Dennis, is impossible to have dyskinesia  and not be using drugs?  Thanks
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----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis Greene <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 1999 5:56 PM
Subject: Re: what is dyskinesia?/experiments


> Tom, Brian, Ida and others,
>
> Brian wrote:
>
> > I believe that a pallidotomy,
> > effectively turns down the gain of the feedback signal, thus making a
> > better match to the feeble signal from the Parkinsons-affected brain.
> >   Similarly, closing your eyes frees the brain from having to cope with
> > another possibly conflicting signal. Note: If you have had a Pallidotomy
> > the eye-closing routine might have a quite different effect, since the
> > Pallidotomy and the eye-closing may be additive, subtractive, or simply
> > the pallidotomy may swamp the eye-closing effect.
>
> In my experience mild to medium strength dyskinesias (not to mention many
PD
> symptoms per se) can be reduced by a range of comfort giving activities.
> These include emptying the bladder, putting on sunglasses on a bright day,
> taking off uncomfortable footwear, getting out of the heat in summer,
> getting into the warmth in winter, adding or removing  clothing as
required
> by temperature changes. NOTHING, other than waiting it out, helps with
> strong dyskinesia.  My speculation as to why this is so runs along the
lines
> of Brian's 'conflicting signal' comment.
>
> Since reading Tom's question I have tried a few experiments on myself and
> one other person, with the following results.
>
> In my own case (and like Ida I have had a pallidotomy) I found that
closing
> my eyes resulted in a distinct pause in the mild dyskinesia I am
> experiencing at present during my short 'on' periods.  However, within 30
> seconds the dyskinesia re-established itself and continued on its merry
way.
> It is clear that closing the eyes has some effect on dyskinesia but just
> what mechanism is at work is a moot point.
>
> The results of my experiment with my friend were very interesting.  He is
a
> man of +/- 50 years of age who has had PD for over 10 years.  He has not
had
> surgery and, not being a member of this list, had no knowledge of this
> discussion.  Seeing him experiencing medium level dyskinesia I asked him
to
> close his eyes and keep them shut.  This he did - with no discernible
change
> in his dyskinesia. I then told him about this discussion and of course he
> immediately tried again.  This time, to my amazement, his dyskinetic level
> dropped to mild.  He opened his eyes soon afterwards so I have no idea how
> long the change would have lasted.  I am well aware that the response of
one
> subject to one brief experiment is hardly definitive but it does introduce
> the possibility of a placebo effect.
>
> Dennis
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Dennis Greene 49/dx 37/ onset 32
> There's nothing wrong with me that a cure for PD won't fix!
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> http://members.networx.net.au/~dennisg/
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++