New to Virtuality in 2002 will be this regular column on research in
Parkinson's Disease. Every day new discoveries are being made involving
breakthroughs in treatment and advances leading to a cure. While this
column will not be all inclusive, it will give the reader some insight
as to some areas of research that might be of interest to the lay
reader.
Your assistance would be appreciated in providing linked sites to
Virtuality concerning new treatments, medications, Clinical Trials or
research findings. Please email such findings to
Virtualityez@yahoo.com with RESEARCH
as the subject.
This issue will examine an instrument (assessment or test) used often by
physicians to measure your abilities or disabilities due to Parkinson's.
The instrument is online at the site of a professional organization
known as We Move, located at
www.wemove.org
. The site has
information about various movement disorders, including Parkinson's
Disease. This assessment tool is most often used in a research project
to measure how much or little improvement patients have during the
study.
The UPDRS (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale), is quite long and
detailed. As you know, there presently is no specific laboratory test to
determine that Parkinson's disease is the definite diagnosis. Physicians
base the diagnosis on symptoms (tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, balance
and response to PD medication). Of course, blood tests, MRI of the
brain, and other diagnostic tools are used to rule out other diseases or
abnormalities.
This link provides the complete URDRS assessment:
http://www.wemove.org/par_rate.html UPDRS
* Since its introduction in 1987, the UPDRS has been used extensively by
researchers and physicians around the world.
If you would be interested in knowing what studies are being conducted
or planned in PD research, or if you might be interested in being a
participant, bookmark these site:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/
http://www.acurian.com/patient/?camp=mlcthtml
Another procedure that is providing relief for some is the DBS (FDA
approved) and the STN (not yet approved). These are defined below:
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) uses an implanted electrode to deliver
continuous high-frequency electrical stimulation to either the thalamus,
globus pallidus (GPi), or the subthalamic nucleus (STN), another part of
the brain controlling movement. High frequency stimulation of cells in
these specific areas actually shuts them down, helping to rebalance
control messages in the movement control centers in the brain.
We have many readers who have undergone these DBS procedures. For the
March issue, Virtuality would like to print your experiences with this
procedure. Send a short summary by the end of February, 2002, of your
story and DBS to Virtualityez@yahoo.com with DBS story as the subject.
Please idicate in the body of your story if permission is granted for
readers to contact you and provide that information. Your identity or
contact info will not be released without your permission.
Help find a hope and a cure!