At 01:41 PM 4/17/98 -0400, you wrote:
>We had a similar problem with the diagnosis ie absence of definite tests and
>sure-fire symptoms (especially since Carline has no tremor at all).
Nonetheless one >fairly certain indication seems to be a response to
Dopamine (sinemet) which
>certainly has a profound effect. The Doctors also seem to agree that of the
>miriad potential diseases only Parkinsons responds to Dopamine.
While the reaction to Sinemet can be an indicator of Parkinson's, it is not
invariably true. There are other conditions that will react to Sinemet,
such as normal pressure hydrocephalus or brain tumors. When I discussed
this with my neurosurgeon, he stated that since the exact method by which
Sinemet works is unknown, the body can respond for reasons not related to
PD. Therefore the use of Sinemet as a diagnostic tool for PD should be
backed up by other methods, such as MRI.
Peace, John
