CURRENT SCIENCE REVIEWS     by Joe Bruman     July 1997   p. 1 of 2
    =20
Sinson G et al; J Neurosurg 1997;86:511-518:
Working with brain-damaged rats, they found that neural growth
factor (NGF) infusion reduced neuron loss, apoptosis, and cognitive=20
deficit.

Lopez-Lozano J et al; J Neurosurg 1997;86:931-942:
Follow-up of 10 patients who had fetal implant via open surgery
showed improvement in symptoms and reduction of medication=20
requirements that persisted 5 years so far, although withdrawal
of cyclosporine (immunosuppressant) in 3 of the 10 caused a
decline in clinical status.

Schumacher J et al; Nature Medicine 1997;3:474-475:
Frosty but intense debate over risk that xenografts (e.g., porcine
fetal tissue for Parkinson's Disease) might introduce new viral
disease into the human population.

Culliton B; Nature Medicine 1997;3:477 (editorial):
To maintain a competent scientific staff for making its very
important regulatory decisions, the (US) FDA has tried to
support its own in-house research program. But license applicants=20
and others complain that neither effort is up to science community
standards, possibly due to calcified bureaucracy in the FDA.

Hefti F; Nature Medicine 1997;3:497 (editorial):
Various highly touted neurotrophic factors for neurodegenerative
disease such as ALS, Huntington's (and PD), aren't always=20
successful or trouble-free. Since NGFs don't cross the blood-brain=20
barrier, they need a complex delivery technique, e.g.,=20
transplantation of genetically modified cells that express the=20
desired NGF. Special precautions are needed, to prevent the cells=20
from invading the wrong area, and to avoid unwanted side effects=20
of NGF that doesn't reach the desired target.

Davis K et al; Nature Medicine 1997;3:671-674:
Combining the PET mapping technique with Deep-Brain Stimulation of
PD patients, they offer to explain why the nondestructive DBS and=20
conventional ablative surgery (pallidotomy or thalamotomy) both=20
lead to the same result: abatement of the PD symptoms. They think
that in either case, excessive output from the basal ganglia
inhibits action of the premotor cortex system (voluntary
movement), and suppressing that output either way relieves the
PD symptoms.

Grafton S, DeLong M; Nature Medicine 1997;3:602-603:
Comment on the article above, with simplified explanation and=20
a diagram of the neural circuits that are disrupted in PD.

Kishore A et al; Brain 1997;120:729-737:
Looking to cut costs, D. Calne's team at Vancouver, Canada Hospital
did 24 pallidotomies using CT instead of MRI, and omitting
microelectrode recording. They claim results at 6-month followup
(in some cases a year) were favorable, although 5 patients had
transient neurological complications and 1 suffered permanent
facial paresis.



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CURRENT SCIENCE REVIEWS     by Joe Bruman   July 1997    p. 2 of 2

Hawkes C et al; J Neur N'surg Psych 1997;62:436-446:
PD impairs olfaction (you knew that). But they proved it by formal
tests on 96 confirmed PD patients and 96 controls. Moreover, post-
mortem study of 8 patients showed characteristic Lewy bodies in the
olfactory bulbs of all, suggesting that hyposmia may be important
for early diagnosis.

Stocchi F et al; J Neur N'surg Psych 1997;62:507-511:
Urodynamic and related study of 30 PD patients and 32 with MSA
(broad definition) showed some differences in urinary dysfunction
which may be a useful diagnostic test.

Chinnery P et al; J Neur N'surg Psych 1997;62:562:
Acute intermittent porphyria, a rare (1:10,000) hereditary=20
condition that may occasionally accompany PD, may be aggravated by=20
some drugs used in PD, e.g., bromocriptine, lisuride. They report=20
one such case, however, where pergolide was OK.

Foster N et al; Ann Neur 1997;41:706-715:
After study of several family clusters, they propose a new category
named "frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to
chromosome 17".

Wilhelmsen K et al; Ann Neur 1997;41:814ff:
Looking for a PD gene on chromosome 22q13, they studied DNA from
121 PD patients and 138 matched controls, from a community in
New York City. They didn't find it but suspect one may be lurking
nearby.

Schulzer M et al; Ann Neur 1997;41:833-34:
Debate over effects of deprenyl and levodopa on progression of PD.

Lang A et al; Ann Neur 1997:41:834ff:
Comparative experience with pallidotomy; One of the two groups
found cognitive and behavioral changes, the other didn't. Patients
in some cases gained weight, improved attentiveness, complained of
memory, concentration, or emotional problems after surgery.

Guttman M et al; Neur 1997;48:1578-1583:
In PET study of the dopamine transporter (DAT) in 11 new=20
(dopa-na=EFve) PD patients and 10 controls, they found damage to the=20
putamen correlates with clinical symptoms when about 50% of the
dopaminergic neurons there are lost.

Liou H et al; Neur 1997:48:1583-1588:
Study in Taiwan of 120 PD patients and 240 controls suggests that
exposure to herbicides/pesticides and paraquat may be significant.

Plante-Bordeneuve V et al; Neur 1997:48:1589-1593:
In a total of 100 PD patients and 100 controls, they checked for
defective genes of four different proteins in the dopamine pathway:
Dopamine Receptor D2, Dopamine Transporter, MAO-A, and MAO-B,
finding that the first might be a significant predictor.

Kordower J et al; Neur 1997;48:1737-1738:
Discussion of a fatal fetal transplant, apparently botched by an=20
American neurosurgeon in China.

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