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CURRENT SCIENCE REVIEWS By Joe Bruman August 2000 Page 1 of 2 Takatsu H et al;JAMA, 5 July 2000:44-45: PD and multiple system atrophy (MSA) seem to affect the autonomic system differently. In a scintigraphic [PET, SPECT] study of the cardiac area in 40 PD patients, 12 with MSA, and 12 healthy controls, uptake of the marker Iodine-123-Metaiodo- benzoguanidine (I-123 MIBG) was much less in the PD group than in the other two. This offers the first objective, non-clinical test to distinguish MSA from PD, as well as possible insight into the pathology of either disorder. Tsang K-L et al;Neur 2000;54:2292-2298: Estrogen is a COMT inhibitor and therefore should increase the effectiveness of dopaminergic medication. A double-blind trial in 20 postmenopausal fluctuating PD patients and 20 controls demonstrated improvement in motor disability. Obwegeser A et al;Neur 2000:54:2342-2344: Unilateral deep-brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral intermediate thalamic nucleus (VIM) reduced midline essential tremor in a group of 27 consecutive recipients, and addition of a contralateral electrode further reduced the tremor. Montgomery E et al;Neur 2000;55:184 (letters) Discussion of AAN Task Force report on value of DBS for PD. Van Horn G et al;Neur 2000;55:156-157 (letters) Discussion of earlier trial report (CSR NOV 99) comparing Sinemet CR with regular Sinemet. After 5 years, those on Sinemet CR may have had less than average fluctuations and dyskinesias. McCarter R et al;J Neur N'surg Psych 2000;69:60-66: Twelve PD patients after subthalamic nucleotomy showed little if any adverse cognitive effect. Schrag A et al;J Neur N'surg Psych 2000;69:67-73: The EQ-5D, a test battery and structured interview given to PD patients, is a useful tool to measure quality of life. Autere J et al;J Neur N'surg Psych 2000;69:107-109: Study of familial aggregation in a Finnish population of PD patients suggests that heredity, if any, may be recessive rather than dominant. Chan D et al;J Neur N'surg Psych 2000;69:117-120: A screening questionnaire for prevalence study appears to have validation problems. Porritt M et al;Lancet, 1 July 2000:44-45: Postmortem study of 10 PD patients revealed a previously unknown population of dopaminergic neurons in the striatum. They speculate that it might be a response to loss in the substantia nigra. Marsh L, Dawson T;BMJ, 1 July 2000:1-2 (editorial): Reporting favorable results in recent ropinerole (Requip) trial. CURRENT SCIENCE REVIEWS By Joe Bruman August 2000 Page 2 of 2 Schrag A et al;BMJ, 1 July 2000:21-22: Reporting 1997 prevalence in the London area of idiopathic PD (168/100,000) and other parkinsonian syndromes. Lee C et al;Brain 2000;123:1365-1379: Embryonic ventral mesencephalic grafts improve levodopa-induced dyskinesia in a rat model of PD. Brundin P et al;Brain 2000;123:1380-1390: Survival rate of grafted dopaminergic neurons was improved in 5 parkinsonian patients, by pretreatment and postoperative IV injection of the lazaroid tirilazad mesylate. Henderson J et al;Brain 2000;123:1410-1421: Pathologic study of intralaminar thalamic nuclei in PD and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) suggests the origin of differences between the two disorders. Klein C et al;Ann Neur 2000;48:65-71: Mutations of the gene for autosomal-recessive parkinsonism, PARK2 or parkin, may be important in etiology of late-onset typical PD. Klein C et al;Ann Neur 2000;48:126 (letters): Some added details of the study reported above. Czlonkowska A et al;Ann Neur 2000;48:127 (letters): Comment on earlier article (CSR NOV 99) about the persistency of progressively severe PD-like effects following exposure to MPTP. Smith L et al;Clin Neuropharm 2000;23:133-142: Transdermal administration of dopamine D2/D3 agonist piribedil (CSR MAY 99) reversed MPTP-induced motor deficits in trials on monkeys, without causing the nausea that might be expected in oral administration. Chong D et al;Clin Neuropharm 2000;23:143-148: The response of PD patients to the COMT inhibiitor tolcapone (Tasmar) is quite varied, including one group in which Tasmar causes severe diarrhea. Since the gene for expression of COMT in each individual is one or the other of two possible alleles, the authors looked for genetic correlation with occurrence of diarrhea as a side effect of Tasmar, but didn't find it.