Opinion
Alessio Travaglia, director of neuroscience at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), on the outlook for new Parkinson's treatments.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological disorder that affects a person's ability to move. When certain cells in the brain start to die, the process causes a decrease in a chemical called dopamine. As a result, individuals with Parkinson's disease may experience difficulty with everyday activities, such as walking, talking and writing, along with common symptoms, like tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement and difficulty with balance. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Parkinson's disease, and the number of patients is rising. The number of Parkinson’s patients is expected to increase to 1.2 million in the U.S. alone by 2030, posing a growing threat to public health. The disease costs the US$52 billion per year in direct and indirect costs. Although the hallmarks of Parkinson's disease are well known, and there are several genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors associated with PD, the underlying causes are still unknown. Breakthroughs are needed to improve treatment and quality of life for patients, but no disease-modifying drugs have been approved for Parkinson's disease despite extensive research. Drug discovery is a complex and time-consuming process involving the identification of new compounds that can be used to treat a particular disease. Read on to find out how the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Program Parkinson’s Disease (AMP PD) is working to advance PD drug discovery.
By Dr Robert Masson, neurosurgeon and co-founder of medical AI company Expanded Existence.
There are several aspects to neurological rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury, severe brain illness, brain tumour management and spinal cord injury. They all are profoundly different and yet there is a core value which is common to all. The bottom line is optimism and hope for best possible scenario is critical to the best recovery.
By Professor John A Groeger and Kate Bosak of Nottingham Trent University's Sleep Well Science project.
Sleep responds systematically to gradual biological changes that see us develop from being children into adolescents, from women who might give birth to no longer ovulating, and as we approach and hopefully enjoy old age. We conceptualise these changes in our capacity to have restorative sleep as the waxing, waning, and interplay of two pervasive influences - circadian fluctuation and the build-up and release of sleep pressure. Abrupt challenges to either process, such as losing a night’s sleep or intercontinental travel, immediately bring home the easy dependence we typically have on these continuous influences on our lives. For most of us, these challenges are either temporary, which allows us to re-adjust, or gradual, which allows a more easily paced adaptation of life’s demands, lifestyles and the sleep which enables recovery and change. This is not the case for those who encounter events which result in major trauma- which NICE defines as “an injury or combination of injuries that are life-threatening and could be life changing because it may result in long-term disability”. What we may not realise is that the profile of those living after major injury has changed very dramatically over the last couple of decades.
Dr Bal Athwal, consultant neurologist at the Wellington Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare UK, provides an insight into the range of current stroke rehab interventions. Stroke rehabilitation refers to the program of different therapies designed to help patients relearn skills lost after a stroke. Stroke rehabilitation depends on the parts of the brain that were affected by [...]
Francesca Butler, Project Officer at The Health Policy Partnership
Dr Dung Trinh, is an expert on preventive health, here he shares with SR Times lifestyle and diet changes to make to help prevent stroke. Exercise Get regular physical exercise to help maintain a healthy weight, lower cholesterol and reduce stress. Diet Eat a healthy diet that contains plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and [...]
Vitalijus Majorovas, co-founder of vagus nerve stimulator Pulsetto, speaks to NR Times about the importance of drug-free and technological care.
At the start of the 2022/23 football season, the English Football Association announced a trial ban for heading the ball for all levels involving children under the age of 12. The ban is being trialled in order to protect the developing brains of participating children. Should the ban be deemed a success, the FA will [...]
Zaeem Zaidi, a yoga expert who teaches yoga for stroke rehabilitation shares with SR Times the benefits yoga can offer to a stroke patient. What are the key benefits yoga offers to a stroke survivor? Zaeem says: Stroke survivors must deal with the long-term repercussions of a stroke once they are released from the hospital. [...]
Karen Grazionale lives on the east coast of the United States with her husband, Victor, and their dog Riley. Her essay, When the Sun Rises, won her runner-up status and publishing in the February 2023 issue of BRAIN. She is currently writing a memoir. It’s been seven years since my husband was hit by a [...]
