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Dennis, is impossible to have dyskinesia and not be using drugs? Thanks [log in to unmask] ----- Original Message ----- From: Dennis Greene <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 1999 5:56 PM Subject: Re: what is dyskinesia?/experiments > Tom, Brian, Ida and others, > > Brian wrote: > > > I believe that a pallidotomy, > > effectively turns down the gain of the feedback signal, thus making a > > better match to the feeble signal from the Parkinsons-affected brain. > > Similarly, closing your eyes frees the brain from having to cope with > > another possibly conflicting signal. Note: If you have had a Pallidotomy > > the eye-closing routine might have a quite different effect, since the > > Pallidotomy and the eye-closing may be additive, subtractive, or simply > > the pallidotomy may swamp the eye-closing effect. > > In my experience mild to medium strength dyskinesias (not to mention many PD > symptoms per se) can be reduced by a range of comfort giving activities. > These include emptying the bladder, putting on sunglasses on a bright day, > taking off uncomfortable footwear, getting out of the heat in summer, > getting into the warmth in winter, adding or removing clothing as required > by temperature changes. NOTHING, other than waiting it out, helps with > strong dyskinesia. My speculation as to why this is so runs along the lines > of Brian's 'conflicting signal' comment. > > Since reading Tom's question I have tried a few experiments on myself and > one other person, with the following results. > > In my own case (and like Ida I have had a pallidotomy) I found that closing > my eyes resulted in a distinct pause in the mild dyskinesia I am > experiencing at present during my short 'on' periods. However, within 30 > seconds the dyskinesia re-established itself and continued on its merry way. > It is clear that closing the eyes has some effect on dyskinesia but just > what mechanism is at work is a moot point. > > The results of my experiment with my friend were very interesting. He is a > man of +/- 50 years of age who has had PD for over 10 years. He has not had > surgery and, not being a member of this list, had no knowledge of this > discussion. Seeing him experiencing medium level dyskinesia I asked him to > close his eyes and keep them shut. This he did - with no discernible change > in his dyskinesia. I then told him about this discussion and of course he > immediately tried again. This time, to my amazement, his dyskinetic level > dropped to mild. He opened his eyes soon afterwards so I have no idea how > long the change would have lasted. I am well aware that the response of one > subject to one brief experiment is hardly definitive but it does introduce > the possibility of a placebo effect. > > Dennis > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > Dennis Greene 49/dx 37/ onset 32 > There's nothing wrong with me that a cure for PD won't fix! > [log in to unmask] > http://members.networx.net.au/~dennisg/ > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++