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Hi, Lisa: Welcome to our group. You wrote: >I am new to the list, as my father was diagnosed with Parkinson's about a >year ago at age 73. I have a question about his behavior. He has never >been the most reasonable person around, however lately my mother has >noticed that he has been acting very unreasonable lately. For instance, >one of my cousins, her brother's daughter, died recently and she wanted to >travel from Ohio to New York to attend the funeral. My father didn't want >her to go. He finally made the comment that she would do anything to get >out of the house. > >Does Parkinson's affect the mind in this manner? I live next door to >them, so he shouldn't fear being left alone. Any information would be >helpful. There is a wealth of information on this subject in the PD Archives, unfortunately unavailable at the moment. However, if you have a browser, you can find relevant information by visiting the following internet sites: PARKINSON'S - SEARCH ENGINES http://dem0nmac.mgh.harvard.edu/neurowebforum/ParkinsonsDiseaseMenu.html http://mcns10.med.nyu.edu/ - PD NYU Med. Ctr http://neuro-chief-e.mgh.harvard.edu/parkinsonsweb/Main/PDmain.html As an introduction, I quote from a long article I "saved" to give you some insight. If you cannot do research on the internet, please let me know and I will gladly e-mail you the entire article. "Depression and Mental Problems. Depression is often present as one of the first symptoms and is probably partially caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Because depression can be caused by old age and other factors, it is often not connected by the patient with other early symptoms of Parkinson's. Defects in thinking, memory, language, and problem solving skills often occur later on......... The toxic effects of levodopa with or without carbidopa are, however, considerable. Nausea and low blood pressure are the most common problems during the first few weeks, particularly if the initial dose is too high. The addition of extra supplements of carbidopa reduces this effect somewhat. Taking the drug with food can alleviate the nausea. However, proteins interfere with intestinal absorption of levodopa, and some physicians recommend not eating protein at all until nighttime in order to avoid this interference. To offset low blood pressure, the patient should drink lots of fluids and possibly increase salt intake. The drugs can affect other organs, sometimes producing disturbances of heart rhythm or gastrointestinal bleeding. Major impacts, however, are psychiatric. Patients taking levodopa, especially in combination with other drugs, can experience confusion, extreme emotional states, vivid dreams, hallucinations, anxiety, and even psychosis. The drug may even unmask dementia that had not been noticed previously. Because psychiatric side effects often occur at night, some physicians recommend reducing or stopping the evening dose. Some studies indicate that the drug clozapine (Clozaril), normally used in schizophrenia, may help offset the psychiatric side effects, but it has some dangerous side effects and needs to be used with caution." (Document from `Well Connected Consumer Health Reports') WHERE ELSE CAN HELP BE OBTAINED FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE? National Parkinson Foundation 1501 NW. 9th Ave. Bob Hope Road Miami, FL 33136-1494 (call 800-327-4545) or (call 305-547-6666) This is a primary resource of information for PD. The staff is very responsive and sends out an extremely useful package of materials. They also have a quarterly newsletter, Parkinson Report, which describes recent research, provides information on new clinical trials, and offers excellent articles on personal and professional aspects of PD. Parkinson's Disease Foundation 650 West 168th St. New York, NY 10032-9982 (call 800-457-6676) or (call 212-923-4700) Offers good basic information and provides a quarterly newsletter. (ADD TO DATABASE) Quality of Life Through Balanced Nutrition Elan Pharma Two Thurber Blvd Smithfield, RI 02917 This company provides information and foods with the appropriate carbohydrate to protein ratio for Parkinson's patients. Provided by Elan NutraPharma, a division of Elan Corporation. (call 800-4PD-FOOD or 800-474-3663) Enrichments PO Box 471 Western Springs, IL 60558 1-800-323-5547 Offers a catalogue and provides many items that improve the quality of life for a Parkinson's patient, including aids for eating, exercising, turning handles and knobs, and accessories for wheelchairs. Wishing you well, Margaret Tuchman(54, dx 1980 -- 9x25/100 LS, 5x .25 Permax) WHERE ELSE CAN HELP BE OBTAINED FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE? National Parkinson Foundation 1501 NW. 9th Ave. Bob Hope Road Miami, FL 33136-1494 (call 800-327-4545) or (call 305-547-6666) This is a primary resource of information for PD. The staff is very responsive and sends out an extremely useful package of materials. They also have a quarterly newsletter, Parkinson Report, which describes recent research, provides information on new clinical trials, and offers excellent articles on personal and professional aspects of PD. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Building 31, Room 8A16 31 Center Drive, MSC 2540 National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD 20892-2540 (call 800-352-9424) Parkinson's Disease Foundation 650 West 168th St. New York, NY 10032-9982 (call 800-457-6676) or (call 212-923-4700) Offers good basic information and provides a quarterly newsletter. (ADD TO DATABASE) Quality of Life Through Balanced Nutrition Elan Pharma Two Thurber Blvd Smithfield, RI 02917 This company provides information and foods with the appropriate carbohydrate to protein ratio for Parkinson's patients. Provided by Elan NutraPharma, a division of Elan Corporation. (call 800-4PD-FOOD or 800-474-3663) Enrichments PO Box 471 Western Springs, IL 60558 1-800-323-5547 Offers a catalogue and provides many items that improve the quality of life for a Parkinson's patient, including aids for eating, exercising, turning handles and knobs, and accessories for wheelchairs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------