Multicenter study of autologous adrenal medullary transplantation to the corpus striatum in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease

Article Abstract:

In patients with severe disease, transplantation of the interior of the adrenal gland, the medulla, has been reported as a successful treatment for symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as tremor, speech impairment, and difficulties in balance. The medulla of the adrenal gland is involved in controlling the of secretion of hormones that adjust heart output and blood flow in response to stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. The purpose of this innovative operation is to transplant the adrenal medulla into the patient's corpus striatum, an area of the brain below the cortex. The motor function of 19 patients was monitored for six months after surgery, using standardized scales to determine the times when drugs directed against Parkinson's disease were effective and ineffective. The time during which anti-Parkinson medications were effective increased from about half the time to three quarters, and the amount of time that the patients did not experience chorea, involuntary twitching of the limbs or facial muscles, increased from 26.6 percent to 59.2 percent. In addition, the severity of the symptoms when anti-Parkinson medications were ineffective decreased, as measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease scale. In contrast to previous studies, however, it was not possible to reduce dosages of the drugs, and there were a number of adverse effects of the operation. The authors conclude that although there is room for optimism about the use of adrenal medullary transplantation as a technique for ameliorating symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease, more interdisciplinary research is required before use of the surgery can become widespread.

Care and treatment, Surgery, Parkinsonism, Corpus striatum, Adrenal medulla

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Effects of age, sex, and ethnicity on the association between apolipoprotein E genotype and Alzheimer disease: a meta-analysis

Article Abstract:

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon 4 gene appears to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease in many different ethnic groups while the APOE epsilon 2 gene appears to confer a protective effect. Researchers determined which gene was present in 5,930 Alzheimer's patients and 8,607 healthy volunteers, all recruited from many different ethnic groups. Compared to the APOE epsilon 3 gene, which is the most common gene, the APOE epsilon 4 gene increased the risk of Alzheimer's disease from 2 to 33 times, depending on the race of the individual and whether there was one copy of the gene or two. The APOE epsilon 2 gene reduced the risk by almost half.

Health aspects, Genetic aspects, Alzheimer's disease, Apolipoproteins, Ethnic groups

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