Today is an exciting time for research scientists studying Parkinson's Disease!

It appears that new discoveries are occurring at phenomenal rates. During mid-April,

the American Academy of Neurology held its 54th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of  Neurology.

 For the past week, my mailbox has been packed with PD news! Here are just a few of some recent findings:

Hold the RAID! (Pesticides)

Preliminary results from a study of thousands of farmers in Iowa and North Carolina suggest exposure to several

crop pesticides may be linked to the development of Parkinson's disease. newslink

The "Eyes"" Have It! (We hope)
Implanting cells obtained from the human retina into the brains of people who have advanced Parkinson's disease appears to significantly improve their motor functions. link to story

Drink Up! (Green Tea, that is)
Green Tea Extract Polyphenol May Have A Protective Effect On Parkinson's Disease green tea

Don't Throw the Baby (Cells) Out With the Wash!
Fetal Cell Transplants Show Long-Term Benefit for Parkinson's  fetal cell

Clusters of PD & Michael J. Fox
The news that 3 of Michael J Fox's friends who worked with him on a TV show in the 1970's like him

developed PD re-ignited an interest in PD "clusters" people who were together for a period of time and

later developed PD. Since the 1970's scores of such "clusters" have been studied. The studies, however,

have failed to reveal a toxin or a virus which may cause PD. More striking is the fact that many, many

more people are together for a period of time and DO NOT develop PD. pdclusters

"Iron"ing Out Accurate PD Diagnoses
Almost one in five people are wrongly diagnosed with Parkinson's because it can currently only be accurately And they plan to test their theory by carrying out a series of tests using brain scanning equipment. Scientists at Sheffield University believe they may have found a way to diagnose the disease more accurately. They think the key could be the level of iron content in the brain. english/health/news

"Growing" a New Brain Suspected
Doctors in Bristol, UK, have developed an experimental treatment which, they suspect, has regenerated the

brains of five patients with Parkinson's disease. english/sci/tech/news

I Smell a Laugh Coming! (And better movement, too)
In a pilot study at the Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, southwestern England, the drug called GDNF helped five patients move better and, for one sufferer, restored the sense of smell and the ability to laugh. "We thought that this drug would take some months or even years to be effective. We found that within a month or two patients were noticing significant changes in their ability to do things," Dr. Steven Gill, the neurosurgeon who led the study, told BBC radio. GDNF, which stands for glial derived neurotrophic factor, is a natural growth agent needed by brain cells to produce dopamine, which is necessary to transmit impulses or messages to the body.A reduced concentration of dopamine in the brain is associated with Parkinson's disease.

Measuring Up (Or down!)
Effectiveness of Drugs Used To Treat Parkinson's Disease In Early, Later Stages Measured  parkin_drug

"Black Holes" Found in Aussie Brains
Sydney scientists have discovered a "black hole" in the brain that may cause the symptoms of Parkinson's

disease. The scientists, from the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, found that an important group

of nerve cells, previously thought to be merely inactive in people with Parkinson's disease, are in fact entirely missing. The disease affects more than 50,000 Australians articles

If you find an interesting piece on PD-related research,

send an email with SUBJ: Virtuality Research to tnpeg@yahoo.com !

By Peg Willocks