i thought this might be of interest. i apologize if the article has already been posted.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2007/03...ow-parkinsons/

here is part of it:

Can Supplement Slow Parkinson’s

By: Psych Central News Editor
on Thursday, Mar, 22, 2007

Reviewed by: John M. Grohol, Psy.D.
on Thursday, Mar, 22, 2007


Researchers announce the initiation of a large-scale clinical trial to learn if a nutritional supplement can slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The study is salient because current therapies for PD focus on reducing symptoms rather than changing the course of the disease.
The initiative by the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) will study creatine, a nutritional supplement identified by Parkinson’s researchers through a new rapid method for screening potential compounds. While creatine is not an approved therapy for PD or any other condition, it is widely thought to improve exercise performance.
The double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III study is one of the largest PD clinical trials to date. It will enroll 1720 people with early-stage PD at 51 medical centers in the United States and Canada.
“This study is an important step toward developing a therapy that could change the course of this devastating disease,” says Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., director of the NIH.
“The goal is to improve the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s for a longer period of time than is possible with existing therapies.” Currently there is no treatment that has been shown to slow the progression of PD.
The trial is the first large study in a series of NINDS-sponsored clinical trials called NET-PD (NIH Exploratory Trials in Parkinson’s Disease). NINDS has organized this large network of sites to allow researchers to work with PD patients over a long period of time, with a goal of finding effective and lasting treatments. NET-PD builds on a developmental research process—from laboratory research to pilot studies in a select group of patients, to the definitive phase III trial of effectiveness in people with Parkinson’s disease.


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the rest is at the link.

Does anyone have any experience of using Creatine.

I see that body builders use it, particularly to give them an energy boost, so I wondered if anyone had sucessfully tried it to help fatigue?

I realise the trial is particularly targetted at its potential to slow the rate of progression of PD.

Thank you

Chris

i can only tell you about the body builder side...since i own a gym. we do have members who have pd. i'll ask if they have used creatine.

hubby has used it off and on for about 25 years. not large amounts.

Thank you

Chris

I have used it but not religiously. Still do but sporadicaly.

I can tell you that the biggest thing I noted from the haphazard experience is that it does, indeed, put muscle on you noticeably fast.

Original Article
Subject Categories: Cell Biology

Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2005) 125, 213–220; doi:10.1111/j.0022-202X.2005.23806.x

Creatine Supplementation Normalizes Mutagenesis of Mitochondrial DNA as Well as Functional Consequences
Mark Berneburg*, Tobias Gremmel†, Viola Kürten†, Peter Schroeder†, Ines Hertel†, Anna von Mikecz†, Susanne Wild†, Min Chen†, Lieve Declercq‡, Mary Matsui§, Thomas Ruzicka¶ and Jean Krutmann†

*Molecular Oncology and Aging, Department of Dermatology, Eberhard Karls University, Tuebingen, Germany
†Institut für Umweltmedizinische Forschung (IUF) an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf gGmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany
‡Biological Research Department Europe, Estée Lauder BCC, Oevel, Belgium
§Biological Research Department Estée Lauder Companies, Melville, New York, USA
¶Department of Dermatology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany
Correspondence: Jean Krutmann, Institut für Umweltmedizinische Forschung (IUF) an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf gGmbH, Auf'm Hennekamp 50, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. Email: krutmann@rz.uni-duesseldorf.de

Received 20 September 2004; Revised 16 February 2005; Accepted 3 March 2005.

Top of pageAbstract
Mutations of mitochondrial (mt) DNA play a role in neurodegeneration, normal aging, premature aging of the skin (photoaging), and tumors. We and others could demonstrate that mtDNA mutations can be induced in skin cells in vitro and in normal human skin in vivo by repetitive, sublethal ultraviolet (UV)-A-irradiation. These mutations are mediated by singlet oxygen and persist in human skin as long-term biomarkers of UV exposure. Although mtDNA exclusively encodes for the respiratory chain, involvement of the energy metabolism in mtDNA mutagenesis and a protective role of the energy precursor creatine have thus far not been shown. We assessed the amount of a marker mutation of mtDNA, the so-called common deletion, by real-time PCR. Induction of the common deletion was paralleled by a measurable decrease of oxygen consumption, mitochondrial membrane potential, and ATP content, as well as an increase of matrix metalloproteinase-1. Mitochondrial mutagenesis as well as functional consequences could be normalized by increasing intracellular creatine levels. These data indicate that increase of the energy precursor creatine protects from functionally relevant, aging-associated mutations of mitochondrial DNA.

Study will probe creatine's effect on Parkinson's

Government scientists want to know if a dietary supplement thought to boost muscles might boost the brains of Parkinson's patients.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007
The Associated Press
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07094/774785-114.stm

The National Institutes of Health have begun a major study to see if creatine might help preserve the nerve cells that die off in Parkinson's, and thus slow the disease's worsening.

The study will enroll more than 1,700 people with early-stage Parkinson's -- using doses higher than usual with today's over-the-counter brands, said Dr. Debra Babcock, a neurologist with NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. There are three study sites in Pennsylvania, all in the Philadelphia area. No sites are in Ohio or West Virginia.

Dr. Babcock warned that "creatine is not completely benign," so she cautioned patients not to try the approach on their own. Kidney failure and muscle and heart problems are potential side effects.

It is the second dietary supplement under NIH scrutiny for Parkinson's; a study of coenzyme Q-10, thought to help cells' energy production, is under way.

Parkinson's affects 1.5 million people in the United States and 6 million worldwide. It gradually destroys brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical crucial for the cellular communication that controls muscle movement. What results are increasingly severe tremors, periodically stiff or frozen limbs, slow movement and impaired balance and coordination.

Standard treatments eventually quit working and don't fight the disease's underlying cause.

Muscle cells produce creatine, and athletes often swallow more in hopes of improved performance and muscle bulk.

But because dietary supplements are only loosely regulated, there is little scientific proof of how, or even whether, it works. With Parkinson's, the theory is that creatine may boost cellular energy or act as a cell-protecting antioxidant.

In a pilot study, patients given a high-dose, drug-like version of creatine didn't seem to worsen as much over a year as those given a dummy drug. The new study will more stringently track participants' functioning for five to seven years.

For more information on the trial, see www.parkinsontrial.ninds.nih.gov/.

Hello,
It would be interesting to know whether the PD Gym users have used creatine and how they have actually taken it. I have been using various suppliments over the last 2 years in my own little private trial and have found that the compounds taken do not actually have much effect when taken by themselves. The apparent link that I have found is the actual binders used to deliver the compounds. I am coming to the conclusion that the main problems of side effects and the cessation of effectiveness of the vartious drugs used in the treatment of PD appear to be more related to a gradual build up in the folds of the stomach and intestines of a residue from all the other substances mixed with the drugs. Clear the residue and PD symptoms / side effects reduce and drugs taken regain their effectiveness, no real science at all. The problem is that there is no money to be made by the drug companies so no trials are done. The use of creatine in the gym is interesting as the benefits of exercise and creatine could be due to the breakdown of the residue through movement as well as the laxitive effect that most athletic suppliments also provide. (please excuse the sentence structure as Im in a hurry....late for a holiday!! ) any thoughts or observations would be appreciated.