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Sunday, July 29, 2001 £1m study to assess Parkinson's treatment Scientists have been given the go-ahead for a £1 million study to assess the effectiveness of brain surgery in treating Parkinson's disease. Operations will take place at hospitals in London, Birmingham, Bristol and Oxford over four years. Patients will then be monitored for up to nine years. Between 400 and 600 patients are being recruited for the trial, backed by a £1,088 grant from the Medical Research Council. An additional £250,000 is being provided by the Parkinson's Disease Society. Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder suffered by about 120,000 people in the UK. It occurs when brain cells producing the chemical messenger dopamine, which helps control co-ordinated movement, are lost. The main symptoms are shaking, muscle stiffness, and sluggish movement. Currently the disease is controlled by drugs that limit its effects. However, eventually these become less effective and the length of time symptoms are suppressed is reduced. Surgery offers longer symptom-free periods, but its long-term impact has not yet been evaluated. Professor Adrian Williams, from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, who is heading the trial, said: "We are very excited to be able to start this valuable research as it will help to establish the best way of providing care for patients with Parkinson's, and this will benefit people in the future." Health minister Lord Hunt said: "This important new clinical trial for the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease will help to increase our understanding of the causes and treatment for this devastating condition." Story filed: 09:38 Sunday 29th July 2001 SOURCE: Ananova http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_362429.html * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn