[reverett123]

Stress Takes Its Toll in Parkinson's Disease
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1110131202.htm

"The good news is preclinical research shows this stress can be controlled with a drug already approved for human use. By preventing calcium entry, the drug isradipine reduced the mitochondrial stress in dopamine-releasing neurons to the levels seen in neurons not affected by the disease."

[reverett123]

http://parkinsonsfocustoday.blogspot...arkinsons.html

[jeanb]

I've been taking it for 2 1/2 years now and counting.

Jean

[imark3000]

Originally Posted by jeanb

I've been taking it for 2 1/2 years now and counting.

Jean

Thank you Jean,
Can you tell us more
Imad

[jeanb]

Originally Posted by imark3000

Thank you Jean,
Can you tell us more
Imad

Imad, Sure but there isn't much to say. I wish I had good info to share.

I have hypertension, so after I first heard about isradipine, I talked to my neurologist about taking this. She said fine. It controls my hypertension. I don't know if it works for PD or not. I think my pd is progressing fairly slowly - but how can I tell? I will see my doctor on Friday and ask her.

I don't know anything. What if it doesn't work yet? What if it takes 5 years to work (or longer)? I have SPECT brain scans taken every other year as part of PostCEP. I've asked that they be sent to the scientist who runs the isradipine trial - for anecdotal evidence if nothing else.

I wish I knew something. I do feel it is worth my taking it on the chance it may work some time in the future.

Jean

[pegleg]

Let's talk about this. No, Wait! Let's invite the author to talk about this - right here! First, ask your questions or make your comments, then I'll email the author. Kewl?
Stress takes its toll in Parkinson's disease

Exhausted neurons die prematurely and trigger disease symptoms

CHICAGO --- We all know that living a stressful lifestyle can take its toll, making us age faster and making us more susceptible to the cold going around the office.

The same appears to be true of neurons in the brain. According to a new Northwestern Medicine study published Nov. 10 in the journal Nature, dopamine-releasing neurons in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra lead a lifestyle that requires lots of energy, creating stress that could lead to the neurons' premature death. Their death causes Parkinson's disease.

"Why this small group of neurons dies in Parkinson's disease is the core question we struggled with," says lead author D. James Surmeier, the Nathan Smith Davis Professor and chair of physiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Our research provides a potential answer by showing this small group of neurons uses a metabolically expensive strategy to do its job. This 'lifestyle' choice stresses the neurons' mitochondria and elevates the production of superoxide and free radicals – molecules closely linked to aging, cellular dysfunction and death.
(Partial excerpt) Is that an oxymoron? lol

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-sti111010.php

[krugen68]

Originally Posted by jeanb

Imad, Sure but there isn't much to say. I wish I had good info to share.

I have hypertension, so after I first heard about isradipine, I talked to my neurologist about taking this. She said fine. It controls my hypertension. I don't know if it works for PD or not. I think my pd is progressing fairly slowly - but how can I tell? I will see my doctor on Friday and ask her.

I don't know anything. What if it doesn't work yet? What if it takes 5 years to work (or longer)? I have SPECT brain scans taken every other year as part of PostCEP. I've asked that they be sent to the scientist who runs the isradipine trial - for anecdotal evidence if nothing else.

I wish I knew something. I do feel it is worth my taking it on the chance it may work some time in the future.

Jean

Hi Jean

New to PD, I looked up current trials and came up with isradipine, CQ10 and inosine. I'm not taking any conventional meds.
Like you I persuaded my neuro to write me a px for isradipine for my hypertension ( though he had never heard of it despite his 'special interest' being PD)
I started taking it but stopped after 3 weeks, when I found myself in a 'brain fog' - using totally wrong words when speaking, transposing numbers when working, unable to think logically.
Did it have any such effects on you ? I haven't a clue if my reaction was normal or not !
Peter

[Conductor71]

I am thoroughly confused by this report. It implies that the everyday chronic stress we experience is the same thing as stress at the cellular level. I did not think that cellular level oxidative stress was the same thing as the cortisol, low level fight or flight anxiety we experience as chronic stress, or is the researcher saying that our outside stress results in the oxidative stress in our brains? If so, how in the world does that happen and why then aren't many, many more people getting PD?

Are they different or the same?

-Laura

[reverett123]

OK, this is without looking at my notes so I reserve the right to be wrong....

The term "stress" means a different thing to ordinary folks than it does to scientists. What we call stress, they generally call "distress" and I propose that we do the same.

Distress is a reaction on the part of a living thing to forces, events, or even just thoughts. That big job interview tomorrow causes distress today even though it has not occurred.

Stress, on the other hand, is the effect on a system that threatens its stability as the result of such forces, events, or even distress. Oxidation, for example, threatens system stability.

The key is the involvement of Mind. Minds react and experience distress which can stress the molecular foundations that support them.

Each system has its own ability to absorb or repair stressful forces. Those forces may have little impact upon me and yet trigger an inflammatory response in you.

Originally Posted by Conductor71

I am thoroughly confused by this report. It implies that the everyday chronic stress we experience is the same thing as stress at the cellular level. I did not think that cellular level oxidative stress was the same thing as the cortisol, low level fight or flight anxiety we experience as chronic stress, or is the researcher saying that our outside stress results in the oxidative stress in our brains? If so, how in the world does that happen and why then aren't many, many more people getting PD?

Are they different or the same?

-Laura

[Debi Brooks]

http://www.michaeljfox.org/research_...s_3.cfm?ID=486

Debi