While tremors, slowness, and coordination problems are generally associated with Parkinson’s disease, approximately 30-40% of Parkinson’s patients also suffer from dementia. In fact, Dementia in Parkinson’s patients is the leading reason for their placement in nursing homes. An ongoing Mayo Clinic study found that Parkinson’s patients may experience cognitive problems before developing dementia. The study found that 22%… Read more

Researchers move one step closer to understanding the process of Alzheimer’s disease. One of the key areas of research for Alzheimer’s is amyloid beta and the plaque that it forms. Researchers believe that a process called endocytosis is involved in the increase of amyloid beta. John Cirrito, PhD, research instructor in neurology, Washington University School… Read more

Studies have already shown that relatives of individuals with Parkinson’s have an increased risk of the disease. Also observed is that immediate relatives (brother, sister, mother, father, son or daughter) of people who have Parkinson’s disease are at increased risk for developing depression and anxiety disorders—particularly if Parkinson’s occurs before age 75. Many Parkinson’s disease patients… Read more

Researchers at Northwestern University have made an interesting connection between Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. They suggest that it is a 3rd form of diabetes. Type 3 diabetes affects the ‘amyloid Beta-derived diffusible ligand‘ (ADDL). ADDLs are small, soluble aggregated proteins that appear to accumulate during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and are known to block memory and learning… Read more

Fibromyalgia pain can cause severe pain, which makes it difficult for a person with the disease to think clearly. For some, fibromyalgia pain can become so intense that it is a struggle just to get through the day. Often the worst days are referred to as fibromyalgia fog and it is advised that fibromyalgia patients prepare… Read more

Researchers wanted to better understand what brain circuits suppress or assist in long-term memory retrieval. Yadin Dudai and colleagues report in the 01/10/2008 journal of Neuron on a study performed on a group of volunteers. The group was divided into those who were susceptible to hypnotic suggestions and those not. Both groups were shown a… Read more

Parkinson’s Disease Society (PDS) responds to the Northwestern University report of isradipine as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Director of Research and Development for Parkinson’s Disease Society (PDS), Dr. Kieran Breen, says Parkinson’s is caused by the loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells. If this process can be reversed the symptoms of Parkinson’s would also be… Read more

Alzheimer’s disease creates an accumulation of amyloid plaque deposits, which is composed primarily of the neurotoxic beta-amyloid peptide. The amyloid peptides are “cut” out from a larger protein called amyloid precursor protein (APP), then bind together to form plaques in the memory area of the brain. Vivian Y.H. Hook, PhD, professor, Skaggs School of Pharmacy… Read more

The Whistleblower, by Peter Rost, M.D., reminds me a lot of those Chinese finger traps you might have played with as kid. You stick a finger in each end of a bamboo woven tube and the harder you struggle to free yourself, the more difficult it is to escape. As adults, we know the secret… Read more

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) nearly 50 million Americans suffer from allergies and 17 million have been diagnosed with asthma. The NIAID web site offers excellent information on allergies through a wide offering of fact sheets, brochures, news releases, and a variety of resource links… Read more

Back in 1957, when William Black, founder of Chock full o-Nuts, close friend and company controller, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, he was appalled to learn that no effective therapy was available. Even the most basic research was not being done to better understand the disease….much less to find a cure. Using his own money… Read more

Ironically, researchers ‘think’ they have an understanding of how we ‘think’ and how memory is created. When it comes to the brain it is a matter of speculation of how our metaphorical gears work. Recent research by Duke University’s Medical Center neurobiologist, Michael Ehlers, M.D., Ph.D., has filled in one more piece of the puzzle… Read more