 |
 |
Read this and was a bit dismayed by 2 statements: 1. When you first get the disease, you're doing OK. But three or four years into the disease you're doing terribly" 2. Both groups had a median age of about 65. Number one I don't think is a fair statement, and not sure what the source was. Does thismmean in two more years I will be doing terribly (gives me a lot of hope!!" Number two shows that the issue of young onset is still being minimalized by yhe community at large. Reent research is showing almost 40% of us are diagnosed between 40 & 50. HYPERLINK "http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82%257E1804%257E1055832,00 .html#"http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82%257E1804%257E1055 832,00.html# Study: Parkinson's patients not safe behind the wheel By Wes Allison ST. PETERSBURG TIMES ANEW study by researchers in Tampa found that Parkinson's patients are much more likely to be involved in car accidents, especially as the disease progresses. In an article published in the journal Neurology, the study recommends establishing guidelines for when patients should surrender their licenses, a notion gaining popularity among some advocates and researchers, but one most states have not addressed. "We shouldn't be afraid to say that we need to monitor a patient's driving ability when they advance in disease," said Dr. Theresa A. Zesiewicz, associate professor of neurology at the University of South Florida and the study's lead author. "We're not talking about restricting patients on a global scale," she said. "What we're talking about is there needs to be dialogue, that physicians need to be aware that there is a potential problem. . . . And as (patients) advance in disease, their driving ability . . . needs to be carefully monitored." About 4 million Americans have Parkinson's disease. Although the study focused on Parkinson's, experts say it raises issues germane to a variety of diseases affecting mind and body. All states have special licensing requirements for people who suffer seizures, as from epilepsy but most don't address progressive neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. Whether people keep driving is usually left to them. Their family or doctor may influence them, but Dr. Abraham Lieberman, medical director of the National Parkinson's Foundation, said it's often hard to tell if someone should be driving. Lieberman recommends people with Parkinson's -- or any neurologic disease -- go to a driver's license office, explain their condition and ask for a road test. They should retake the test periodically, he added. "When you first get the disease, you're doing OK. But three or four years into the disease you're doing terribly," said Lieberman, a neurology professor at the University of Miami, "and there's no provision for someone to say 'OK, you've had Parkinson's, come and see me.' " The researchers enrolled 39 volunteers with Parkinson's and 25 without any neurologic disease. Both groups had a median age of about 65. After practicing for about 15 minutes, they were tested on a driving simulator. The test counted only the accidents that the computer considered fatal. Although Zesiewicz said she expected the Parkinson's patients to crash more, she was shocked by the magnitude: Among those with the earliest stage of Parkinson's -- Stage 1 on a five-stage scale -- 20 percent were involved in an accident, versus just a fraction of study participants without the disease. 56 percent of Stage 2 patients crashed. And 90 percent of Stage 3 Parkinson's patients crashed. All of the Stage 4 patients crashed, and Stage 5 patients generally are considered unable to drive. Only a few of the non-Parkinson's patients crashed. Thomas Berdine President Young Onset Parkinson's Association HYPERLINK "www.yopa.org"www.yopa.org Founder HYPERLINK "www.youngparkinsons.com"www.youngparkinsons.com The Young Onset Parkinson's Association is a legal corporation, incorporated as a not-for-profit in New Mexico and headquartered in Albuquerque. We are in the middle of applying for our 501C(3) federal tax exemption status and expect to have it within 2 - 6 months. If this exemption is not approved, at first, your donation may not be tax exempt until the time that we are approved federally. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.427 / Virus Database: 240 - Release Date: 12/6/2002 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn