Rick...looks like maybe we were not crazy to think endocrine system. Even if this turns out whack, I could hug the researcher for their bravery in writing this:


For the past 40 years the primary purpose of therapeutics for Parkinson's disease (PD) has been to replace deficient dopamine (DA) in the nigrostriatal dopamine (NSD) system. Even in the presence of limited efficacy, abundant side effects and impoverished quality of life, the involvement of other systems in the aetiology and treatment of this disorder has been sorely neglected and the excessive use of DA replacement therapy (DART) continues on a global basis.


Parkinson's disease as a neuroendocrine disorder of circadian function: dopamine-melatonin imbalance and the visual system in the genesis and progression of the degenerative process. 2008


A historical justification for and retrospective analysis of the systematic application of light therapy in Parkinson's disease. 2012
Willis GL, Moore C, Armstrong SM.

What I find really compelling is that they name the retina as a key player in the etiology of the disease and focus on our circadian rhythm as important as well- could this be related to Vitamin D deficiencies.

This hits really to what is known about Prion Disease in animals. Not only does it eminently impact their circadian cycle; there is also the belief that the diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease, Bovine Encephelopahy, and Scrapies have their origin in the retina!! An organic farmer turned amateur scientist postulate all this in the early early part of the last decade (2001-2006). He believed that PD, AD, MS, ALS were all extensions of animal prion disease involving toxins (insecticides) disrupting the metal homeostasis in our brains, thus triggering protein misfolding and cellular dysfunction or death. Further he has visited clusters of animal disease outbreaks and human neurodegenerative disease clusters and backs what he is saying.

Prion Metabolic link to the circadian cycle....Mark Purdey (farmer-scientist)

This means that if they could ever think to develop this further we could be treated through iron chelation and as this author suggests something as easy as bright light therapy for starters.

The light therapy is something we can easily do! I need to know parameters of this study for beneficial levels of exposure so plan to actually fork over the moolah for this study. If it can slow progression, it will be the wisest $30 ever spent. If you guys want, I will share the light therapy details.

Meanwhile, the jury is out on melatonin. Willis says we have too much and others too little; what else is new? I just want to try the light therapy; the melatonin can wait for now.

Here is a good review of role melatonin may play in PD. It is full text and explains how melatonin is likely involved.


Therapeutic potential of melatonin and its analogs in Parkinson's disease: focus on sleep and neuroprotection. 2011



Laura

Many people, with and without PD, take melatonin to help with sleep. I thought our bodies made melatonin during the day, when the sunlight hits the retina....then we use it up while we sleep, and when it's gone (and some other factors, like you need to use the restroom , we wake up)

If true, and we did light therapy, we would be making MORE melatonin which some say is bad, it would make the problem worse.

Does anyone have access to the text of the first article? This is really interesting, and scary, as it means many, many more people than anyone ever imagined could be developing PD right now...

LFAC, you bring up a good point. The literature does seem conflicted; seems like anything beyond dopa replacement is fertile ground for disagreement. I figured I would be okay avoiding the supplement but try the light. Looks like I should read up on it more before blasting my self with light for an hour each night.

I was able to get the full text to both the Willis articles. The last article explains like you said that light therapy might be beneficial because it ultimately results in more melatonin, but I am not sure how it could be doing both. I am attaching the full text of the first Willis piece ties this together.

Here are some relevant excerpts from his 2012 review article:



Other epidemiological work examining the relationship between latitude
and the incidence of PD has found that higher latitudes,where the yearly net exposure to light is less, there is a higher incidence of PD. For example, in a Swedish study, as the latitude increases so does the incidence of PD (De Pedro Cuestra ,1987 ). Similarly, in a study comparing the incidence of PD
in Finland, Iceland and Rochester Minnesota, the incidence of PD at the lower latitude in Rochester was found to be 56 % less than at the higher latitudes (De Pedro Cuestra and Stawiarz , 1991 ). These studies support the contention that light exposure may be a significant factor in the aetiology and treatment of PD and directly implicate the circadian system
in this regard.


They also point out that people who work night shifts are much less likely to develop PD, but I don't take loose associations like that very seriously.

At any rate, this guy is at least looking at this from a fresh perspective and maybe he is on to something?

Laura

Note: Article PDF is too large to attach here, so if anyone wants to read it please PM me.