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One Year from Today, Minnesota Man Will Do 200 Skydives in One Day for Parkinson's Disease

Prior Lake, MN, Savage, MN (PRWEB) June 16, 2009

Kevin Burkart will do 200 skydives in one day to raise money and awareness for Parkinson's Disease. This unique fundraiser, which will benefit the Parkinson Association of Minnesota (PAM) and the National Parkinson Foundation, will take place at Skydive Twin Cities in Baldwin, Wisconsin, 20 miles east of Hudson, Wisconsin.

When it comes to helping his father, Gary, in his battle with Parkinson's Disease, Kevin Burkart says, "The sky's the limit, " he means it literally. So one year from today--June 16, 2010--Burkart will do 200 skydives in one day to raise money and awareness for Parkinson's Disease. This unique fundraiser, which will benefit the Parkinson Association of Minnesota (PAM) and the National Parkinson Foundation, will take place at Skydive Twin Cities in Baldwin, Wisconsin, 20 miles east of Hudson, Wisconsin.

"Off we go, into the wild blue yonder!""Off we go, into the wild blue yonder!"

This is not a new idea for Burkart ,who previously executed 100 skydives in one day on June 4, 2008 and raised $45,000 for Parkinson's Disease.

Continued here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/06/prweb2533284.htm

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What is wrong with this picture? Veterans deserve better from us

Times Standard, Northern California, by Carl Young, Posted: 06/13/2009 01:30:28 AM PDT

Numerous studies have made the clear link between Vietnam veterans suffering from PTSD, to an increased risk of dying relatively young due to heart disease.

Still other studies suggest that Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange (AO) suffer from Parkinson's disease. Yet the Congress fails to pass legislation requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish these aliments as presumptive conditions related to military service. How many families have watched a loved that served in Vietnam, die an untimely death due to the degenerative and incurable condition of Parkinson's disease or heart disease, and had no idea it might have been directly related to their military service?

A new aliment AL amyloidosis -- a rare incurable disease that can lead to organ failure and death -- has been recognized as a service-connected illness related to herbicide exposure. A new bill is H.R. 2254 would include “Blue Water Navy” veterans ... and others, including those who received the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM), which could include those who served in support of the war in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, as potently exposed to AO.

I'm now watching my father, Capt. Robert W. Young, USMC Retired, who served in both Korea and Vietnam, having his good days, and not so good. There's overwhelming evidence that suggests a higher incidence of Vietnam veterans with Parkinson's disease than other population groups.

Based on the available evidence H.R. 1428...

Continued here: http://www.times-standard.com/othervoices/ci_12584018

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Gray Hair — A Sign of Stress?

PsychCentral, By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor, Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 12, 2009

Those pesky graying hairs that tend to crop up with age really are signs of stress, reveals a new report in the June 12 issue of Cell, a Cell Press publication.

Researchers have discovered that the kind of “genotoxic stress” that does damage to DNA depletes the melanocyte stem cells (MSCs) within hair follicles that are responsible for making those pigment-producing cells.

Rather than dying off, when the going gets tough, those precious stem cells differentiate, forming fully mature melanocytes themselves. Anything that can limit the stress might stop the graying from happening, the researchers said.

“The DNA in cells is under constant attack by exogenously- and endogenously-arising DNA-damaging agents such as mutagenic chemicals, ultraviolet light and ionizing radiation,” said Emi Nishimura of Tokyo Medical and Dental University.

“It is estimated that a single cell in mammals can encounter approximately 100,000 DNA-damaging events per day.”

Continued here: http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/06...ress/6480.html

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New Data Shows Requip-Modutab Improves Nocturnal Symptoms In Patients

Medical News Today, Article Date: 12 Jun 2009 - 2:00 PDT

New data presented at the 13th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders show that Requip-Modutab* (ropinirole prolonged release tablets) improves nocturnal symptoms experienced by patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD).[i] The data showed that patients with more significant nocturnal symptoms had a greater improvement with Requip-Modutab, when used as an adjunct to levodopa (L-dopa), versus placebo. These data indicate that once-daily Requip-Modutab remains effective in treating PD symptoms over the night as well as during the day and provides benefit to those in most need. Sleep disturbances, a key element of nocturnal symptoms, are one of the most common non-motor complications of PD and can affect up to 98% of patients.[ii]

Professor K Ray Chaudhuri**, Consultant Neurologist and Professor in Neurology / Movement Disorders at Kings College NHS Foundation Trust, and Kings Health Partners, London, UK, commented: "We know already from previous trials that Requip-Modutab is effective in improving symptom control during the day and these latest data now show that it also improves troublesome nocturnal symptoms, offering an effective treatment to patients with moderate to advanced PD during both the day and night. If a patient fails to get a good night's sleep they feel tired and fatigued in the morning which can in turn result in daytime somnolence which has an adverse effect on quality of life. It is therefore critical that we identify and manage nocturnal symptoms to improve the lives not only of patients but also of their carers, who often have to support them during difficult nights."

Continued here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153549.php

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Georgia researchers say Nintendo Wii is "future of rehab"

Tech Journal South, June 12, 2009

AUGUSTA, GA – The Nintendo Wii may help treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease, including depression, a Medical College of Georgia researcher says.

Continued here: http://www.techjournalsouth.com/news...l?item_id=7610

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Non-invasive Method For Early, Serological Diagnosis Of Parkinson’s Disease Developed

ScienceDaily (June 12, 2009) — A research group based at the University of Granada, in cooperation with the Neurology Unit of the San Cecilio Hospital of Granada and the Department of Experimental Sciences of the University of Jaen, is studying the Neurobiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). They have developed a non-invasive method for serological diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, which is being patented by the University of Granada. To this end, the scientists analyzed and purified proteins associated with this disease, such as aminopeptidase.

Continued here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0612122457.htm

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The lesser known toll Parkinson's takes [Psychosis]

WHYY News & Information, Tuesday, May 26th, 2009, By: Maiken Scott

More than ten million viewers recently watched Michael J Fox return to television with his program “Adventures of an Incurable Optimist.” If you watched the show, the toll that Parkinson’s disease has taken on the actor was clear. The tremors, stiffness, and effects on mobility are well-known, but Parkinson’s has another side that’s less recognized, and often catches caregivers off guard.
(Photo: “A PET scan can show patterns in the brain which aid the physician in diagnosing and treating Parkinson’s Disease”/NASA)

Read and/or Listen here: http://whyy.org/cms/news/health-scie...ons-takes/8936

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Novel Theory Explains Parkinson’s

PsychCentral, By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor, Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on April 30, 2009

n a study that reveals the clearest picture to date of neuron death in Parkinson’s disease, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found that a trio of culprits acting in concert is responsible for killing the brain cells.

The study, published in the journal Neuron, showed that three molecules – the neurotransmitter dopamine, a calcium channel, and a protein called alpha-synuclein – act together to kill the neurons.

The discovery gives researchers a new understanding of how to save the neurons, say the study’s authors, Eugene Mosharov, Ph.D., associate research scientist, and David Sulzer, Ph.D., professor of neurology & psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center.

“Though the interactions among the three molecules are complex, the flip side is that we now see that there are many options available to rescue the cells,” says Dr. Mosharov.

Continued here: http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/04...sons/5622.html

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Could Hormones Explain Gender Differences In Neurological Disease?

ScienceDaily (June 15, 2009) — Neurological diseases including Parkinson's, Tourette's, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Alzheimer's, and schizophrenia are all associated with alterations in dopamine-driven function involving the dopamine transporter (DAT). Research suggests that a number of estrogens acting through their receptors affect the DAT, which may explain trends in timing of women's susceptibility to these diseases.

Continued here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0615203104.htm

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Disturbed sleep tied to Parkinson's risk
Thrashing and flailing during sleep might be a warning sign of future disease or dementia

ScienceNews, By Nathan Seppa, January 17th, 2009; Vol.175 #2 (p. 9)

People who kick and lash out while fast asleep in bed face a high risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and certain forms of dementia, scientists report online December 24 in Neurology.

Continued here: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/gene...arkinsons_risk