Here's some info regarding the study that the NIH Office of Alternative
Medicine is sponsoring into PD at the Southern Illinois University. Another
person on the PD list here forwarded this info to me in response to a request I
posted asking if anyone knew any details regarding this research. The link
with the fava bean discussion is that Mucuna Pruriens beans (whatever they are)
are being evaluated as to their effectivity and safety in treating PD.
Ayurvedic is an Indian system of diet, herbs, meditation, etc. and these beans
must be a part of the diet recommended in this system for treating PD (although
in actuality this system recommends diet, etc. based on one's body type, as
defined by ayurvedic guidelines, rather than by disease or symptoms
specifically). I believe this info pasted below can be found at
gopher://gopher.nih.gov on their CRISP database (which lists different
research grants awarded and can be searched by subject area. Supposedly there
is also research into PD & homeopathy, sponsored by the same NIH organization.
I had a natural doctor recommended homeopathy as a possible avenue to explore,
so I will try to find out more. To find out more about Ayurvedic in general, a
good source is Deepak Chopra, who has written many books about mind/body
medicine and ayurveda. These include the book "Quantum Healing" among many
others. If you can't find them in a local store you can also call
1-800-757-8897 (Quantum Publications, Inc.) for more info on Dr. Chopra's
books, tapes, seminars, herbal products, etc.
I will send out another message later with info regarding Sharp-Healthcare
(which runs six hospitals in CA) and their programs into Ayurvedic medicine and
learning. This program is run by Dr. Chopra and another doctor, David Simon,
M.D., who is a neurologist and medical director of the Sharp Institue for Human
Potential and Mind Body Medicine. The place where I obtained this info is the
Jan/Feb 1995 issue of New Age Journal, in an article about alternative medicine
research.
So, now for the NIH info:
--------------------------
Subject: R21RR09693 MANYAM, BALA V METHOD OF EVALUATING
AYURVEDIC DRUGS -PROJECT NUMBER...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R21RR09693 MANYAM, BALA V METHOD OF EVALUATING
#027#[7mAYURVEDIC#027#[m DRUGS
-PROJECT NUMBER......1 R21 RR09693-01
FY 93 MANYAM, BALA V
IRG/INTRAMURAL UNIT..SSS SOUTHERN ILL UNIV SCHOOL OF ME
AWARD AMOUNT......... $29,965 PO BOX 19230
SPRINGFIELD, IL 62794-9230
PERFORMING ORGANIZATION: SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CARBONDALE
TITLE METHOD OF EVALUATING #027#[7mAYURVEDIC#027#[m DRUGS IN #027#[7mPARKINSON
#027#[mISM
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the Investigator's Abstract) This study will
evaluate alkaloids (MEA) of the beans of Mucuna Pruriens (Atmagupta,
sanskrit) for effects on #027#[7mParkinson#027#[m's disease using a proven rat
model
of hemi-#027#[7mParkinson#027#[mism. Behavioral effects of MEA in the
hemi-#027#[7mParkinson#027#[mian
rats will be measured objectively using established protocols and
compared to the effects of synthetic L-Dopa. Thirty hemi-#027#[7mParkinson#027
#[mian
rats will be utilized, with 12 in each treatment group and 6 controls.
Two dosage levels of MEA and L-Dopa will be assessed in order to
evaluate for toxic effects. After testing, the rats will be sacrificed
and their brains analyzed neurochemically. Levels of dopamine, its
metabolites and other neurochemicals will be compared between the L-
Dopa, MEA, and control groups to assess whether treatments resulted in
a predicted restoration of depleted dopamine and related neurochemicals.
Long-term goals of the principle investigator include performing acute
and chronic toxicity studies, human pharmacokinetic studies and
controlled clinical trials.
CRISP INDEXING TERMS FROM CRISP THESAURUS:
00917950P alkaloid
14501079P alternative medicine
20573689P #027#[7mParkinson#027#[m's disease
20590413P anti#027#[7mparkinson#027#[m drug
23409588P medicinal plant
23416870P plant extract
28942746P nonhuman therapy evaluation
03855868S behavioral medicine
09630664S drug interaction
20539318S neurochemistry
22685256S dopamine
01821835T laboratory rat
04950937T experimental brain lesion
19449483T disease model
23230949T high performance liquid chromatography
