By MARY MILLER

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurological degenerative disorder. It is caused by a gradual loss of certain brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that helps muscles work properly. Without this chemical, problems with muscle movement occur.

Medications and surgical intervention can control and improve some of the symptoms experienced with walking, but there is not an effective solution to the speech or swallowing disorders that occur.

Since Parkinson's disease affects the nervous system and speech is driven by neurological functions, nearly every person diagnosed with Parkinson's disease will experience problems with their speech.

Speech problems from Parkinson's disease usually begin as a soft voice, mumbled or monotone speech and/or hoarseness. These problems start early and frequently affect quality of life. People are forced to withdraw from the workforce, limit their social activities and are usually asked to repeat themselves when communicating. The only way to improve speech that is altered from Parkinson's disease is with speech therapy.

The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment in an intense speech therapy program that was developed after more than 15 years of research. Patients attend therapy four times a week for four weeks and can only be administered by an LSVT certified speech therapist. Patients go througha series of exercises with the sole focus of producing a louder voice. After they are able to produce a louder voice they advance to practicing common phrases and sentences and onto conversations.

Patients are also required to practice daily, using the tailored home program provided by their therapist. Upon completion of therapy, patients will display improved voice intensity, improved intelligibility and increased facial expression. Some patients even report an improved swallowing function. The results of the treatment have been known to last for up to two years.

By Kate Devlin

Parkinson’s disease progresses more slowly in patients with naturally high levels of the acid which triggers gout, suggesting a possible new treatment for the disease.

Patients with high levels of uric acid were a third less likely to need treatment over the course of two years than those with low levels, the results of a new study show.

Researchers are now testing whether increasing Parkinson’s patients’ uric acid levels safely can help their condition.

An antioxidant, the acid is created naturally as we digest food.

But too much uric acid, or urate, can cause bouts of gout, an extremely painful joint condition, and kidney stones.

Diets rich in liver, seafood and dried beans have been linked to high uric acid levels but researchers warn that because of the side effects patients should not try to increase their urate levels themselves.

A smaller study published last year also suggested that high uric acid levels could slow the progression of Parkinson’s Disease.

Dr Alberto Ascherio, from the Harvard School of Public Health, who led the study, said: “Only now we can be reasonably sure that the slower rate of progression in patients with higher concentrations of urate is real and not a chance occurrence."

However, the researchers stress that they do not yet know if it is the acid itself which carries the protective benefit or some other process of the body which produces uric acid as a by-product.

The latest research looked at 800 sufferers of the condition.

The link between high uric acid levels and a slower development of the disease was less clear in women then men, the study found, however this may be because women tend to have higher natural levels of the acid.

About 120,000 people in Britain are thought to have the condition.

Famous sufferers include the actor Michael J Fox.

The researchers are now conducting a trial, sponsored by the Michael J Fox Foundation, to give 90 patients a drug, inosine, which can elevate uric acid levels, to test whether they can be safely raised and if this slows the speed of the disease.

"Because elevated urate levels have known health risks, including gout and kidney stones urate elevation should only be attempted in the context of a closely monitored clinical trial in which potential benefits and risks are carefully balanced," Dr Schwarzschild said.

ScienceDaily (Oct. 4, 2009)
A derivative of cholesterol is necessary for the formation of brain cells, according to a study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet. The results, which are published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, can help scientists to cultivate dopamine-producing cells outside the body.

The study was led by Professor Ernest Arenas and demonstrates that the formation of dopamine-producing neurons during brain development in mice is dependent on the activation of a specific receptor in the brain by an oxidised form of cholesterol called oxysterol. Dopamine-producing nerve cells play an important part in many brain functions and processes, from motor skills to reward systems and dependency. They are also the type of cell that dies in Parkinson's disease.

The scientists have also shown that embryonic stem cells cultivated in the laboratory, form more dopamine-producing nerve cells if they are treated with oxidized cholesterol. The same treatment also reduced the tendency of the stem cells to show uncontrolled growth.

"Oxysterol contributes to a safer and better cultivation of dopamine-producing cells, which is a great advancement since it increases the possibility of developing new treatments for Parkinson's disease," says Professor Arenas.

It is hoped that one day it will be possible to replace dead cells in the brains of Parkinson's patients with transplanted cultivated dopamine-producing cells. Such cells can also be used to test new Parkinson's drugs.