CDP-Choline
 

Copied from ConsumerLab.com I am a paid member so I don't know if you can access their website for free which is
http://www.consumerlab.com

I will edit in part because of infringement copy right laws

This is part of an article on "Principal Proposed Natural Treatments" under condition Parkinson's disease. Copyright 2007 EBSCO Publishing

CDP-Choline

"Short for cytidinediphosphocholine, CDP-choline (sometimes called citicholine) is a substance that occurs naturally in the human body. It is closely related to choline, a nutrient commonly put in the B vitamin family. For reasons that are not completely clear, CDP-choline seems to increase the amount of dopamine in the brain.3,4 On this basis, it has been tried for Parkinson's disease".

In a 4-week, single-blind study of 74 people with Parkinson's disease, researchers tested whether oral CDP-choline might help levodopa be more effective.5 Researchers divided participants into two groups: one group received their usual levodopa dose, the other received half their usual dose without knowing which dosage they were getting. All the participants took 400 mg of oral CDP-choline 3 times daily.

Even though 50% of the participants were taking only half their usual dose of levodopa, both groups scored equally well on standardized tests designed to evaluate the severity of Parkinson's disease symptoms.

Support for the use of CDP-choline also comes from studies in which the supplement was administered by injection.6-9

In general, CDP-choline appears to be safe.11 The study of oral CDP-choline for Parkinson's disease reported only a few brief, nonspecific side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and fatigue.12 In a study of 2,817 elderly people who took oral CDP-choline for up to 60 days for problems other than Parkinson's disease, side effects were few and mild and reported in only about 5% of participants.13 Two-thirds of these side effects were gastrointestinal (nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea), and none required stopping CDP-choline. The dose in this study was 550 mg to 650 mg per day, about half the dose used for Parkinson's disease".

a suggestion for those who try it
 

First of all, there is a lot going for it, it seems to be safe, and it seems to work. It is commonly prescribed for PD in Europe and our own Ron Hutton has been taking it for years and is as handsome as ever. :)

Now my suggestion. Test it in such a way as to give us a little data. Before you start, take just five minutes while you are on and time yourself balancing on your right foot and then your left. Make a few tries until you get a reasonable reading and write the numbers down.

Now, once a week or so, do it again under identical conditions. Resist the urge to add new meds or supplements or anything for the month or so of your experiment. If it showsyour numbers going up you are going to feel better about adding one more pill to the pile and if they go down you definitely want to know that.

You might note any changes in your on times etc as well.

Go Simple Science! :D

Well I just ordered mucuna pruriens and mucuna tablets but like you said one must test these things out individually, slowly and sensibly. I use to rush into everything but learned the hard way. Yada, yada. Does it have to be the toe balance test, good god man I can't do that and measure how far my toes are raised at the same time. The core balance exercise I do is down on all fours extending one arm out and extending the opposite leg at the same time. Can I do that instead? A physiotherapist told me it is the best core balancing exercise you can do as well as the yoga cat exercise. Get a balancing ball for hip movement and you have a good start.

If it helps keeping Ron handsome, better still.

choline
 

I think it was Ron who pointed out that choline decreases Blood Brain Barrier permeability. madelyn

CDP choline (and my handsome looks!)
 

Yes, I can confirm I have been taking CDP choline for over 6 years, and I can also confirm that as Rick said, I am as handsome as ever,in fact, when I think about it, even more so....
But back to the topic, CDP choline is given to stroke sufferers, where it aids brain metabolism and recovery. I have been able to scale down to one 250 mg cap per day. I have taken it in combination with curcumin for about the same length of time. Olsen is also right, it also decreases BBB permeability. It is natural to the body, and seems very safe.
Ron