CURRENT SCIENCE REVIEWS by Joe Bruman July 1997 p. 1 of 2 =20 Sinson G et al; J Neurosurg 1997;86:511-518: Working with brain-damaged rats, they found that neural growth factor (NGF) infusion reduced neuron loss, apoptosis, and cognitive=20 deficit. Lopez-Lozano J et al; J Neurosurg 1997;86:931-942: Follow-up of 10 patients who had fetal implant via open surgery showed improvement in symptoms and reduction of medication=20 requirements that persisted 5 years so far, although withdrawal of cyclosporine (immunosuppressant) in 3 of the 10 caused a decline in clinical status. Schumacher J et al; Nature Medicine 1997;3:474-475: Frosty but intense debate over risk that xenografts (e.g., porcine fetal tissue for Parkinson's Disease) might introduce new viral disease into the human population. Culliton B; Nature Medicine 1997;3:477 (editorial): To maintain a competent scientific staff for making its very important regulatory decisions, the (US) FDA has tried to support its own in-house research program. But license applicants=20 and others complain that neither effort is up to science community standards, possibly due to calcified bureaucracy in the FDA. Hefti F; Nature Medicine 1997;3:497 (editorial): Various highly touted neurotrophic factors for neurodegenerative disease such as ALS, Huntington's (and PD), aren't always=20 successful or trouble-free. Since NGFs don't cross the blood-brain=20 barrier, they need a complex delivery technique, e.g.,=20 transplantation of genetically modified cells that express the=20 desired NGF. Special precautions are needed, to prevent the cells=20 from invading the wrong area, and to avoid unwanted side effects=20 of NGF that doesn't reach the desired target. Davis K et al; Nature Medicine 1997;3:671-674: Combining the PET mapping technique with Deep-Brain Stimulation of PD patients, they offer to explain why the nondestructive DBS and=20 conventional ablative surgery (pallidotomy or thalamotomy) both=20 lead to the same result: abatement of the PD symptoms. They think that in either case, excessive output from the basal ganglia inhibits action of the premotor cortex system (voluntary movement), and suppressing that output either way relieves the PD symptoms. Grafton S, DeLong M; Nature Medicine 1997;3:602-603: Comment on the article above, with simplified explanation and=20 a diagram of the neural circuits that are disrupted in PD. Kishore A et al; Brain 1997;120:729-737: Looking to cut costs, D. Calne's team at Vancouver, Canada Hospital did 24 pallidotomies using CT instead of MRI, and omitting microelectrode recording. They claim results at 6-month followup (in some cases a year) were favorable, although 5 patients had transient neurological complications and 1 suffered permanent facial paresis. 1 CURRENT SCIENCE REVIEWS by Joe Bruman July 1997 p. 2 of 2 Hawkes C et al; J Neur N'surg Psych 1997;62:436-446: PD impairs olfaction (you knew that). But they proved it by formal tests on 96 confirmed PD patients and 96 controls. Moreover, post- mortem study of 8 patients showed characteristic Lewy bodies in the olfactory bulbs of all, suggesting that hyposmia may be important for early diagnosis. Stocchi F et al; J Neur N'surg Psych 1997;62:507-511: Urodynamic and related study of 30 PD patients and 32 with MSA (broad definition) showed some differences in urinary dysfunction which may be a useful diagnostic test. Chinnery P et al; J Neur N'surg Psych 1997;62:562: Acute intermittent porphyria, a rare (1:10,000) hereditary=20 condition that may occasionally accompany PD, may be aggravated by=20 some drugs used in PD, e.g., bromocriptine, lisuride. They report=20 one such case, however, where pergolide was OK. Foster N et al; Ann Neur 1997;41:706-715: After study of several family clusters, they propose a new category named "frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17". Wilhelmsen K et al; Ann Neur 1997;41:814ff: Looking for a PD gene on chromosome 22q13, they studied DNA from 121 PD patients and 138 matched controls, from a community in New York City. They didn't find it but suspect one may be lurking nearby. Schulzer M et al; Ann Neur 1997;41:833-34: Debate over effects of deprenyl and levodopa on progression of PD. Lang A et al; Ann Neur 1997:41:834ff: Comparative experience with pallidotomy; One of the two groups found cognitive and behavioral changes, the other didn't. Patients in some cases gained weight, improved attentiveness, complained of memory, concentration, or emotional problems after surgery. Guttman M et al; Neur 1997;48:1578-1583: In PET study of the dopamine transporter (DAT) in 11 new=20 (dopa-na=EFve) PD patients and 10 controls, they found damage to the=20 putamen correlates with clinical symptoms when about 50% of the dopaminergic neurons there are lost. Liou H et al; Neur 1997:48:1583-1588: Study in Taiwan of 120 PD patients and 240 controls suggests that exposure to herbicides/pesticides and paraquat may be significant. Plante-Bordeneuve V et al; Neur 1997:48:1589-1593: In a total of 100 PD patients and 100 controls, they checked for defective genes of four different proteins in the dopamine pathway: Dopamine Receptor D2, Dopamine Transporter, MAO-A, and MAO-B, finding that the first might be a significant predictor. Kordower J et al; Neur 1997;48:1737-1738: Discussion of a fatal fetal transplant, apparently botched by an=20 American neurosurgeon in China. 2 J. R. Bruman (818) 789-3694 3527 Cody Road Sherman Oaks, CA 91403-5013