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The source of this story is Sentinel & Enterprise: http://tinyurl.com/4zjcb Article Published: Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 10:57:32 AM EST Treatments for Parkinson's are improving, but a cure is nowhere in sight By Rebecca Deusser Muhammad Ali's appearance at the baseball All-Star Game in Houston sparked interest in sports fans Tuesday. But Ali's tremors -- a symptom of Parkinson's disease -- also drew attention to the boxing legend and his disease. Medical research on Parkinson's disease continues to grow. But local doctors who spoke to the Sentinel & Enterprise said while treatments are improving, there is still no cure on the horizon. Parkinson's disease is a slow-progressing degenerative disorder where neurons in the substantial nigra region in the brain die or become impaired. Normally these nerve cells produce dopamine, a chemical that allows coordinated function of the body's muscles and movement. The National Parkinson Association estimates 60,000 new cases of Parkinson's are diagnosed each year, joining 1.5 million Americans who already have the disease. Although Parkinson's usually develops in people over age 65, the National Parkinson Association says 15 percent of cases are people under age 50. Other celebrities and public figures with Parkinson's disease include Janet Reno, Billy Graham and Michael J. Fox. Pope John Paul II also suffers from Parkinson's disease. "People are paying more attention and (see) the need for more research for a cure," said Ruez, a neurologist at Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer who specializes in movement disorders like Parkinson's disease. Ruez said warning symptoms of Parkinson's can include a tremor (shaking) in one extremity, usually a hand, while at rest; a decrease in fine motor abilities, such as writing; loss of balance and difficulty of walking and stiffness, causing a slowness of all motor activities. Ruez said there are a number of medications available to help stave off symptoms of Parkinson's disease. "At this time, there are good medications to work on, but unfortunately a cure isn't there," she said. Prescription drugs such as Sinemet and Dopa agonist try to replenish the absence of dopamine in the brain, Ruez said, but such drugs only last for a limited period of time. A newer drug, called Stalevo, also replenishes dopamine, and it has an additional component, called entacapone, which makes other medications last longer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also approved an injection medication, called Apokyn (apomorphine hydrochloride injection), in April. Apokyn also prolongs the effects of other Parkinson's disease medications, but it is not yet on the market. Ruez said when drugs don't work, some patients could undergo deep brain stimulation -- a surgery that implants electrodes in the brain to deliver electrical impulses, which can relieve tremors and other symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Less common procedures called pallidotomy and thalamotomy, which destroy parts of the brain believed to be responsible for tremors, are also available to some patients. Ruez noted researchers also have had recent success with the experimental fetal nirgal cell transplantation procedure, where doctors implant special embryo cells into the brains of Parkinson's patients to produce dopamine. "Research is very active, but (legislation against) cultivating stem cells has slowed research," said Ruez, who is not directly involved with such studies. "The cases they are reporting are very optimistic." Like all patients with degenerative diseases, people with Parkinson's disease might consider support groups or social services to determine needs for assistance and coping with the illness. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn