Early diagnosis and research
Finding a cure for Parkinsonβs. Early diagnosis, repurposing drugs and genetics all hold promise but Jane Hill asks would people prefer better treatments now?
James Parkinson described a condition known as the βshaking palsyβ over 200 years ago. Today there are many things that scientists still donβt understand explaining why diagnosis, halting the progression or finding a cure for Parkinsonβs can seem elusive. But how close are researchers to developing better treatments?
Better understanding seems to suggest that Parkinsonβs is not one condition but several, with different causes and symptoms in different people. Many researchers think that early diagnosis and greater recognition of the non motor symptoms such as loss of smell, sleep disorders and depression is to be encouraged, while others say without effective treatments then there are ethical issues to consider.
Jane visits a brain bank and sees the changes in a Parkinsonβs brain that causes many of the symptoms and she takes a test which examines the sense of smell. Could this be a new tool to identify early stages of the condition?
Plus repurposing of existing drugs, i.e. drugs that have been developed for one condition but being tested in another are having promising results in Parkinsonβs and genetic studies are leading to a greater understanding of the mechanisms involved in PD which in turn is leading to new therapies.
(Photo: Man smelling hops in his hands. Credit: Ales-A/Getty Images)
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