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to alans family in dallas. i was diagnosed in 1992 and dbs with grear results until i had my battery change and then got really. Been in hospitalfor 6 months. I hear your pain and frustration. i live in dallas too and would love to share names and numbers of local progressive providers around here. has anyone else had problems after a battery change??? beverly forte ________________________________ From: PARKINSN automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Friday, February 27, 2009 11:00:55 PM Subject: PARKINSN Digest - 26 Feb 2009 to 27 Feb 2009 (#2009-63) There are 12 messages totalling 793 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. new subscriber STATINS 2. AAN: Hormone Exposure Affects Parkinson's Risk 3. new subscriber (3) 4. Wireless "DBS" (4) 5. Addiction: Insights from Parkinson's disease 6. designer babies coming 7. Why hasn't President Obama yet signed an executive order for ESCR? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:46:33 -0700 From: Schaaf Angus / Meadow Creek Ranch <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: new subscriber STATINS Statins for high cholesterol have lots of side effects and an easier and in my opinion better approach is diet. I have lots of friends who have been on statins and soon realized just how much these drugs were messing their lives up. A more natural approach is: Start with granular lecithin added to fruit juice daily about 1 to 2 Tablespoons . Granular lecithin will give you a boost of energy as the choleserol in your system is converted to useful energy for the body all the while destroying the build up in your arteries. In six months retake your cholesterol level and be prepared to be shock at just how much it has dropped. Mine is always below 150 and I eat everything that I want to eat. Its great he takes magnesium and Vitamin E but he really should consider a High Dose B Complex for stressed out people. Parkinsons stresses the body like nothing else I can imagine so one of these a day should help besides getting rid of one more chemical that may possibly aggravating the Parkinson drug actions for the Parkinsons. Sometimes mother nature has the simplest of "cures" to help us fight hard for that improved quality of life. Rob ----- Original Message ----- From: "PATTI ZAPF" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 4:53 AM Subject: new subscriber > i have joined this to learn all i can to help my husband, alan, who is > 63 and been diagnosed with pd for the last 15 years. we live in > dallas and have been seeing a neuroligist at ut southwestern. he has > not been to the doctor in over a year. he feels he will just get more > medication or tweaking of his current meds. this is our 5th doctor > over the past 15 years. > > alan's sleep is interrupted with hallucinations occastionally. wish > those would go away. > i googled comtan and sinemet which have these side affects. > > his current regime is all medications. comtan, carbidopa-levadopa, > amantadine, plus he takes heart meds crestor, metropolol, plavix > he supplements with magnesium (constipation), vitamin e, aspirin. > > he recently has fallen twice and i think it may be from the crestor, > as he just started this 4 months ago, instead of lipitor. i am trying > to encourage him to be more wholistic with a statin. anyone with any > ideas, please pass on. > > he said the other day he wished he could go to the doctor and get a > cure. wishful he knows. > > dbs does not interest him. i am massaging him and he does stretches. > he is extrememly hunched over from back pain. i wonder if that is > from the drugs he is taking??? > any suggestions are appreciated. > > his voice is so soft, we are trying to find a portable microphone that > could be used in social settings. any suggestions would be > appreciated. he has tried Lee Silverman training. > > alan has a great attitude mostly. he doesn't like to rock the boat, > but makes profound statements at the right time, that amaze me and > teach me how to handle things differently. > > i have heard alot about a neurologist, dr. jankovich in houston, tx > that i would like to take him too, but it is 4 hours away and > expensive. (he is not a Medicare provider) anyone seen this doctor? > > we have not been impressed with our past neurologists as time goes on, > because it is the same thing, more drugs, different combinations, more > drugs. the drug companies are making a killing. > > we did attend a week long over night session this past summer here in > dallas ($2750), with a fellow from australia, noel batten, claiming > parkinson's is the biggest medical blunder, and positive results can > happen with a week long visit. it was a highly anticipated week , we > learned alot about our own selves and strengthened our marriage. > chiropractic care, massage, mental soul searching of past traumas were > most of the routine. > did we see physical improvement, yes, some, after the chiropractic > treatments of this wonderful chiro doctor we found during this week. > results were not long lasting.. > alan went one time a week for 6 months, which ended in dec 2008, as > driving was difficult for him to get there, and i have a job that kept > me from taking him. > > i am trying to help my husband live a quality life. thank you for > your suggestions. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:45:08 -0600 From: "Nina P. Brown" <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: AAN: Hormone Exposure Affects Parkinson's Risk -----Original Message----- From: mschild <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 12:48 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: AAN: Hormone Exposure Affects Parkinson's Risk WEDNESDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In postmenopausal women, reproductive factors and hormone therapy use may affect the risk of Parkinson's disease, according to research that will be presented April 25-May 2 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Seattle. Rachel Saunders-Pullman, M.D., of the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues assessed data on 83,482 participants in the Observational Study of the Women's Health Initiative, including 73,973 women who experienced natural menopause and 7,763 who experienced surgical menopause. The researchers found that the risk of Parkinson's disease was significantly lower among women experiencing natural menopause who had a fertile lifespan greater than 39 years compared to those with a fertile lifespan less than 33 years (hazard ratio, 0.76). They found that the risk was higher among women with at least four pregnancies than in those with three or fewer pregnancies (hazard ratio, 1.20). Among women with surgical menopause, they found that those who used hormone therapy had a nearly doubled risk compared to non-users (hazard ratio, 1.92). "Prior postmenopausal hormone therapy use was not associated with Parkinson's disease among women with natural menopause," the authors write. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:14:15 -0800 From: skrzyniarz <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: new subscriber I do not post on PIEN leaving it to my pwp partner who is now back in Australia on a visit. As he is not here, I would like to add some of the observations that I have learned since meeting him 10 years ago when he was first dx. There is no cure at this time for PD or any thing which is dx under the PD umbrella. As it differs in each pwp, it is impossible to state that what works for one works for all. In my Johns case, he had a dbs last year which helped most of his ongoing symptoms, but which also includes sinemet even though far less than he had been taking. It seems so important to find some one who is either familiar with what pd is-- or is a movement disorder neurologist or there is a near by Parkinson's disease association which knows who to see. Attitude is so important in helping as depression or thoughts of why me? I am lucky in this that John is someone who acts rather than thinks of himself as a victim. He sees his movement disorder neuro at the least every 6 months--more often if he feels any changes or return of his symptoms which would indicate resetting of the dbs stimulator. In his case, he had no other ongoing health issues so was a good dbs candidate. Balance as in too fast turning around remains the main daily issue. slow down is the advice he gets. My issue is what I need to do to keep some kind of order in our lives without taking away his sense of ability to make personal decisions that will benefit our lives rather than detract? Audrey Seattle he has not been to the doctor in over a year. he feels he will just get more medication or tweaking of his current meds. this is our 5th doctor over the past 15 years. alan's sleep is interrupted with hallucinations occastionally. wish those would go away. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:36:30 -0700 From: rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Wireless "DBS" Nanoparticles let scientists tickle brain cells wirelessly Last Updated: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 | 6:45 PM ET CBC News Using electrical signals to stimulate brain and nerve cells can help people recover from injury and improve the lives of those with Parkinson's disease, but often requires the surgical implantation of electrodes in the brain, which are attached to cumbersome wires. A group of scientists in Cleveland, Ohio, has now found a new method that could one day allow doctors to activate neurons - brain or nerve cells - wirelessly using microscopic beads and light. So far, Case Western Reserve University neuroscientist Ben Strowbridge, chemist Clemens Burda, and members of their research groups have tried their technique on slices of rat brain tissue and published the results in a recent issue of the journal Angewandte Chemie. The method involves placing beads about 10 nanometres wide - far smaller than human cells - close to a neuron. A human hair is about 80,000 nanometres wide. The beads are made of semiconductors that get electrically excited when light shines on them. "Essentially, these are the same particles used to sensitize solar cells," Burda said. The illuminated particles produce an electric field or current that activates the neurons, which respond with their own measurable electrical signals. In Strowbridge and Burda's experiments, the nanoparticles were attached to a very small glass micropipette to make it easier to position the particles, but ultimately the researchers hope to be able to place a layer of particles on the brain. The technique has a number of advantages over current methods to electrically stimulate the brain, Strowbridge said. Current methods involve surgery, a much larger metal electrode, typically one with a contact about one millimetre - one million nanometres - in diameter. It is hooked up to wires that come out of the brain or skin and are attached to a control unit. "It's very invasive and the wires themselves are difficult to deal with," Strowbridge said. In addition, current methods involve stimulation at only one or two sites at a time. With a layer of nanoparticles, the light, and therefore the activation, could be directed to different areas. "There's really no other technology that can do that with this degree of control or spatial resolution." If the nanoparticles were placed near the surface of the skin, it is possible that they could be activated by shining a light through the skin. Otherwise, a fibre optic cable could be used to deliver the light. Strowbridge and Burda chose to use very small particles in an effort to make them as uninvasive as possible. Ultimately, they plan to coat them with a biocompatible glass to ensure they are non-toxic. The technique still needs to be refined and tested on actual rat brains and nerves before it can be applied to humans. Related Internal Links Deep brain stimulation could help memory loss: study Magnetic stimulator aims to treat depression patients Nerve stimulation may help treat cluster headaches Electrical stimulation promising option for Parkinson's Rayilyn Brown Director AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:16:06 +0100 From: mschild <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Addiction: Insights from Parkinson's disease an article which, for some reason, doesn't reach the list. So I send the link: http://www.sciencecodex.com/addiction_insights_from_parkinsons_disease ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:32:30 -0700 From: rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]> Subject: designer babies coming Designer babies are coming The Fertility Institute recently stunned the fertility community by being the first company to boldly offer couples the opportunity to screen their embryos not only for diseases and gender, but also for completely benign characteristics such as eye color, hair color, and complexion. The Fertility Institutes proudly claims this is just the tip of the iceberg, and plans to offer almost any conceivable customization as science makes them available. Even as couples from across the globe are flocking in droves to pay the company their life's savings for a custom baby, opponents are vilifying the company for shattering moral and ethical boundaries. Like it or not, the era of designer babies is officially here and there is no going back. For decades now a technology called preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD, has enabled In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) clinics to screen embryos for more than 100 potentially debilitating and often deadly diseases before the embryo is implanted into the mother. A medical revolution has thus unfolded, enabling literally tens of thousands of couples and their babies to sidestep some of the world's most terrifying diseases. Take the case of Cindy and John Whitley. Their first child died at the age of 9 months from a deadly genetic disorder called spinal muscular atrophy. Genetic analysis uncovered that the Whitley's statistically had a 1 in 4 chance of creating a child with spinal muscular atrophy each time they conceived. Unwilling to risk having another child with the deadly disorder, the Whitley's used PGD to conceive three children, all healthy. Yet PGD allows scientists to screen embryos for much more than just genetic diseases, and therein lies the promise - and the peril - of designer babies. Gender was the first major genetic trait beyond genetic disease to be widely manipulated through PGD. The Fertility Institutes is a leader in the field, claiming nearly 100% success in providing couples with a baby of a predetermined gender. Completely healthy and fertile couples from all over the world are coming to The Fertility Institutes everyday to confront the risk, the expense, and the discomfort of conceiving their baby in a test tube, all for the ability to choose the sex of their baby. Gender selection is a big business. Dr. Steinberg, Director at The Fertility Institutes, claims that they are performing on the order of 10 gender selection fertilizations every week, each for a fee of $18,400. Although In Vitro Fertilizations were originally designed to help parents that were unable to conceive children naturally, Steinberg says that a staggering 70% of their clients have absolutely no difficulty conceiving children, coming to the Institute purely for opportunity to choose the sex of their baby. Now, in the latest twist in the march towards designer babies, The Fertility Institutes says they will soon be able to offer couples the ability to screen their embryos for eye color, hair color, and complexion. The Institute cannot change the DNA of the donating couple - if neither the mother nor the father has genes for green eyes, for example, then the Institute cannot give them a baby with green eyes. Yet within the constraints inherent in the DNA of the donating couple, The Fertility Institute is willing to screen embryos for these traits. The Fertility Institute wants to offer several other customizations, and many more are sure to be released in the coming years as the science behind screening for them is developed. In many countries around the world PGD is heavily regulated and designer babies are strictly out of the question. Yet in a strange paradox, even as the United States is one of the world's most regulated nations in several areas of medical research and development, PGD is completely legal and unregulated in the United States. Hence, even as the United States is hindered by regulation in areas such as stem cell research, the country seems poised to be a world leader in the designer baby revolution. At the moment, The Fertility Institutes carries the mantle as the company at the forefront of this revolution, and as such they are a lightning rod for the praise and adoration, but also the bitter and severe anger, of those on both sides of this great moral debate. The genie is officially out of the bottle, in fact it probably has been for a long time. There is no stopping the designer baby revolution. Even as some countries try to clamp down on it, others will allow it. Progress, if we call it that, will continue unabated. A similar phenomenon has unfolded with embryonic stem cell research in recent years. Even as the Bush administration almost completely strangled US investment and research in this promising field, other countries invested heavily and advances continued. A new generation of genetically enhanced designer babies is inevitable in the coming decades. Yet for those of us that are merely "normal", do not despair. Even as we are outmatched by the next generation genetically, a host of new technologies from chip implants to gene therapy may allow us to keep up, allowing us to enhance ourselves in equally transformative ways. The future will indeed be interesting. Rayilyn Brown Director AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:37:23 +0000 From: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Why hasn't President Obama yet signed an executive order for ESCR? he can't find a working pen ? Quoting "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>: > An article in Nature News (online Feb 24, 2009) raises the possibility of > legal challenges to an Obama executive order and that there might be a need > for accompanying legislation. see: > > Stem-cell inaction prompts concern > Legal complexities may underlie the delay in fulfilling election pledge. > > http://www.nature.com/news/2009/0902.../4571068a.html > > excerpt: > "Some Washington insiders suggest that there is no more to the delay than a > president consumed by a major economic crisis. Others note that the new > administration had (at the time Nature went to press) yet to install a > National Institutes of Health (NIH) director or secretary of health and human > services — key people the president will need to rely on to enact an > executive order and serve as the public face of the administration on a > controversial issue. > > Yet others contend that Obama's lack of action five weeks into his presidency > highlights the complexity of the legal issues involved in reversing the Bush > ban, which limited federal funding for stem-cell research to a score of lines > derived before 9 August 2001. > > Louis Guenin, a lecturer on ethics at Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, > Massachusetts, believes that an Obama executive order could be successfully > challenged in court in the absence of enacted legislation explicitly > approving federal funding for stem-cell research. That, he says, is because > of the Dickey–Wicker amendment: a law first enacted by Congress in 1995 and > renewed each year since, which prohibits US funding of research in which > embryos are created or destroyed. " > > The article states some of the top stem cell researchers such as George Daley > and John Gearhart are now looking into the legal issues. > _._,_.___ > > __,_._,___ > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------- This mail sent through http://www.ukonline.net ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:26:20 -0500 From: Rick McGirr <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: new subscriber Welcome Patti Zapf. Don't give up. Of course there is no cure for PD, but all the "tweaking" of our drug cocktails, all the "holistic" alternatives we try, all the staying abreast of all the news that we do, all are signs of hope. We continue to hope for better times ahead. Sounds like Alan's other health issues complicate things quite a bit, especially regarding his sum total of drugs that he must combine every day. Have you ever been to a pharmacological expert to consider what may be the better combinations, between the heart meds the PD meds, etc? Just from your letter, that's where my thoughts first go, but I'm no expert either, just another PWP. I exercise, even tho I'm no athelete, and I try to eat for health, and I just don't try to cram a whole lot of activity into any one day. The only thing I do with the meds is to try to be consistent in my dose schedule. Good luck! Rick McGirr -----Original Message----- From: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of PATTI ZAPF Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 6:54 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: new subscriber i have joined this to learn all i can to help my husband, alan, who is 63 and been diagnosed with pd for the last 15 years. we live in dallas and have been seeing a neuroligist at ut southwestern. he has not been to the doctor in over a year. he feels he will just get more medication or tweaking of his current meds. this is our 5th doctor over the past 15 years. alan's sleep is interrupted with hallucinations occastionally. wish those would go away. i googled comtan and sinemet which have these side affects. his current regime is all medications. comtan, carbidopa-levadopa, amantadine, plus he takes heart meds crestor, metropolol, plavix he supplements with magnesium (constipation), vitamin e, aspirin. he recently has fallen twice and i think it may be from the crestor, as he just started this 4 months ago, instead of lipitor. i am trying to encourage him to be more wholistic with a statin. anyone with any ideas, please pass on. he said the other day he wished he could go to the doctor and get a cure. wishful he knows. dbs does not interest him. i am massaging him and he does stretches. he is extrememly hunched over from back pain. i wonder if that is from the drugs he is taking??? any suggestions are appreciated. his voice is so soft, we are trying to find a portable microphone that could be used in social settings. any suggestions would be appreciated. he has tried Lee Silverman training. alan has a great attitude mostly. he doesn't like to rock the boat, but makes profound statements at the right time, that amaze me and teach me how to handle things differently. i have heard alot about a neurologist, dr. jankovich in houston, tx that i would like to take him too, but it is 4 hours away and expensive. (he is not a Medicare provider) anyone seen this doctor? we have not been impressed with our past neurologists as time goes on, because it is the same thing, more drugs, different combinations, more drugs. the drug companies are making a killing. we did attend a week long over night session this past summer here in dallas ($2750), with a fellow from australia, noel batten, claiming parkinson's is the biggest medical blunder, and positive results can happen with a week long visit. it was a highly anticipated week , we learned alot about our own selves and strengthened our marriage. chiropractic care, massage, mental soul searching of past traumas were most of the routine. did we see physical improvement, yes, some, after the chiropractic treatments of this wonderful chiro doctor we found during this week. results were not long lasting.. alan went one time a week for 6 months, which ended in dec 2008, as driving was difficult for him to get there, and i have a job that kept me from taking him. i am trying to help my husband live a quality life. thank you for your suggestions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:27:41 +0500 From: Haroon Basheer Shaikh <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: new subscriber patti, unfortunately PD is a degenerative disease and all the doctor can do is to tweak dosages to improve movement. Turn to Allah (GOD) and seek spiritual help and encourage allen to remain positive. Cheers Haroon PwP 62 years of age, diagnosed 6 yeasr back On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 4:53 PM, PATTI ZAPF <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > i have joined this to learn all i can to help my husband, alan, who is 63 > and been diagnosed with pd for the last 15 years. we live in dallas and > have been seeing a neuroligist at ut southwestern. he has not been to the > doctor in over a year. he feels he will just get more medication or > tweaking of his current meds. this is our 5th doctor over the past 15 > years. > > alan's sleep is interrupted with hallucinations occastionally. wish those > would go away. > i googled comtan and sinemet which have these side affects. > > his current regime is all medications. comtan, carbidopa-levadopa, > amantadine, plus he takes heart meds crestor, metropolol, plavix > he supplements with magnesium (constipation), vitamin e, aspirin. > > he recently has fallen twice and i think it may be from the crestor, as he > just started this 4 months ago, instead of lipitor. i am trying to > encourage him to be more wholistic with a statin. anyone with any ideas, > please pass on. > > he said the other day he wished he could go to the doctor and get a cure. > wishful he knows. > > dbs does not interest him. i am massaging him and he does stretches. he > is extrememly hunched over from back pain. i wonder if that is from the > drugs he is taking??? > any suggestions are appreciated. > > his voice is so soft, we are trying to find a portable microphone that > could be used in social settings. any suggestions would be appreciated. he > has tried Lee Silverman training. > > alan has a great attitude mostly. he doesn't like to rock the boat, but > makes profound statements at the right time, that amaze me and teach me how > to handle things differently. > > i have heard alot about a neurologist, dr. jankovich in houston, tx that i > would like to take him too, but it is 4 hours away and expensive. (he is not > a Medicare provider) anyone seen this doctor? > > we have not been impressed with our past neurologists as time goes on, > because it is the same thing, more drugs, different combinations, more > drugs. the drug companies are making a killing. > > we did attend a week long over night session this past summer here in > dallas ($2750), with a fellow from australia, noel batten, claiming > parkinson's is the biggest medical blunder, and positive results can happen > with a week long visit. it was a highly anticipated week , we learned alot > about our own selves and strengthened our marriage. > chiropractic care, massage, mental soul searching of past traumas were most > of the routine. > did we see physical improvement, yes, some, after the chiropractic > treatments of this wonderful chiro doctor we found during this week. > results were not long lasting.. > alan went one time a week for 6 months, which ended in dec 2008, as driving > was difficult for him to get there, and i have a job that kept me from > taking him. > > i am trying to help my husband live a quality life. thank you for your > suggestions. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: > [log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > -- Haroon Basheer www.parkinsons.org.pk ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 09:35:10 +0200 From: Nic Marais <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Wireless "DBS" Finally, Having PD is gonna be an enlightening experience...;-) Nic 56/14 On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 4:36 AM, rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Nanoparticles let scientists tickle brain cells wirelessly > Last Updated: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 | 6:45 PM ET > CBC News > Using electrical signals to stimulate brain and nerve cells can help people > recover from injury and improve the lives of those with Parkinson's disease, > but often requires the surgical implantation of electrodes in the brain, > which are attached to cumbersome wires. > A group of scientists in Cleveland, Ohio, has now found a new method that > could one day allow doctors to activate neurons - brain or nerve cells - > wirelessly using microscopic beads and light. > So far, Case Western Reserve University neuroscientist Ben Strowbridge, > chemist Clemens Burda, and members of their research groups have tried their > technique on slices of rat brain tissue and published the results in a > recent issue of the journal Angewandte Chemie. > The method involves placing beads about 10 nanometres wide - far smaller > than human cells - close to a neuron. A human hair is about 80,000 > nanometres wide. > The beads are made of semiconductors that get electrically excited when > light shines on them. > "Essentially, these are the same particles used to sensitize solar cells," > Burda said. > The illuminated particles produce an electric field or current that > activates the neurons, which respond with their own measurable electrical > signals. > In Strowbridge and Burda's experiments, the nanoparticles were attached to > a very small glass micropipette to make it easier to position the particles, > but ultimately the researchers hope to be able to place a layer of particles > on the brain. > The technique has a number of advantages over current methods to > electrically stimulate the brain, Strowbridge said. > Current methods involve surgery, a much larger metal electrode, typically > one with a contact about one millimetre - one million nanometres - in > diameter. It is hooked up to wires that come out of the brain or skin and > are attached to a control unit. > "It's very invasive and the wires themselves are difficult to deal with," > Strowbridge said. In addition, current methods involve stimulation at only > one or two sites at a time. > With a layer of nanoparticles, the light, and therefore the activation, > could be directed to different areas. > "There's really no other technology that can do that with this degree of > control or spatial resolution." > If the nanoparticles were placed near the surface of the skin, it is > possible that they could be activated by shining a light through the skin. > Otherwise, a fibre optic cable could be used to deliver the light. > Strowbridge and Burda chose to use very small particles in an effort to > make them as uninvasive as possible. Ultimately, they plan to coat them with > a biocompatible glass to ensure they are non-toxic. > The technique still needs to be refined and tested on actual rat brains and > nerves before it can be applied to humans. > > Related > Internal Links > > Deep brain stimulation could help memory loss: study > Magnetic stimulator aims to treat depression patients > Nerve stimulation may help treat cluster headaches > Electrical stimulation promising option for Parkinson's > > Rayilyn Brown > Director AZNPF > Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation > [log in to unmask] > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: > [log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:09:21 +0530 From: Moneesha Sharma <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Wireless "DBS" > Finally, Having PD is gonna be an enlightening experience...;-) > > Nic 56/14 > > LOL, Nic Moneesha ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:28:18 +0100 From: mschild <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Wireless "DBS" > Finally, Having PD is gonna be an enlightening experience...;-) Who is going to keep the remote? maryse ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ------------------------------ End of PARKINSN Digest - 26 Feb 2009 to 27 Feb 2009 (#2009-63) ************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn