There's a lot of information on the net about Parkinson's and before the net, I guess we all believed PD was a combination of pre-dispossession and environment. It's only since the net that we can now have access to scientific papers and groups like this to get a better understanding of what is happening to our brains that result in many neurological diseases, PD for us.
So my opinion on the cause of PD is the two reasons mentioned above. I also believe that the actual destruction of neurons is the result of neuro-inflammation. Even with cell transplants, if that ever happens, the underlying cause will probably still be there. Maybe the way to deal with PD is to try and stop inflammation. There are many papers from the Pharmacology Dept. of the NIH headed by Dr. Hong that show the symptoms of PD in rodents can be halted or at least slowed by low doses (femtomolar) of opioid likes drugs. Naltrexone and dextromethorphan, DM, are two of these drugs. They are cheap, safe and in the case of DM easily available. There are also herbs and supplements like fish oil, Q10 mucuna pruriens etc. that may also reduce inflammation. I have been taking low dose naltrexone, LDN, now for 47 months plus 600mg of Q10. My overall combo of sinemet and mirapex has not increased over that time.
I believe reducing or halting neuro-inflammation is the key to living with PD.
Ashley
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...?dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...?dopt=Abstract