Actor Michael J. Fox, arguably the most famous person in North America with Parkinson’s has done a lot to raise its profile among the general public. The tremors are the most well known part of Parkinson’s, but the disease affects other parts of the body as well. Other effects may be:

• Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
• Difficult chewing
• Difficulty speaking
• Urinary problems
• Constipation
• Visual disurbances
• Depression

Visual problems and driving

Researchers from Iowa studied 118 people, 67 of whom had mild to moderate Parkinson’s and 51 who didn’t. The subjects took driving simulation tests and the results were published in the most recent issue of the journal Neurology.

After a visual processing test, the subjects drove for the first part in good conditions, with clear skies. This was switched to a foggy, low visibility situation. While driving in the fog, another vehicle came out of an intersection and the subjects were tested on their reaction time.

The researchers found that the subjects who had Parkinson’s crashed 76% of the time – with a reaction time of 2.7 seconds, compared with 37% of those who didn’t have the disease and whose reaction time was 2.1 seconds. Those with Parkinson’s were also driving faster (49 mph) compared with those without (39 mph).

It was also found that those with Parkinson’s drifted over the center line more often than those without. The subjects with Parkinson’s who scored the lowest on the visual processing test were more likely to crash.

Fog and twilight can mimic the same conditions, so this finding is worrisome for those who continue to drive after their diagnosis.

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Image: PhotoXpress.com

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Mild-Mod Parkinson’s May Up Driver Risk

Dr. Ben Herz, a Medical College of Georgia (MCG) researcher, says that the Nintendo Wii could help treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Herz says that since the Wii requires visual perception, eye-hand coordination, figure-ground relationships and sequenced movement, it’s a big treatment tool for occupational therapy.

The pilot Wii study involved 20 Parkinson’s patients spending an hour playing the Wii three times a week for four weeks. Preliminary study findings were presently recently, and participants showed “significant improvements in rigidity, movement, fine motor skills and energy levels.” Also, most participants’ depression levels decreased to zero!

“About 60 percent of the study participants decided to buy a Wii for themselves. That speaks volumes for how this made them feel,” said Herz in a recent MCG news release.

(Image via Nintendo)

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Nintendo Wii as Parkinson’s Treatment

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The researchers observed that when mice were fed an omega-3 rich diet, they seemed immune to the effect of MPTP, a toxic compound that causes the same damage to the brain as Parkinson’s. “This compound, which has been used for more than 20 years in Parkinson’s research, works faster than the disease itself and is just as effective in targeting and destroying the dopamine-producing neurons in the brain,” points out Calon.

By contrast, another group of mice that were fed an ordinary diet developed the characteristic symptoms of the disease when injected with MPTP, including a 31% drop in dopamine-producing neurons and a 50% decrease in dopamine levels.

Analyses revealed that omega-3 fatty acids – in particular DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a specific type of omega-3 – had replaced the omega-6 fatty acids already present in the brains of the mice that had been given omega-3 supplementation.

Read more here.

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Omega-3 Fatty Acid (DHA) May Protect Against Parkinson’s Disease

The authors administered small amounts of melatonin to mice and observed that not only did this substance neutralize the oxidative stress and the inflammatory process caused by aging, but it also delayed its effects, thus increasing longevity. In particular, the University of Granada’s goal was to analyse the mitochondrial function in mice and check their mitochondrial capacity to produce ATP – adenosine triphosphate – a molecule whose mission is to store the energy every cell needs to carry out its functions.

In mice, melatonin is no longer produced at the age of five months and the administration of melatonin at this age helped counteract all age-related processes. The researchers therefore extrapolates this to humans, suggesting that a daily melatonin intake in humans from the age of 30 or 40 could prevent – or, at least, delay – illnesses related to aging, free radicals and inflammatory processes, such as many neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. Parkinson’s disease) and complications linked to other illnesses, like diabetes.

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Melatonin Helps Delay Aging

Unhealthy? Think again. Gone are the days when coffee and caffeine would be considered the villain. Contrary to popular belief, and although there are studies indicating that caffeine consumption leads to aortal stiffness, and may therefore increase the risks of contracting cardiovascular disease, a large-scale long-term study demonstrates to the contrary.

After approximately 20 years of follow-up there were 4427 recorded cases of coronary heart disease. After adjusting the results for age, smoking, alcohol consumption, and BMI, the researchers found that people who drank between four and five cups of coffee per day had the same risk of CHD as those who drank less one cup of coffee per month.

In fact, recent research studies are putting coffee in a new light. It’ll be a loooong list to write caffeine’s stellar properties in one entry, and in time, i’ll tackle them all, but to start with, here are some of the latest research developments:

• Coffee could protect the liver against alcoholic cirrhosis (not that it’s ok to be alcoholic if you drink coffee along with it, of course)
• It can reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease, (yes, that disease that afflicts Michael J Fox)
• Women who consumed 6 or more cups per day had a 22% lower risk of diabetes. Even, or particularly with, decaffeinated coffee!

There are lots more, but I’m off now to get my cuppa. What’s it gonna be for you? Espresso, latte macchiato, capuccino, or decaf?

[Hat Tip: StraightfromtheDoc]

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Let’s Have A Coffee Break!