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Hilary: Just to add to Hans' comments... Right after the NIH study (Polymeropoulos et al) came out a year ago, we conducted tests on DNA from more than 100 young onset PD patients (we have a pretty extensive tissue bank!) and found that a-synuclein missense, the mutation that NIH identified in the Contursi kindred, was NOT present in ANY of the samples. Since that time, the same mutation has been confirmed in 2 or 3 (?) families of Greek origin, but not in any other family. It's very highly unlikely that your daughter is carrying a PD gene... Carole Cassidy At 03:53 AM 7/24/98 +0200, you wrote: >Wed, 22 Jul 1998 17:36:34 -0400 Hilary Blue <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > ><<<< I think I told you that my daughter may grow up to be in a similar >situation, as she already has a juvenile form of manic depression and if she >is carrying a gene for PD.....! >>>> > >Hello Hilary, > >Until now there are only a few families found where the genes were >responsible for the symptoms of Parkinsonism cq PD. These were very rare >cases and studies with larger and general groups of PWP have so far given no >evidence at all that these genes found are responsible for the PD or >Parkinsonism in the general population. > >Secondly: some MEDS against MD (manic depression) can cause or worsen the >PD-SYMPTOMS, not the PD itself! The situation is REVERSIBLE. After stopping >or changing the MD meds, the PD-symptoms disappear again. IF! and I say IF >by cruel coincidence your daughter would develop PD in the future, the PD >also does NOT worsen the MD, but some PD meds could worsen the MD-SYMPTOMS. >So (IF it would happen) there would be limitations in the choice of meds for >both diseases. > >I can understand your concern for your daughter's future, but at the moment >you need all your energy to "accept" your PD and to support your daughter >with her MD. Do not exhaust yourself by fearing for what MIGHT be, but >perhaps never will happen. Try to detour the energy, you are now using to >fear the future, to have more energy to cope with the present. > >Take care, Hans. > >P.s.: keep writing the poetry!! > >