Canada’s first specialist Parkinson’s facility set to help 8,000 patients

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Author: Almaz OhenePublished: 9 November 2015

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The first Canadian specialist Parkinson’s disease facility has opened its doors and promises to help approximately 8,000 patients.

The Buchanan Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, is the first facility of its kind to cater specifically people living with Parkinson’s disease. There are an estimated 8,000 Albertans living with the condition according to CBC news.

Edmontonian businessman Gordon Buchanan, after whom the centre is named, had Parkinson’s disease himself and donated CAN$4 million to build the centre. Sadly, he passed away almost exactly one year before its opening.

The centre’s expertise focuses on the physical and mental fitness of people living with Parkinson’s, their families and carers. It has also now become the new home for Parkinson Alberta, the local Parkinson’s organisation.

Diane Buchanan, Gordon’s wife, said: “I think that he’d be very proud if he was here today to see this result and that people are feeling better.”

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A new study from researchers in the US and South Korea suggests farnesol, a natural compound found in fruit, may be beneficial in treating Parkinson’s disease. The team used mice models to test the compound’s role in deactivating PARIS – a protein which can contribute to Parkinson’s onset by reducing the shields around dopamine-producing neurons. For one week, they fed mice a diet containing farnesol and compared them with mice who were fed a normal diet. They then administered the mice with alpha-synuclein protein linked to Parkinson’s effects in the brain. The findings revealed that the mice that had consumed farnesol had twice the number of healthy dopamine neurons as the control group, and performed better in tests designed to assess Parkinson’s symptoms. The researchers concluded that, while safe doses for humans have not yet been determined, “farnesol may be beneficial in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease”.

Turmeric oil may offer new ways of treating Parkinson’s disease

Turmeric oil may be beneficial in treating Parkinson’s disease, according to researchers from Kumamoto University in Japan. Their findings support the known properties of aromatic turmerone (ar-turmerone), a compound found in turmeric essential oil, which reduces inflammatory responses caused by cells associated with Parkinson’s-related neurodegeneration. Using midbrain slice cultures – laboratory cellular models that mimic brain activity – the team analysed the effects of a natural form of aromatic turmerone and eight structurally similar derivatives. They tested the derivatives’ anti-inflammatory effects, as well as their ability to protect dopamine-producing neurons. Those with the strongest anti-inflammatory effects were found to prevent the loss of dopamine-producing neurons. Among these were aromatic turmerone and its derivatives, suggesting their role as a “potential candidate for treating Parkinson’s disease”. In a press release, lead author Takahiro Seki said: “Our study elucidated a new mechanism by which ar-turmerone and its derivatives directly protect … [dopamine-producing] neurons.”

Research offers new insights on a cause of Parkinson’s disease

Researchers in Denmark have shared insights on a cause of up to 95% of Parkinson’s disease cases. Using data on gene patterns and three mouse models, scientists at the University of Copenhagen found that a blockage to a pathway regulating mitochondria (‘powerhouses’ that generate energy for reactions in cells) causes a form of the condition known as ‘sporadic Parkinson’s disease’. When the pathway becomes blocked by a protein, damaged mitochondria accumulate, unable to produce enough energy – which in turn causes nerve cells to die. “Just like when people eat, cells take what they need and get rid of … waste products,” explained corresponding study author Professor Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas. “But if our brain cells have this specific kind of signalling blockage, it means that the powerhouse of the cell – mitochondria – cannot get cleaned up after being damaged.” The team now plan to investigate the pathway’s role in neuronal…

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Canada’s first specialist Parkinson’s facility set to help 8,000 patients

News

Author: Almaz OhenePublished: 9 November 2015

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Research offers new insights on a cause of Parkinson’s disease

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Canada’s first specialist Parkinson’s facility set to help 8,000 patients

News

Author: Almaz OhenePublished: 9 November 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

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Share this story

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Special reports

Neurologists should be ‘guides not gods’ – Part 2

Carers' Corner

Campaigners win petition for ‘student carer’ status on uni application forms

Europe

Football stars sign up for Parkinson’s ‘tremor’ campaign

New evidence fruit compound could support Parkinson’s disease treatment

Turmeric oil may offer new ways of treating Parkinson’s disease

Research offers new insights on a cause of Parkinson’s disease

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