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Regarding Janet P's and Gary C's recent questions, I would add my own similar idea: Failed neurons in PD don't necessarily die; some research indicates that they only become inactive, and might somehow be revived. I wonder why all the CNS degenerative diseases are so site-specific (e.g., in PD it is the pars compacta of the substantia nigra). It occurs to me that such regions are peculiarly vulnerable, perhaps to toxic insult, because they are deficient in some nutrient, but so slightly that the deficiency is in the "normal" range and not conspicuous until a substantial proportion of the tissue in question has failed. That sort of thing could account for a myriad of human variations, from disease susceptibility to athletic ability. Since the new techniques PET and SPECT now enable us to map brain circulation in great detail, I've suggested to several authorities that they might be used to look for slight regional deficiencies in nutrition. So far, the answer has been "pooh-pooh". Cheers, Joe J. R. Bruman (818) 789-3694 3527 Cody Road Sherman Oaks, CA 91403-5013