symptoms of parkinsons disease : Parkinson's disease

Treatment

There is no cure for Parkinson's disease. Currently, the best treatments for PD involve the use of conventional drugs such as dopamine antagonists and levodopa. However, therapies such as acupuncture, massage, and yoga can help relieve some symptoms of the disease and loosen tight muscles. Some healthcare professionals have used herbal and dietary therapies, including amino acid supplementation, essential fatty acids (omega-3, omega-6, fish oil , and flax oil), antioxidant (carotenoids, bioflavenoids, vitamins A, C, E, selenium, and zinc) therapy, B vitamin supplementation, and calcium and magnesium supplementation, to treat PD. Anyone using these therapies in conjunction with conventional drugs should check with their doctor to avoid possible adverse interactions. For example, vitamin B6 (either as a supplement or from foods such as whole grains, bananas, beef, fish, liver, potatoes) can interfere with the action of L-dopa when the drug is taken without carbidopa.

Meditation and movement therapies such as Feldenkrais, t'ai chi , qigong, and yoga regain focus.

No evidence indicates that vitamin or mineral supplements can have an effect on the disease other than in their improvement of general health. No antioxidants used to date have shown promise as a treatment except for selegiline, an MAO-B inhibitor.

Regular, moderate exercise has been shown to improve motor function without an increase in medication for a person with PD. Exercise helps maintain range of motion in stiff muscles, improve circulation, and stimulate appetite. An exercise program designed by a physical therapist has the best chance of meeting the specific needs of the person with PD. A physical therapist may also suggest strategies for balance compensation and techniques to stimulate movement during slowdowns or freezes.

Practitioners of Ayurveda, or traditional Indian medicine, have prescribed mucuna seeds (Mucuna pruriens) to treat Parkinson's disease (or Kampavata) for over 4,000 years. Mucuna contains a natural form of L-dopa, a powerful anti-parkinsons drug.
Allopathic treatment

Most drugs treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease only, although one drug, selegiline (Eldepryl), may somewhat slow the degeneration of the substantia nigra.
Drugs

The pharmacological treatment of Parkinson's disease is complex. While there are a large number of drugs that can be effective, their effectiveness varies with the patient, disease progression, and the length of time the drug has been used. Dose-related side effects may preclude the use of the most effective dose, or require the introduction of a new drug to counteract them. There are five classes of drugs currently used to treat PD.
Drugs that replace dopamine

One drug that helps replace dopamine is levodopa (L-dopa). L-dopa is a derivative of dopamine, and is converted into dopamine by the brain. It may be started when symptoms begin, or when they become serious enough to interfere with work or daily living. L-dopa therapy usually remains effective for five years or longer. Following this, many patients develop motor fluctuations, including peak-dose dyskinesias (abnormal movements such as tics, twisting, or restlessness), rapid loss of response after dosing (known as the on-off phenomenon), and unpredictable drug response. Higher doses are usually tried, but may lead to an increase in dyskinesias. In addition, side effects of L-dopa include nausea and vomiting, and low blood pressure upon standing (orthostatic hypotension), which can cause dizziness. These effects usually lessen after several weeks of therapy.

L-dopa is an amino acid, and is absorbed by the digestive system by the same transporters that pick up other amino acids broken down from proteins in the diet. Limiting protein, under the direction of the physician or a nutritionist, can improve the absorption of L-dopa.

As of early 2000, L-dopa had been the front line medication of choice for treating Parkinson's disease for over 30 years. However, a study published in the May 2000 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine followed 300 Parkinson's patients in locations throughout the world and found that for young patients in the early stages of the disease, treatment was more effective with a class of drugs known as dopamine agonists .

symptoms of parkinsons disease : symptoms of parkinsons disease

Definition

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive movement disorder marked by tremors, rigidity, slow movements (bradykinesia), and postural instability. It occurs when, for unknown reasons, cells in one of the movement-control centers of the brain begin to die.
Description

PD affects approximately 500,000 people in the United States, both men and women, with as many as 50,000 new cases each year. Usually beginning in a person's late 50s or early 60s, it causes a progressive decline in movement control, affecting the ability to control initiation, speed, and smoothness of motion. Symptoms of PD are seen in up to 15% of those between the ages 65-74, and almost 30% of those between the ages of 75 and 84.
Causes & symptoms

The immediate cause of PD is the degeneration of brain cells in the area known as the substantia nigra, one of the movement control centers of the brain. Damage to this area leads to the cluster of symptoms known as parkinsonism. In PD, degenerating brain cells contain Lewy bodies, which help identify the disease. The cell death leading to parkinsonism may be caused by a number of conditions, including infection, trauma, and poisoning. Some drugs given for psychosis, such as haloperidol (Haldol) or chlorpromazine (thorazine), may cause parkinsonism. When no cause for nigral cell degeneration can be found, the disorder is called idiopathic parkinsonism, or Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism may be seen in other degenerative conditions, known as the parkinsonism plus syndromes, such as progressive supranuclear palsy.

The substantia nigra, or black substance, is one of the principal movement control centers in the brain. By releasing the neurotransmitter known as dopamine, it helps to refine movement patterns throughout the body. The dopamine released by nerve cells of the substantia nigra stimulates another brain region, the corpus striatum. Without enough dopamine, the corpus striatum cannot control its targets, and so on down the line. Ultimately, the movement patterns of walking, writing, reaching for objects, and other basic programs cannot operate properly, and the symptoms of parkinsonism are the result.

Much research has gone into identifying the cause of PD, but as of July 2000, no clear culprit has been found. Both genetic and environmental factors are suspected. In addition to these causes, there are some known toxins that can cause parkinsonism, most notoriously a chemical called MPTP, found as an impurity in some illegal drugs. Parkinsonian symptoms appear within hours of ingestion, and are permanent. MPTP may exert its effects through generation of toxic molecular fragments called free radicals, and reducing free radicals has been a target of several experimental treatments for PD using antioxidants.

It is possible that early exposure to some as-yet-unidentified environmental toxin or virus leads to undetected nigral cell death, and that PD then becomes manifest as normal age-related decline brings the number of functioning nigral cells below the threshold needed for normal movement. It is also possible that, for genetic reasons, some people are simply born with fewer cells in their substantia nigra than others, and they develop PD as a consequence of normal decline. As of early 2000, however, no gene or toxin had been identified to explain the large number of cases of Parkinson's disease seen each year.

The identifying symptoms of PD include:

* Tremors, usually beginning in the hands, often occurring on one side before the other. The classic tremor of PD is called a pill-rolling tremor, because the movement resembles rolling a pill between the thumb and forefinger. This tremor occurs at a frequency of about three per second.
* Slow movements (bradykinesia) occur, which may involve slowing down or stopping in the middle of familiar tasks such as walking, eating, or shaving. This may include freezing in place during movements (akinesia).
* Muscle rigidity or stiffness, occurring with jerky movements replacing smooth motion.
* Postural instability or balance difficulty occurs. This may lead to a rapid, shuffling gait (festination) to prevent falling.
* In most cases, there is a masked face, with little facial expression and decreased eye-blinking.

In addition, a wide range of other symptoms may often be seen, some beginning earlier than others:

* depression
* speech changes, including rapid speech without inflection changes
* problems with sleep, including restlessness and nightmares
* emotional changes, including fear, irritability, and insecurity
* incontinence
* constipation
* handwriting changes, with letters becoming smaller across the page (micrographia)
* progressive problems with intellectual function (dementia).

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of Parkinson's disease involves a careful medical history and a neurological exam to look for characteristic symptoms. There are no definitive tests for PD, although a variety of lab tests may be done to rule out other causes of symptoms, especially if only some of the identifying symptoms are present. Tests for other causes of parkinsonism may include brain scans, blood tests, lumbar puncture, and x rays.
Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
by Paula Ford-Martin

symptoms of parkinsons disease

Although genetic susceptability plays a role in early-onset Parkinson's Disease (PD) that arises before age 50, genetics is not as significant in the majority of cases, according to a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences factsheet. Occupational exposure to heavy metals and pesticide exposure appear to be primary triggers in PD that arises after age 50. The fact sheet says, "Case-control studies have found increased incidence of PD associated with pesticide use, rural environments, consumption of well water, exposure to herbicides, and living near industrial plants, printing plants, or quarries." Many of these chemicals cause free radical damage.

In Jill Selby's interview with Dr. David Perlmutter, Dr. Perlmutter discusses glutathione treatment to alleviate PD's symptoms. He explains that glutathione, a free radical scavenger, slows the disease's progression by limiting free radical damage to neurons. In addition, glutathione apparently increases the brain's sensitivity to dopamine although it does not actually raise dopamine levels. PD patients are known to have low levels of dopamine and glutathione. Glutathione also increases sensitivity to serotonin. Dr. Perlmutter says that 80-90% of the PD patients that he has treated have improved dramatically. At the time of the interview, Dr. Perlmutter and his colleagues had determined a standard dosage of 1400 mg of glutathione mixed with saline and given intravenously for ten minutes three times a week. He says that IV administration is needed because glutathione is digested very rapidly when given orally. Dr. Perlmutter also recommends the amino acid Nacetylcysteine and milk thistle. He urges doctors to avoid mixing glutathione with vitamin C because "vitamin C renders glutathione useless by causing it to oxidize." Dr. Perlmutter also notes that glutathione therapy may interfere with chemotherapy because glutathione increases the liver's ability to process chemicals.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. Parkinson's Disease Research at the NIEHS. April 1999. www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/factsheets/parkinson.htm

SOUND; PRIZE WINNERS IN CAR STEREO

Just as they do for home stereo equipment, the editors of Audio-Video International - a leading trade publication - bestow annual ''Grand Prix'' citations on outstanding new entries among car stereo components. Reflecting the results of a nationwide poll of 531 car-stereo dealers and installers, these honors represent a statistically derived critical assessment in a field otherwise lacking comprehensive review. The list of winners also provides a handy shopping guide for quality-conscious listeners who consider music an essential travel accessory.

Among so-called front-end units -i.e., radio/cassette combinations that are mounted in the car's dashboard - the top award went to Alpine's Model 7165, which offers exceptional performance and value for $380. Its digital tuner permits 12 stations to be preset for single-touch tuning, and it also provides the convenience of ''automatic seek.'' This feature allows the set to pick out radio stations in a given area one by one without the driver having to hunt for them on the dial. That way, his attention is not distracted, and he need not take his eyes off the road. This feature is particularly valuable when driving in unfamiliar territory where the driver does not know the frequencies of local stations.

Another thoughtful touch contributing to safer night driving is the soft illumination of the cassette loading slot, enabling the driver to insert a cassette without searching or fumbling. Separate treble and bass controls permit a fair degree of flexibility in adjusting the tonal balance to the acoustical needs of a particular car interior, and the music-search feature on the cassette player helps find particular selections on the tape.

By HNS FANTEL

How Home Theater Works

Until recently, the best way to watch a movie was to go to a movie theater. The introduction of VCRs made it easy to rent or buy movies and watch them at home, but TVs just didn't compare to movie theaters' huge screens and surround-sound systems. Not only did TVs have comparatively tiny screens and lower quality speakers, formatting a movie to fit the screen got rid of a substantial part of the picture.

Now, more and more people are turning their ordinary TV rooms into home theaters. This used to involve a projector and a screen, and it was too expensive for most people to afford. But advances in technology have given people more choices for home theater setups, and some people find that a home theater is quieter and more convenient than a movie theater -- and the picture and sound are great.

If you're looking for a home theater system, you have a lot of decisions ahead of you. In this article, we'll go over all the components that make up a home theater system. You'll learn what each component does and what to keep in mind when you make your selection. If you're thinking of turning your den into a fully functioning home theater, this article will help you get started.

by Tom Harris and Tracy V. Wilson

If we get our Scottish version of Las Vegas

The British government is making something of a meal of awarding a licence for a super casino. Only one such gambling emporium is to be allowed in the sceptred isle, and 27 councils are competing for the right to soak the punters.
This enthusiasm is hardly surprising. Las Vegas, the paradigmatic gaming city, reported a 15% increase last year in revenues from visiting gamblers. Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and Midlothian are the three Scottish local authorities hustling for the casino licence. They face competition from the likes of Blackpool (a town with much experience in separating mugs from their money), Cardiff, and Havering in London. Havering sounds like an ideal place to fritter away your money, although the neighbouring borough of Barking would also be a candidate.

For some reason, the allocation of Britain’s only mega-casino is in the hands of Tessa Jowell, the English culture secretary. We do not want to be excessively Scottish here, but surely the inalienable right to lose your shirt should be a devolved matter.

I have no real preference as to the Scottish candidates. Bowling in Dunbartonshire and Straiton in Midlothian are in the frame but there would be a delicious irony if the Scottish mecca (so to speak) for games of chance were to be Glasgow’s St Enoch Centre, a mammonistic enterprise funded, if memory serves, by the Church of England property division.

If Scotland is to get into the casino business, we should do it in a big way. Why go for one big casino when we can create a whole new Las Vegas? Like the American version, the Scottish casino industry should be built in a desert. The closest Scotland has got to a desert is that strip of North Lanarkshire and West Lothian on either side of the M8 motorway. It is a region which could certainly benefit from an infusion of betting beneficence.

Play the slots in Shotts, poker in Pumpherston, blackjack in Blackridge, or craps almost anywhere. Circus Circus in West Calder has a certain ring to it, as does Caesar’s Palace in Salsburgh. Who needs New York, New York when you can have Harthill, Harthill?

But Las Vegas is not just about gambling. Some people go there to get married by Elvis Presley in the Wee Kirk O’ The Heather chapel. I can see a thriving wedding business in the Scottish Las Vegas with Sydney Devine in his rhinestone outfit conducting ceremonies at the Wee Kirk O’ Shotts.

On the tourist front, a helicopter trip over the slagheaps of West Lothian may not quite compete with the Grand Canyon experience. One service Nevada offers that Scotland is unlikely to match is the legalised brothel. Our Calvinistic society is not ready for the Chicken Ranch with a roadside neon sign advertising the Best Little Whorehouse In Whitburn.

I find myself unmoved by gambling and cannot understand the attraction it holds for some people. One-armed bandits or puggies or whatever they are now called are far too complicated. With all those flashing lights and decisions to be taken on the holds, the nudges, the winks, it is a science I have been unable to master. I tried bingo once but could not stand the pace, even with just the one card to mark while adjacent old ladies were nonchalantly coping with half-a-dozen.

I find card games too stressful and intimidating. I have never really recovered from losing four and ninepence in a poker school at Strathclyde University union in 1966. I couldn’t get to grips with all that holding and folding and working out the numbers, which was a sad state of affairs for a mathematics student. The saddest bit was parting company with my four and ninepence. That is 24p in new money and doesn’t sound much, but in those days it was equal to two pints of lager.

I used to frequent Glasgow’s casinos but only because they were the only places a late-shift worker could relax after the midnight hour. I was more interested in the steak and chips (very reasonably priced at about 30 bob) than the gaming chips.

In order not to be seen abusing Mr Reo Stakis’s hospitality, we would have a shot at the roulette table. Roulette has to be the most boring game on Earth. Especially if you’re gambling on the red and your pal is on black and as a team you break even.

I spent three days in Las Vegas once and it seemed like a month. It was certainly two days too long. Once you become immune to the excessive architecture of the hotels, it is an ineffably boring city. I did apply myself to a slot machine where you could win a Cadillac for 10 cents. I didn’t win the car but after 10 minutes I had a large bucket full of dimes. Faced with the boredom of playing on to get rid of this mountain of coins, I gave the bucketful to the Mexican bloke who was cleaning the toilets. Shortly after this magnanimous gesture, I spotted the counter where you can change your bucket of coins for folding stuff.

The only good thing about Las Vegas, apart from Gil Grissom in CSI, is that Barry Manilow is permanently in concert at the Hilton. He never appears anywhere else. This means that if you avoid the Las Vegas Hilton, you will never have to hear Barry Manilow sing.

I am sure a similar deal can be done somewhere on the West Lothian strip for the afore-mentioned Sydney Devine. There is a precedent for this. I did see Sydney perform live at La Fabrique nightspot in Bo’ness in 1974. It was unforgettable, no matter how hard I have tried.

ONE of the joys of Barcelona is being able to indulge in a large seafood dinner without having to take out a second mortgage. And just when I thought things could not get better or cheaper, I was directed last week to a restaurant called La Paradeta. This is a place, which makes the finest fish and shellfish affordable by the simple tactic of making the customer do most of the work.

You start by choosing what you want from a counter the size of a stall at the fish market. The woman weighs or counts your choice of items and places them in a box which is passed through to the kitchen with instructions on how you want them cooked. You are given a tray of plates and cutlery for you to set your own table.

At another counter you collect your bread, wine, fizzy water, beer, and various pots of tartare and romesco sauces. Then you pay your bill before setting to the business in hand.

You get your salad and make up your own dressing. When your tea is ready you are summoned to collect it from the kitchen hatch. In our case, it was two lobsters, a dozen large prawns, two calamari, six razor clams, and a hillock of tallarinas, which are small sweet clams.

We would have had the oysters, the monkfish, and some of the other stuff, but there were only three of us and we feared more indulgence might lead to a wafer-thin moment.

Sated and happy, we took the dirty crockery back to the kitchen, the glasses to the bar, and wiped the table ready for the next customers. Our efforts were rewarded with a free digestivo from the bar staff. At £20 a head for the entire shooting match, the DIY dinner is a concept some Scottish restaurants might consider. We might even get to eat some of our own seafood instead of sending it to Barcelona.

©2006 newsquest (sunday herald) limited. all rights reserved

ASIAN COOKING WITH SUNKIST

Citrus flavors are important to Asian and Chinese cooking. And no wonder! Historians believe that all citrus except grapefruit had its origins in the Orient. The juicy oranges we eat today were once a sour fruit growing wild in China. Satsuma tangerines were first cultivated in Japan, limes are native to Malaysia, lemons come from India and pummelos have been popular throughout Asia for centuries.


While there are many Asian cultures, Martin's virtual tour explores these two basic categories.


Southeast style includes the foods of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The focus is on aromatic foods prepared with a light touch using citrus juices, basil, cilantro and mint. Lemongrass and the pungent fish sauce, naam plaa, are also prominent flavors.

Northeast style includes China, Korea and Japan. Food here goes beyond the table; it also figures prominently in medicine and rituals. Fats, oils and sauces are often used. Because it covers such an enormous area, there are several variations in the way foods are flavored and prepared between the northern and southern regions.


So pack your chopsticks and come along as Martin Yan takes you on a wok through Asia!

Sunkist is a registered trademark of ® 2006 Sunkist Growers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Caravan Kingdoms

NUMEROUS PIECES OF extraordinary art take center stage in the exhibition "Caravan Kingdoms: Yemen and the Ancient Incense Trade." Located on the Gulf of Aden at the south of the Arabian Peninsula and bordering the Arabian and Red Seas, this region once played a central role in an ancient "global economy" that extended from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean.

During a 1,400-year period between the eighth century B.C. and the sixth century A.D., the southern Arabian kingdoms of Saba (biblical Sheba), Qataban, and Himyar were home to sophisticated civilizations that flourished through their control of the trade in frankincense and myrrh. Now best-known as the Gifts of the Magi, these valuable resins were harvested from bushes native to the region and were essential ingredients for court and temple ceremonies and in the spice markets and perfume industries of the Near East and Mediterranean worlds.

"Caravan Kingdoms" brings together for the first time in North America 129 archaeological objects to tell the story of these little-known, wealthy caravan kingdoms, examining the monumental structures, distinctive stone funerary sculptures, elaborately carved inscriptions, and sophisticated metalwork that have been unearthed there since the mid 20th century.

Dominated by the great interior desert known as the Ramlat as-Sabatyn, Yemen's four major valleys were occupied during this period by sophisticated states, which constructed complex irrigation systems and built imposing palaces and temples. These kingdoms competed for control over the lucrative overland caravan and later maritime trade routes to the Mediterranean coast and the western shores of the Persian Gulf.

During this time, multiple burials and cave tombs often contained miniature offerings; examples included in the exhibition are tiny vessels, incense burners, and altars. Bulls and ibex frequently appeared in temple decoration as capitals, on friezes, and gutter spouts, examples of which are on display.

A hallmark of Yemen's ancient cultural traditions is the creative use of a translucent, alabaster-like stone to carve funerary monuments and decorate temples and palaces. Statues of three generations of Awsan kings on view--each individualized by variations in dress, hairstyle, jewelry, and footwear--depict the typical funerary convention of a standing figure with arms extended in a gesture of offering.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group