The Future of Neuroscience
While not as prevalent as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's is still the 14th leading cause of death and affects around 1 million people in the US and 6.3 million people worldwide. Like Alzheimer's, it is a neurodegenerative disorder and has no cure as of now. Over the years, Parkinson's disease has increased in death rates by 4.8%. The chances of developing Parkinson's disease increase at the age of 65 and on.
Parkinson's Disease
When diagnosed, it is not very easy to determine whether the symptoms are related to Parkinson's disease or to the more common Alzheimer's disease. Various symptoms include shaking uncontollably, stiffness of the joints, slow movement, and impaired coordination. All of these symptoms are common to both diseases, but what separates Parkinson's disease from Alzheimer's disease is what causes it. Parkinson's disease is caused by a lack in dopamine-producing cells while Alzheimer's affects the memory and learning areas of the brain. Most patients with Parkinson's do not usually suffer memory loss while those with Alzheimer's rarely develop movement disabilities.
Since there is no cure for Parkinson's disease, treatment options are limited to medications and surgery. Medication helps to resolve the disability factors, but dopamine cannot be directly inserted into the brain, so the treatment is designed to stop the symptoms and not the actual disease. Another method for treating Parkinson's is deep brain simulation (DBS) that involves a generator connected to the chest. However, risks in using DBS include infection, brain hemorrhage or stroke.
Parkinson's disease has similar side effects to Alzheimer's, but the cause of Parkinson's is due to lack of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine helps the control of movement and also regulates non-motor functions as well. Knowing this, the Parkinson's Action Network is working to find a way to prevent this disease and also to improve the quality of life for those affected by it. However, according to the National Parkinson's foundation, 80% of dopamine-producing cells could be damaged before ever showing signs, promoting the efforts for finding a way to detect it early on.
Parkinson’s UK Research Discovers Memantine
The discovery of the drug memantine can help dopamine-producing cells survive and produce more dopamine in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The dopamine cells are modified with over-active NMDA receptors prior to the experiment. The NMDA receptors are crucial for interactions involving dopamine, but excessive activity can cause problems in their shape and function. The memantine can block these defective NMDA receptors, saving dopamine-producing cells. This discovery is extremely important because it offers a cure without affecting the normal processes between each neuron in the brain.
