutasjoner i genet som koder for glukocerebrosidase er den viktigste risikofaktoren for Parkinsons sykdom. Det viser en ny studie der en norsk forsker står sentralt. (...)

Fysioterapi og trening for pasienter med Parkinsons
pasienthandboka.no 14.9.2009
Hva er effekten av fysioterapi for mennesker med Parkinsons sykdom? En ny norsk rapport gir svaret.

Fysioterapi og trening gir trolig pasienter med Parkinsons sykdom både bedre balanse, livskvalitet, holdning og ganghastighet.

Det er oppsummeringen etter at Nasjonalt Kunnskapssenter for helsetjenesten fikk i oppdrag fra Norsk Fysioterapeutforbund å finne ut hvilken effekt fysioterapi har for pasienter med Parkinsons sykdom. (...)

Parkinson's breakthrough hope
hc2d.co.uk 17.8.2009
New research by the University of Sheffield has shown that immunosuppresant medication could shield cells from being attacked by Parkinson's disease. (...)

Study Links Nitrosamines to Mortality in Diabetes, Other Diseases
medpagetoday.com 6.7.2009
LITTLE FALLS, N.J., July 6 -- Rising mortality rates for diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease in recent decades parallel increased exposure to nitrosamines in the food supply and environment, researchers found.

LITTLE FALLS, N.J., July 6 -- Rising mortality rates for diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease in recent decades parallel increased exposure to nitrosamines in the food supply and environment, researchers found.

Nitrosamines, nitrates, and nitrites can induce DNA damage, oxidative stress, cell death, and cancer, and they have been associated with insulin resistance, according to Suzanne de la Monte, MD, MPH, of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, and colleagues.

Depression may indicate early Parkinson's disease
reuters.com 3.6.2009
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Results of a new study provide more evidence that depressive symptoms are an early feature of Parkinson's disease, preceding the characteristic movement problems seen Parkinson's such as tremor and rigid muscles.

In the study, researchers found that starting antidepressant therapy was associated with a twofold increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease in the next 2 years. (...)

Non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease: dopaminergic pathophysiology and treatment
The Lancet Neurology, Volume 8, Issue 5, Pages 464 - 474, May 2009
Several studies, including work from the Parkinson's disease (PD) non-motor group and others, have established that the non-motor symptoms of PD are common, occur across all stages of PD, are under-reported, and are a key determinant of quality of life. Research suggests that the non-motor symptoms of the disease are frequently unrecognised by clinicians and remain untreated. Even when identified, there is a common perception that many of these symptoms are untreatable. (...)

In this Review, we investigate the dopaminergic basis of the range of non-motor symptoms that occur in PD such as depression, apathy, sleep disorders (including rapid-eye movement sleep behaviour disorder), and erectile dysfunction. We discuss the evidence that these symptoms are treatable, at least in part, with various dopaminergic strategies and, where relevant, we also refer to the use of deep-brain stimulation of appropriate targets in the brain. (...)

Parkinson's Drugs Can Trigger Unhealthy Behaviors (Parkinsonslegemidler kan trigge helsefarlig atferd)
healthfinder.gov 10.4.2009
But lower doses of dopamine agonists appear to curb compulsive acting out, study says.

(SOURCE: Mayo Clinic, news release, April 8, 2009)
FRIDAY, April 10 (HealthDay News) -- A class of Parkinson's disease drugs called dopamine agonists can cause patients to develop destructive behaviors such as compulsive gambling or hypersexuality, says a new study.

Mayo Clinic researchers found that one in six patients taking therapeutic doses of dopamine agonists, such as pramipexole and ropinirole, developed unhealthy behaviors. But decreasing the dosage of these drugs may eliminate the problem.

For their study, the researchers analyzed the medical records of 267 Parkinson's disease patients treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., between 2004 and 2006. Of those patients, 66 were taking dopamine agonists, including 38 who were taking therapeutic doses (doses expected to be at least minimally beneficial).

Seven of the 38 patients taking therapeutic doses of dopamine agonists developed compulsive gambling or hypersexuality after they started taking the drugs. None of the other Parkinson's patients developed those destructive behaviors, including the 28 patients taking subtherapeutic doses of dopamine agonists, or the 178 patients taking carbidopa/levodopa, the standard drug for Parkinson's.

The study is published in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. (...)

(Anm: Frequency of New-Onset Pathologic Compulsive Gambling or Hypersexuality After Drug Treatment of Idiopathic Parkinson Disease. Mayo Clin Proc 2009; 84: 310-316.)

Parkinson's Drugs May Increase Compulsive Behavior
medpagetoday.com 9.4.2009
LITTLE FALLS, N.J., April 9 -- Two dopamine agonists commonly prescribed for Parkinson's may predispose some patients to compulsive gambling and hypersexuality, a retrospective study showed.

Of 66 patients taking either pramipexole or ropinirole, seven developed one of the destructive behaviors, according to J. Michael Bostwick, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic, and colleagues.

All were taking therapeutic doses of the drugs, the researchers reported in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. (...)

(Anm: Frequency of New-Onset Pathologic Compulsive Gambling or Hypersexuality After Drug Treatment of Idiopathic Parkinson Disease. Mayo Clin Proc 2009; 84: 310-316.)

New Hope for Neurodegenerative Diseases
Ivanhoe.com 6.4.2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) – A better understanding of how inflammation impacts neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease may one day lead to new and better treatments for these conditions.

Researchers from the University of California San Diego and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies are looking at a protein called Nurr 1 that’s known to be involved in the generation and maintenance of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. These neurons are the main source for dopamine, which helps control a wide variety of brain functions, including movement, pleasure, and attention. (...)

Detecting Parkinson's
Ivanhoe.com 20.2.2009
NEW YORK (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Every nine minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. It's a neurological disorder that starts as a tremor and ends in death. Catching it early gives doctors more time to prevent the incurable disease from progressing, and doctors are using several new ways to do this. (...)

From the sense of smell to sight, researchers overseas are testing eye drops made of cocaine to diagnose Parkinson's. When 38 patients were given a 5 percent cocaine solution, their eyes dilated less than those without the disease, proving the Parkinson's patients had lost nerve function in their eyes.

A skin test for the disease is also in clinical trials. It tests for tiny protein deposits in the skin. Seventy percent of Parkinson's patients in the study tested positive for specific proteins.

Although for many it's too late to stop the progression, researchers hope what they're doing now will spare others the pain of Parkinson's in the future.

For additional research on this article, click here. (...)

Pain as a Nonmotor Symptom of Parkinson Disease
Arch Neurol. 2008;65(9):1191-1194. (September)
Evidence From a Case-Control Study

Objective To determine whether pain is more frequent among people with Parkinson disease (PD) than among age-matched controls. (...)

Conclusion These data support the hypothesis that pain begins at clinical onset of PD or thereafter as a nonmotor feature of PD. (...)

Protein kan skydda mot Parkinson
dn.se 2.2.2009
Att höja produktionen av ett särskilt protein kan ge ett fullständigt skydd mot parkinson, visar en ny studie. Forskarna hoppas också att upptäckten kan hjälpa människor som redan drabbats av sjukdomen.

PARKINSONS SJUKDOM är en neurologisk sjukdom som ger svåra rörelsehinder. Orsaken är brist på signalsubstansen dopamin, vilket leder till att hjärnan inte längre har full kontroll över motoriken.

Bristen uppkommer genom att de hjärnceller som bildar dopamin skadas.

Men enligt en ny studie från forskare vid University of Wisconsin-Madison i USA kan gåtan parkinson vara på väg att lösas. Nyckeln är ett protein som heter NRF2 och produceras av en typ av hjärnceller kallade astrocyter. (...)

Toms elektriske hjerne
aftenposten.no 29.1.2009
Om åtte nervepirrende timer har Tom Skårvin to elektroder i hjernen. De skal fjerne symptomene på Parkinsons sykdom. (...)

Sykdommen rammer ca. én av tusen nordmenn, og oppstår når hjernen slutter å produsere signalstoffet dopamin. Dette stoffet dannes i et område dypt inne i menneskehjernen, og er avgjørende for at vi skal kontrollere våre bevegelser. Når produksjonen stanser opp, mister hjernen styringen over kroppsdelene. (...)

I fremtiden vil pacemakeren sørge for at elektrodene kontinuerlig gir de nødvendige elektriske impulsene til hjernen. (...)

Fikk livet tilbake etter hjerneoperasjon
tv2nyhetene.no 18.1.2009
Etter 10 år med Parkinson har Tom Skårvin fått livets glede tilbake. Det gir håp for andre med epilepsi og dyp depresjon.

For tre måneder siden gjennomgikk Tom Skårvin en omfattende operasjon. En såkalt dyp hjernestimulering, (DBS -Deep Brain Stimulation), ved Rikshospitalet. To elektroder, også kalt pacemakere, ble operert 8-10 cm inn i hodet. Disse sender elektriske impulser til en bestemt del av hjernen som har gjort ham nærmest symptomfri.

Parkinson er en nevrologisk sykdom som blant annet gir ufrivillige bevegelser og problemer med balansen. Tom Skårvin filmet selv hele operasjonen. (...)

Sleep Disorder Linked to Dementia, Parkinson’s (Søvnforstyrrelse linket til demens, Parkinsons sykdom)
Ivanhoe.com 5.1.2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- An unusual sleep disorder could be a precursor to dementia or Parkinson’s disease.

Patients with REM sleep behavior disorder have excessive muscle activity during REM sleep -- often called the dream stage of sleep -- causing them to punch, kick or cry out when they are in a deep sleep.

Of the 93 REM sleep behavior patients involved in the study, 26 developed a neurodegenerative disease within five years. Doctors estimate the 10-year disease development risk to be 41 percent and the 12-year risk to be 52 percent. (...)

The patients involved in this study had no known cause of REM sleep behavior disorder. In some cases, the condition can be caused by narcolepsy or rare brainstem abnormalities.

SOURCE: Neurology, published online Dec. 24, 2008 (...)

(Anm: Quantifying the risk of neurodegenerative disease in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder. Neurology 2008, doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000340980.19702.6e.)

(Anm: Antidepressiva (REM-søvn). (mintankesmie.no).)

Parkinson's Prevention may be in Milk
ivanhoe.com 15.10.2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- It's common knowledge that not getting enough vitamin D can lead to bone problems like rickets and osteoporosis -- but new research suggests it may even lead to Parkinson's disease.

New findings pinpoint vitamin D as a possible player in Parkinson's disease risk. Individuals with the neurodegenerative disease appear more likely to be vitamin D deficient than healthy adults or even those with Alzheimer's disease. (...)

(Anm: Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency in Patients With Parkinson Disease and Alzheimer Disease. Arch Neurol. 2008;65(10):1348-1352.)

Pain Is Symptom of Parkinson's Disease (Smerte er et symptom på Parkinsons sykdom)
medpagetoday.com 8.9.2008
BARI, Italy, Sept. 8 -- Pain should be considered as a non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease, researchers here said.

In a multi-center case-control study, volunteers with Parkinson's experienced pain more often than did age-matched controls, mainly because of the frequency of pain associated with dystonia, according to Giovanni Defazio, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Bari, and colleagues. (...)

(Anm: Pain as a Nonmotor Symptom of Parkinson Disease. Evidence From a Case-Control Study. Arch Neurol. 2008;65(9):1191-1194.)

Cognitive decline seen after deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease
reuters.com 11.7.2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mild impairments in frontostriatal cognitive function can occur in patients who undergo bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease, according to a report in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry for July. (...)

"The need for future research investigating the long-term impact of these vital cognitive processes, their impact on the patient's daily functioning, and their correlation with neuroimaging studies is clear," the authors state.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2008;79:789-795. (...)

(Anm: Cognitive declines following bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 2008;79:789-795.)

Varningar för parkinsonmedel
dagensmedicin.se 30.6..2008
Den europeiska läkemedelsmyndigheten, EMEA, pekar i en ny utredning på att riskerna för biverkningar med vissa dopaminagonister är större än man tidigare trott. (...)

Orsaken är att läkemedlen kan orsaka fibros, sjuklig bindvävstillväxt, i bland annat hjärtat.

Biverkningen är känd sedan tidigare men är enligt nya vetenskapliga studier vanligare än man tidigare trott, framför allt vid kronisk användning. (...)

Hjerneforandringer bak tidlig demens ved Parkinsons sykdom?
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2008; 128: 6 (3.1.2008)
Pasienter med Parkinsons sykdom med milde hukommelsesproblemer har atrofi i grå substans som skiller dem fra pasienter med Parkinsons sykdom uten kognitiv svekkelse. (...)

Possible Parkinson's trigger identified
reuters.com 3.1.2008
LONDON (Reuters) - A glitch in the way cells clear damaged proteins could be the trigger for the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, researchers said in a finding that could lead to new treatments for the incurable condition.

The U.S. team focused on a process called autophagy in which cells digest and recycle damaged molecules, including proteins, that develop as cells grow older. This system essentially renews cells to keep them functioning properly. (...)

Erectile dysfunction may precede Parkinson's (Erektil dysfunksjon kan innlede Parkinsons)
reuters.com 26.12.2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Results of a study suggest an association between erectile dysfunction and an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

The autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary bodily functions like heart rate and digestion, is often affected in Parkinson's disease, and erectile function, which is controlled by the autonomic system, is commonly compromised, the study team notes in a report.

"An important question," according to Dr. Xiang Gao, of Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues, "is whether erectile dysfunction precedes the onset of motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease." (...)

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, December 2007. (...)

Slapp penis gir Parkinsons
side2.no 26.12.2007
Manglende evne til ereksjon kan gi økt risiko for Parkinsons sykdom, hevder studie. (...)

Gene Therapy May Mean Hope for Parkinson’s Patients
ivanhoe.com 28.11.2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Brain scans confirm that an experimental gene therapy treatment is effective in normalizing brain function in Parkinson’s patients.

Researchers from The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and Weill Cornell Medical Center collaborated to study the outcome of introducing genes into the subthalmic nucleus of the brain. (...)

Rivastigmin mot demens ved Parkinsons sykdom?
Knud Landmark Åsmund Reikvam
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2007; 127: 2973 (15.11.2007)
Halvorsen & Tysnes publiserte i Tidsskriftet en oversiktsartikkel om demens ved Parkinsons sykdom (1). Med referanse til en artikkel av Emre og medarbeidere (2) konkluderte de med at 15 % av pasientene hadde klinisk nytte av kolinesterasehemmeren rivastigmin. Den aktuelle studien var en 24 ukers randomisert, dobbeltblind, placebokontrollert multisenterundersøkelse utført i 12 land og sponset av Novartis. For flere av de kliniske variablene var effektene moderate, men signifikante. Dag Årsland, som var medforfatter for studien til Emre og medarbeidere, kommenterte disse artiklene (1, 2) i en leder i samme nummer av Tidsskriftet, med den konklusjon at rivastigmin har «dokumentert effekt på flere av symptomene ved demens ved Parkinsons sykdom» (3). (...)

O.-B. Tysnes svarer:
Ole-Bjørn Tysnes
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2007; 127: 2973-4
Takk til Landmark & Reikvam for deres kommentar til vår oversiktsartikkel i Tidsskriftet om Parkinsons sykdom og demens (1). Vi antydet der at det ved demens og Parkinsons sykdom kan være indikasjon for behandling med kolinesterasehemmere. Landmark & Reikvam er uenige i dette. Begrunnelsen er hyppigheten av bivirkninger av kolinesterasehemmere. Det refereres til artikkelen til Emre og medarbeidere (2), som er en av få studier som belyser effekt og bivirkninger av kolinesterasehemmere ved demens og Parkinsons sykdom, og som ble grundig gjennomgått i vår artikkel (1). (...)

D. Årsland svarer:
Dag Årsland
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2007; 127: 2974
Landmark & Reikvam viser til den høye andelen (29 %) som rapporterte kvalme i en seksmåneders behandlingsstudie om rivastigmin ved Parkinsons sykdom og demens (1) og hevder at rivastigmin ikke bedrer livskvaliteten til pasienter med Parkinsons sykdom og demens. De siterer videre et leserbrev der det hevdes at for hver 19. pasient som behandles, blir én bedret og fire får bivirkninger. (...)

How a Junkie's Brain Helps Parkinson's Patients
abcnews.go.com 20.9.2007
Tremors From Drug Withdrawal May Shed Light on Disease (...)

The creation was a synthetic narcotic composed almost entirely of 1-methyl 4-phenyl 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, or MPTP. Typically, it's a discarded byproduct of heroin synthesis. (...)

Then Govea made the biggest mistake of his life: He began using his product. During the second week of shooting, up his limbs began to shake, one after another. "This leg, then this arm, then this leg," Govea said. "Then I shot some more and this arm started." In less than two weeks he had given himself symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease. (...)

Søvnforstyrrelser ved Parkinsons sykdom
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2007; 127: 2350
Søvnforstyrrelser hos personer med parkinsonisme må tas på alvor. Over halvparten lider av insomni eller av økt søvnighet på dagtid.

Dette viser Michaela Dreetz Gjerstad i avhandlingen Sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease. Datagrunnlaget er en prevalensudersøkelse foretatt i Rogaland i 1993. Arbeidet, som er utført ved Stavanger universitetssjukehus, har ført til bedre forståelse av forekomst og utvikling av søvnforstyrrelser hos personer med parkinsonisme. (...)

Yngre rammes av Parkinson
vg.no 18.9.2007
Genmutasjon kan være årsaken

Hjernesykdommen Parkinson rammer oss vanligvis når vi er over 60. Men en mutasjon kan gjøre yngre mer utsatt. (...)

Norges Parkinsonforbund anslår at rundt 8.000 er rammet av Parkinson i Norge og rundt ti prosent av disse er under 55 år. (...)

Parkinson's disease
BMJ 2007;335:441-445 (1 September)
Clinical Review (...)

Summary points
• Parkinson's disease should be suspected in someone with tremor, stiffness, slowness, balance problems, or gait disorders (...)

- Røyking reduserer risikoen for Parkinson
vg.no 11.7.2007
(...) Det oppsiktsvekkende resultatet som er publisert i journalen Neurology Archive, er basert på 11 studier gjennomført av Universitetet i California mellom 1960 og 2004. Nesten 12 000 mennesker har inngått i undersøkelsen og av disse hadde nesten 3000 Parkinson. (...)

Parkinson-medisin kan gi hjerteklaffsykdom
helserevyen.no 14.6.2007
Legemidlene pergolid og kabergolin kan ifølge nye undersøkelser føre til utvikling av hjerteklaffsykdom, melder Statens legemiddelverk.

Legemidlet pergolid foreskrives ikke i Norge, mens kabergolin finnes i to legemidler som brukes av norske pasienter, nemlig Cabaser (mot Parkinsons sykdom) og Dostinex (prolaktinhemmer), melder Statens legemiddelverk. (...)

Parkinson's Linked to Pesticides, Head Trauma
healthfinder.gov 30.5.2007
(...) That finding has real implications for sports such as boxing, the researchers said. In fact, professional boxing legend Muhammad Ali, 65, now suffers from advanced Parkinson's disease.

The findings are published in the May 30 online edition of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

According to the National Parkinson Foundation, 1.5 million Americans currently have the degenerative illness, which strikes men and women in roughly equal numbers, usually after the age of 65. (...)

(Anm: Environmental risk factors for Parkinson's disease and parkinsonism: the Geoparkinson study. Occup Environ Med 2007;(30 May 2007).)

Study Probes Parkinson Drugs' Effect on Motivation
healthfinder.gov 26.4.2007
Agents that act on dopamine may trigger compulsion, apathy (...)

THURSDAY, April 26 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs that modify levels of a key brain chemical, called dopamine, also influence how people react to success and failure, British scientists say.

They measured the effects of these drugs -- often used to fight Parkinson's disease -- on the striatum, the part of the brain that's stimulated by rewards.
Dopamine is a naturally-produced chemical that transmits signals between nerve cells. (...)

"This study may explain why dopamine depletion leads to the lack of motivation often described in people with Parkinson's disease and how dopamine replacement therapy can cause compulsive behaviors, such as overeating and gambling addictions, in the same people," Pessiglione said.

The study was expected to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting, in Boston, April 28 to May 5.

More information
Find out more about Parkinson's disease at the National Parkinson Foundation.
(SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology, news release, April 26, 2007) (...)

- Melk kan føre til Parkinsons sykdom hos menn
aftenposten.no 21.4.2007
Hvorfor sykdommen slår ut blant melkedrikkere, er en gåte. (...)

Dairy food linked with Parkinson's disease in men
reuters.com 19.4.2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study has confirmed a relationship between consuming large amounts of dairy products and an increase in the rate of Parkinson's disease in men, but the reason for this relationship remains a puzzle.

Researchers found that among more than 130,000 U.S. adults followed for 9 years, those who ate the largest amount of dairy foods had an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease, a disorder in which movement-regulating cells in the brain die or become impaired. (...)

However, the researcher added, since the dairy-Parkinson's link has now been seen consistently in different studies, further research is needed to understand why.

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, May 1, 2007. (...)

Pathological gambling in Parkinson's disease
Editorials
BMJ 2007;334:810-811 (21 April)
Patients often are in substantial debt before the problem is recognised (...)

Although the pathophysiology of pathological gambling in Parkinson's disease is not well understood, it may relate to aberrant dopaminergic stimulation.2 It is not clear which dopamine agonist precipitates the disorder, as all such agonists have been implicated.^{2 3 5} Patients taking both a dopamine agonist and levodopa are at increased risk,2 although those who take either a single dopamine agonist or levodopa can be affected.⁷ (...)

Once recognised several strategies may help. Reducing or stopping dopamine agonists may be considered, as anecdotal evidence suggests this helps improve or stop the pathological gambling behaviour.^{2 3} (...)

Parkinson's drug pulled from U.S. market: FDA (Parkinsons legemiddel trukket fra det amerikanske markedet)
REUTERS.COM 30.3.2007
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials withdrew the Parkinson's disease drug pergolide from the market on Thursday, citing a history of safety concerns that include potentially fatal heart valve damage.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to pull the drug, first developed by Eli Lilly and Co. under the name Permax, after reports showed it can cause similar problems to the kind that triggered the withdrawal of the diet drug combination "fen-phen".

The risks, when added to the fact that it was no better than other available medications, showed "it really didn't have a place in therapy any more," said Dr. Robert Temple, head of the FDA's office of drug evaluation. (...)

Kabergolin och pergolid – risk för skada på hjärtklaffarna
lakemedelsverket.se 30.3.2007
Kabergolin (till exempel Cabaser) som är godkänt i Sverige för behandling av Parkinsons sjukdom kan orsaka skada på hjärtklaffarna. Läkemedlet ska därför endast användas när andra alternativ saknas. Pergolid är en likartad substans som används vid Parkinsons sjukdom men som inte är godkänd i Sverige. Även pergolid kan ge skador på hjärtklaffarna. Den amerikanska läkemedelsmyndigheten FDA rekommenderar tillverkarna att dra tillbaka pergolid från den amerikanska marknaden. (...)

Advarer mot Parkinson-medisin som gjør deg kåt
vg.no 7.3.2007
Statens legemiddelverk har gått ut med en advarsel om at man kan bli spilleavhengig og kåt ved å bruke legemidler mot Parkinsons sykdom.

Legemiddelverket oppfordrer både pasienter og leger til å være oppmerksomme på bivirkninger, skriver Aftenposten.

I advarselen heter det at «patologisk spilleavhengighet og økt libido (inkludert hyperseksualitet) er rapportert hos pasienter som behandles med dopaminagonister».

Dette er en gruppe legemidler som brukes til å behandle Parkinsons sykdom, men også enkelte hormonelle forstyrrelser og restless legs-syndrom. (...)

(Anm: Legemidlet gjør ikke mennesker "kåte" i vanlig forstand, ettersom denne type bivirkninger skyldes endringer i hjernen som kan utløse meget alvorlige unormale atferdsmessige endringer.)

Ny kunnskap om Parkinsons sykdom
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2006; 126: 3072 (30.11.2006)
Tidlig debut av Parkinsons sykdom gir langsom sykdomsutvikling, pasienter med vedvarende skjelvinger blir ikke demente, og røyking bremser ikke sykdomsutviklingen. (...)

Stamcelle-gjennombrudd i USA
vg.no 8.1.2007
(VG Nett) Nye tester gir håp til Parkinson-rammede, diabetikere og Alzheimers-pasienter. (...)

Forskerne tror stamcellene kan være nøkkelen til å forstå og kurere mange alvorlige sykdommer, deriblant Alzheimers og diabetes. Cellene er i stand til å utvikle seg til et hvilket som helst organ, og de medisinske mulighetene er enorme. (...)

Studies Find Harm in 2 Parkinson’s Drugs (Studier finner skade ved bruk av to parkinsonlegemidler)
nytimes.com 4.1.2007
Two drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease and other disorders can seriously damage heart valves, researchers are reporting.

Dopamine Agonists and the Risk of Cardiac-Valve Regurgitation (NEJM) Abstract Only
Valvular Heart Disease and the Use of Dopamine Agonists for Parkinson's Disease (NEJM) Abstract Only

The drugs are pergolide, sold as Permax, and cabergoline, sold as Dostinex. Permax is approved in the United States and overseas for Parkinson’s. Dostinex is used for Parkinson’s in other countries but is approved in this country only for a hormonal disorder, hyperprolactinemia.

New findings on the drugs are described in two studies being published today in The New England Journal of Medicine. (...)

Parkinson's Drugs May Have More Risks
forbes.com 3.1.2007
The risk of heart valve damage with two drugs for Parkinson's disease may be far greater than was known, new research suggests. The drugs are not the main treatment for Parkinson's, but one is also sometimes used to treat restless legs syndrome.

A study by Italian researchers found that roughly one-fourth of Parkinson's patients taking pergolide or cabergoline, sold as Permax, Dostinex and other brands, had moderate to severe heart valve problems. Another study, by German doctors, found that users of either drug were five to seven times more likely to have leaky heart valves than those on other types of Parkinson's medications. Both studies were reported in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

"This is an extraordinarily high risk," said Dr. Bryan Roth, a pharmacology professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"It's a bad side effect. As far as I know, there are no medications that can reverse it," and valve replacement surgery is the only solution, he said. (...)

(Anm: Dopamine Agonists and the Risk of Cardiac-Valve Regurgitation. NEJM 2006 356:29-38 (January 4).)

Projected number of people with Parkinson disease in the most populous nations, 2005 through 2030
Abstract-- Based on published prevalence studies, we used two different methodologies to project the number of individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) in Western Europe’s 5 most and the world’s 10 most populous nations. The number of individuals with PD over age 50 in these countries was between 4.1 and 4.6 million in 2005 and will double to between 8.7 and 9.3 million by 2030. (...)

Lingering pesticides linked to Parkinson's
usatoday.com 17.9.2006
Past exposure to low levels of pesticides that linger in the environment might accelerate the development of Parkinson's, which would put baby boomers and millions of other aging Americans at risk of developing the brain disease earlier in life.

At the American Chemical Society meeting in San Francisco last week, researchers presented new findings that link Parkinson's to exposure to the pesticides dieldrin and DDT. The federal government banned the toxins in the 1970s, but low levels still linger in the soil, says lead researcher Gary Miller of Emory University in Atlanta. Miller's research focused on how exposure to the pesticides from years ago affected the later development of Parkinson's.

"If you're exposed to a pesticide like dieldrin, you might be diagnosed (with Parkinson's) at age 70 instead of at 80," Miller says. (...)

The mystery of motor asymmetry in Parkinson's disease
Lancet Neurology 2006; 5:796-802
Summary
The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease are predominantly due to progressive degeneration of nigral dopaminergic neurons. In most cases there is a substantial asymmetry of clinical symptoms from disease onset, which occurs in sporadic and in hereditary forms of the disease. However, the mechanism of such unilaterality of symptom appearance is not understood. (...)

We also discuss several pathological, genetic, environmental, and toxic possibilities for explaining the mechanism of side predominance. (...)

Allergy linked with Parkinson's
netdoctor.co.uk 8.8.2006
A common allergic reaction to dust and pet hair that causes symptoms similar to a "permanent cold" has been linked with Parkinson's disease in new research.

In a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic in the US, suffering from the allergy (rhinitis) was found to be associated with a three-fold increase in the risk of developing Parkinson's.

Researchers studied nearly 200 Parkinson's sufferers, finding that rhinitis, a condition where the sinuses swell up as a result of an over-sensitive immune response, was unusually common. (...)

Head injury may increase risk of Parkinson's: study
reutershealth.com 25.7.2006
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study supports the hypothesis that head injury increases the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). In the study, which included twin pairs in which one twin had PD and the other did not, head injuries of mild-to-moderate severity were associated with a threefold increased risk of PD developing several decades later. (...9

Association of dopamine agonist use with impulse control disorders in Parkinson disease
Arch Neurol. 2006 Jul;63(7):969-73
(...) CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PD treated with a dopamine agonist should be made aware of the risk of developing an ICD and monitored clinically. Because dopamine agonists are increasingly being used for other indications, future research should assess the dopamine agonist-associated risk for ICDs in other populations.

(Anm: ICD (Impulse control disorder); ...a set of brain disorders including intermittent explosive disorder (hot-headedness), kleptomania (stealing), pathological gambling, pyromania (fire-starting) and trichotillomania (pulling one's hair out). Kilde: wikipedia.org.)

(Anm: En rekke preparater kan imidlertid utløse symptomer på ICD; bl.a SSRI-preparater.)

From Blessing to Curse?
latimes.com 23.5.2006
Drugs that relieve Parkinson's symptoms may also trigger odd urges: jet skiing up the coast, collecting toys or gambling compulsively.

Faced with steady deterioration from Parkinson's disease, Jim Sweet leapt at the chance to try a new drug that promised to relieve the tremors brought on by the death of cells deep in his brain.

Like older Parkinson's medicines, Mirapex could bolster the fading supply of a critical brain chemical called dopamine. It was a blessing for Sweet — until something unusual started happening.

First, he started buying things in EBay auctions — a camera, a leather reclining chair, a big-screen TV, sunglasses, costume jewelry and dozens of other items. He dived into online gambling, lottery tickets and penny stocks. Before long, he was disappearing for days to play slot machines at Indian casinos near his home in Rancho Cucamonga.

He ran through his savings and pawned his CD collection, his children's video game player and his wedding ring.

Gambling "was something I could not turn off," said Sweet, a 45-year-old former middle school teacher. (...)

Parkinson's Drugs Linked to Compulsive Behaviors
healthfinder.gov 5.4.2006
Heavy gambling, hypersexuality reported in rare cases.

-- New research provides more evidence that some Parkinson's drugs have rare and unusual side effects: They seem to make patients oversexed and turn them into compulsive gamblers.

The behaviors appear in only a small percentage of Parkinson's patients, but they're still more common than in ordinary people, a new study suggests. And the side effects can be serious: 10 people who developed a gambling compulsion after going on drugs such as levodopa lost an average of $150,000 each.

The compulsive behavior in patients who take the drugs "is treatable and reversible, but people need to be aware of it," said study co-author Dr. Valerie Voon, a research fellow at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Researchers have known about links between Parkinson's drugs and compulsive behavior since the 1970s when doctors noticed that some patients were "hypersexual," Voon said. In 2005, a study reported on 11 Parkinson's patients who became compulsive gamblers after taking drugs to treat the disease; eight stopped the behavior after going off the medications.
In the new study, Voon and her colleagues surveyed 296 Parkinson's disease patients, many of whom were in their 60s and had developed the illness in their 50s.

The findings were to be presented Wednesday at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, in San Diego.

The researchers found that 10 patients -- 3.4 percent -- showed signs of compulsive gambling, about double the percentage seen in the general population. Patients preferred slot machines, Voon said. The devices don't "require as much cognitive process, and there's much more immediate gain as opposed to playing poker or waiting for the lotto to come through," she explained.

The researchers also found signs of oversexed behavior -- including excessive use of Internet pornography and visits to prostitutes -- in seven patients and compulsive shopping in two.

The patients who received two kinds of Parkinson's drugs -- levodopa and dopamine agonists -- were more likely to suffer from the apparent side effects. Sixteen percent of those who used both drugs showed signs of compulsive behavior, compared to 6 percent of those who just used one.
The link between the drugs and the behavior isn't clear. "There's probably some kind of underlying susceptibility," Voon said. "Whether it's an individual [issue] or Parkinson's-related is a separate question."

One potential explanation lies in the actions of dopamine, a brain chemical that sends a "reward" signal to the brain and assists with movement and balance.
If they work properly, Parkinson's drugs adjust dopamine levels to help patients fend the instability caused by the disease. But it's also possible "that the dopamine reward system in the brain is stimulated by these drugs," leading to compulsive behavior, said Paul R. Sanberg, director of the University of South Florida's Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair.

What to do? There's no reason for Parkinson's patients to panic, Voon said. The side effects affect only a small proportion of patients, "and the majority of people do fine."

Still, she said, there's reason to carefully monitor some patients, especially those who have a history of alcoholism and are risk-takers. "If you see those factors, it is possible that person may be more prone to developing these behaviors. Following them carefully would make a lot of sense."

More information
For more on Parkinson's disease, visit the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

(SOURCES: Valerie Voon, M.D., research fellow, National Institute of Neurologic Diseases and Stroke, Bethesda, Md., and staff psychiatrist, Toronto University Health Network, Canada; Paul R. Sanberg, Ph.D., D.Sc., director, Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Fla. April 5, 2006, presentation, American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, San Diego)

Forskere har avklart hjerneimpulsen som får oss til å shoppe
dn.no 5.1.2007
Slik kan de forutse om det blir kjøp eller ei. Shoppingimpuls synes på hjerneskanning. (...)