 |
 |
New Treatment for Parkinson’s Reported November 10, 2003 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Parkinson’s disease is caused when brain cells that produce dopamine die. For 40 years, doctors have treated patients with dopamine medications. However, after years of taking the drug, it becomes less effective. Now, a new study shows how a new drug can help. It’s not just another day at the driving range for David and his wife Freda. A few months ago, David had a hard time walking, and he couldn’t even consider golfing. “I would have to cut his meat. I almost had to feed him sometimes,” Freda tells Ivanhoe. “I had to wash him.” David now has advanced Parkinson's disease. Like many patients, as his disease progressed, his medication became less effective. He says, “If I was standing to hit the [golf] ball, I couldn’t get this leg to move most of the time.” But today, he easily strikes ball after ball. Freda says, “When I’m watching him here, it’s wonderful. It’s so different than from what he was before.” Neurologist Robert Hauser, M.D., of University of South Florida in Tampa, says what David experienced happens to many Parkinson's patients who have spent years taking a dopamine medication. “They take it. It lasts a few hours. It wears off, and then they get their slowness, stiffness and tremors back.” Now, a new study shows when dopamine drugs like Sinemet wear off, the new non-dopamine drug istradefylline steps in. Dr. Hauser says, “The quality of what they can do relates to is the medication is working, and as the study demonstrated, istradefylline gives them more of that good quality time through the day.” The amount of time patients have tremors, slowness and stiffness is reduced by nearly two hours a day. For David, it meant a chance to go back to the game he loves. “It’s been really good for me. It’s put me back on my feet, period.” Safety concerns have arisen in animal studies recently, and the human studies are temporarily on hold. Researchers found mineral deposits in the brains of some rats on the drug. Researchers are not sure if this will happen in humans or what the effect will be if it does. Mineralization in the brain is usually not symptomatic and tends to occur naturally with age. This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/ SOURCE: Ivanhoe Newswire http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=7345 * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn