Hello Paula et all,
By now, we are used to your grumpy mumbly rambling and we love it!
Seriously speaking, I came to believe that it is critically important for survival that we continue to seek joy and pleasure in our daily activities what ever they may be (such as music, food, sport, playing with children, dreaming, watching the clouds, reading, sex, love, advocating, climbing the Kilimanjaro mountain like dear Nan did or merely doing nothing in silent meditation).
It is an additional bonus to know that Dopamine is tied up in an intricate and a mysterious way to the pleasure experience and the sited article implies that pleasure is therapeutic .
Imad

Thank you Imad. Your sharing of all things beautiful prove that you walk that talk. I applaud your attitude!

Peggy,

Norman Doidge's book, The brain that changes itself, provides much of the evidence of neuroplasticity that you require for your presentation. See http://www.normandoidge.com/normandoidge/MAIN.html

This is a GREAT thread! I really believe that neuroplasticity has potential for us, and that if we were re-treained or re-set in some way that we would go a lot longer without the need for treatments. And that at some time in the future this will be part of preventative treatment. Is is in time for those of us on medication? Maybe, to some degree.

But try it for yourself, put on the best music you connect with for dance and let yourself go. I swear that you will find something move that doesn't usually.

Also believe that there is a connection to stress here, that in times of stress we actually ration our own pleasure, or in some way turn off to it to some degree, maybe even through feelings of guilt/distress/stress deny ourself the right to feel pleasure. Or perhaps in the process of turning off to pain we also turn off to pleasure.......

Not scientific at all, I know, but trying to get to some rationale through a heart approach rather than a head approach. I don not think this is a cure, it is a panacea that works to help us now, and a possible preventative for those in the earliest stages, when things haven't yet become entrenched, a possible way to turn the tide......

So how do we break through the immobility that we find ourselves in.

I know what Bob Dawson would recommend!

Others would say exercise, but for me the thing that floods me with pleasure, and frees me is music and dance.......... now all I need is someone to enjoy it with!

Peggy, try this article: "Parkinson's and Dementia: How to Help Prevent Parkinson's From Affecting Your Mind". Go to www. nwpf.org and click on More World News. Then scroll back several pages to June 8th.

L-tyrosine is the body's way of making dopamine - however after you are put on L-dopa -sinemet -carbidopa -levadopa - this cannot be taken at the same time, our meds are not efficient and can cause the same symptoms eventually
they are suppose to help?
if i had it to do all over again my 20 years of this crapola -
i would choose alternative medicines - the L-dopa had side effects in the beginning and still does, Bristol meyers sqiubb - had a better formula than what is being used in the generic... the big pharmas make way too much money for them to have a cure?
actually the greatest boost in medical thinking will have to be changed
you can cure and help people live, the money thing is pure greed...

L-tyrosine is the body's way of making dopamine - however after you are put on L-dopa -sinemet -carbidopa -levadopa - this cannot be taken at the same time, our meds are not efficient and can cause the same symptoms eventually
they are suppose to help?
if i had it to do all over again my 20 years of this crapola -
i would choose alternative medicines - the L-dopa had side effects in the beginning and still does, Bristol meyers sqiubb - had a better formula than what is being used in the generic... the big pharmas make way too much money for them to have a cure?
actually the greatest boost in medical thinking will have to be changed
you can cure and help people live, the money thing is pure greed...

http://www.livestrong.com/article/42...nsons-disease/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/47...in-parkinsons/

As I see it, the key word in this thread is "release".

Does a higher release of dopamine mean:
- new dopaminergic neurons (which would be excellent news for us);
- better performance from existing neurons (good news);
- using up reserves (disappointing news).

I find music, provided it has the right beat, can make a huge difference: it has me dancing around the room. Unfortunately, the effect only lasts a few minutes.

As girija points out the effect of music is worth testing.

(I'm building a web site for just this sort of thing.)

John