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Parkinson's Disease Cell Loss Starts 13 Years Before Dx Washington April 28, 2004 12:37:08 PM IST According to a study conducted by the Honolulu Department of Veterans Affairs, the loss of brain cells that leads to Parkinson's disease starts an estimated 13 years before the diagnosis. The study examined the brains of twelve deceased men who had Parkinson's disease and compared them to the brains of 174 men who were of similar ages when they died and did not have Parkinson's disease, reports a study. The researchers counted the number of neurons, or brain cells, in a section of the substantia nigra area of the brain. Parkinson's disease is caused by the gradual loss of cells in the substantia nigra. The average number of cells was significantly lower in the men with Parkinson's than in the other men. Furthermore, the longer the duration of Parkinson's disease, the lower the neuron counts. At the time of diagnosis, it was estimated that the men with Parkinson's disease had, on average, forty percent fewer neurons than those without Parkinson's disease. With further analysis, the researchers estimated that the loss of neurons starts about 13 years before the diagnosis is made. "If people destined to develop Parkinson's disease could be identified during this pre-clinical window, then theoretically it should be possible to intervene with some treatment to prevent the symptoms of Parkinson's disease from developing fully. We need to continue to look hard for biomarkers of Parkinson's disease that would help identify people with the disease before they develop the symptoms," said study author and neurologist G. Webster Ross, MD, of the Honolulu Department of Veterans Affairs in Honolulu, Hawaii. " The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Institute on Aging, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of the Army. (ANI) SOURCE: Webindia123.com, India http://www.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=36814&cat=Health * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn