On Thu 28 Nov, Pat Reilly wrote:
> Margaret Mates wrote:
> >
> > At a recent PD support group meeting here in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
> > we had a session of relaxation followed by light resistance
> > exercise. During the relaxation phase of the "workout" I found that
> > my tremors (arms and legs) became worse; during the resistance
> > exercises the tremors lessened. However, another member of our group
> > experienced just the opposite; quiet (no tremor visible) until we
> > started the exercises then his hand and arm tremors really got going.
> > Can anyone speculate as to what might cause this difference in tremor
> > reaction to relaxation and exercise? Margaret Mates
>
> Margaret
> While exercising and streaching blood flow to the muscles is increased
> to provide more oxygen and fuel (sugars). Dopa is used by the muscles
> as a sugar which implies reduced levels in blood stream and less to the
> brain. If you were close to your next meds the increased exercise may
> have dropped your blood levels to low. When I exercise I have to take
> extra meds to supplement usually a 10/100 and my regular 50/200 sinememt
> before and another 10/100 after.
>
> Aloha
> Pat Reilly
>
>
There is a misunderstanding in this note which I would like to rectify:
Pat Reilly concludes that increased exercise results in depletion of
Dopamine in the body, and hence less Dopamine to the brain. This is not
how the body works. The function of Dopamine in the brain is to act as a
neuro-transmitter, and it has its own production plant in the brain (The
Substantia Nigra) This system exist as a completely separate entity to
the rest of the body, where Dopamine is one of the many Large Neutral
Amino Acids which are concerned with the transport of Protein around the
body. This Dopamine is produced by the Adrenal glands. The two systems
are kept totally apart by the Blood-Brain Barrier, which will not allow
Dopamine to pass.
So it is not Dopamine level in the body which is to blame. My guess,
for what it is worth, is that Margaret Mates was showing the normal
Parkinson's tremor, and was under-dosed at the time (i.e. the Dopamine in
her brain was less than optimum) whereas the other person who's 'hand and
arm tremors really got going' was exibiting the signs of too much
Dopamine - dyskinesia. In my experience, when underdosed, large sweeping
movements are quite easy to do smoothly, probably because the feedback
signal to the brain are ignored until the arm or leg has reached the
intended position: only then does the feedback circuit become effective
and the old tremor starts up again. Dyskinesias on the other hand are
random movements of the muscles, triggered by the excess Dopamine in the
brain, and these will completely destroy the careful or graceful moves.
Incidentally, I used to play Badminton in the earlier days of my PD, and
I too used to take a 'Booster tablet' thinking that I needed it. I now am
sure that in fact this is not so. The dopamine is a neural transmitter:
it passes on messages alomg the chain of neurons carrying the message
from the brain to the muscle. THe same amount of Dopamine is required to
make the arm move gently or move forcefully. However, it was most
important that I did not become underdosed while leaping about, because
I knew that I could not play effectively in that condition. The extra
tablet was effectively an extra bit of insurance.
Regards
--
Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]>
