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CURRENT SCIENCE REVIEWS By Joe Bruman February 2001 Page 1 of 2 Obeso J et al (editors);Neur 2000;55:Supplement 6:S1-S66: Everything (almost) you wished to know but were afraid to ask, about the science of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease and tremor. Eleven articles by prominent researchers and practitioners in the field, presented 4 years ago at a special workshop meeting in Miami, Florida, and issued separately along with the December 2000 issue of Neurology. Langston J et al;Neur 2000:55:1770-1771: Continuing the long, sometimes acerbic, debate over the efficacy, action, and mortality risk of selegiline (Eldepryl) as treatment for PD (CSR DEC 94 et seq). Donnan P et al;Neur 2000;55:1785-1789: Their new, longitudinal, community-based statistical study shows no significant effect of selegiline upon PD patient mortality. Morris H et al;Neur 2000;55:1918-1920: Analysis in patients having "atypical" parkinsonisms progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) or multiple system atrophy (MSA) for mutation of genes expressing alpha-synuclein, tau, synphilin, or APOE confirmed a tau-PSP association but no others. Fraix V et al;Neur 2000;55:1921-1923: In 24 consecutive recipients of bilateral deep-brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN), levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) significantly declined after about 3 months. The improvement was due mainly to reduction of dosage, which became feasible upon the general improvement of motor symptoms. de Rijk-van Andel J et al;Neur 2000;55:1926-1928: In 4 patients having the rare autosomal-recessive variant of PD: L-dopa-responsive infantile hypokinetic rigid parkinsonism, they found a common deficiency of the dopamine mediator tyrosine hydroxylase. Racette B et al;Neur 2001;56:8-13: Since welding is suspected as a PD risk factor because of toxic emissions such as manganese, they did a case-control study of 15 career welders with PD, could find no definite cause/effect relation, other than earlier age at onset. Rajput A;Neur 2001;56:4-5 (editorial): Comment on above item- suggests that focusing upon a single environmental suspect, rather than the usual multifactor or scattergun study, is more likely to find a definite causative agent, if there is one. CURRENT SCIENCE REVIEWS By Joe Bruman February 2001 Page 2 of 2 Berg D et al;Neur 2001;56:13-17: In a study of 93 otherwise undiagnosed elderly subjects, they found the substantia nigra more reflective of ultrasound in those who had the most distinct parkinsonism symptoms, suggesting that sonography may be useful for preclinical detection of PD. Dymek M et al;Neur 2001;56:17-24: In a controlled study of 20 cognitively impaired PD patients, using neuropsychological test batteries proven reliable in other context, they found such patients impaired in their competency give informed consent to medical treatment, and at risk of losing it further as their PD progresses. -- J. R. Bruman (818) 789-3694 3527 Cody Road Sherman Oaks, CA 91403-5013