Digital entrepreneur becomes face of Australian charity

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Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 17 June 2015

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After being diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s at just 35, self-confessed digital media guru Kate Matheson has been appointed National Ambassador for Australian charity, Shake It Up.

Kate, managing director of GLOSS magazine, is keen to raise awareness for young Australians also living with the disease and getting involved with the charity is her way of inspiring others to help find a cure.

She said: “We aren’t victims, we’re strong, amazing people who happen to have a crummy disease, and we want a cure. Young onset Parkinson’s is real and it’s common. It’s not just a disease of older people.

“Parkinson’s is not a disease you choose. It chooses you. And it doesn’t care if you’re trying to raise a family. It cares about what you choose to do after you’re diagnosed.

“What you choose to do with Parkinson’s is going to shape the future of the disease.”

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Researchers have discovered that a molecule called BT13 could have potential to treat Parkinson’s. The study, conducted by scientists from the University of Helsinki, Finland, found that mice injected with the BT13 molecule had an increase in dopamine levels in the brain. Their findings also suggested that the molecule could lead to a new drug treatment to protect the brain cells that produce dopamine. Dopamine helps coordinate movement, but people with Parkinson’s have normally lost between 70 and 80% of the brain cells that produce the neurotransmitter when they are diagnosed with the condition. Professor David Dexter, Deputy Director of Research at Parkinson’s UK – which co-funded the study – said: “People with Parkinson’s desperately need a new treatment that can stop the condition in its tracks, instead of just masking the symptoms. “More research is needed to turn BT13 into a treatment to be tested in clinical trials, to…

Students develop wearable device to track Parkinson’s tremors

A wearable device has been developed to monitor Parkinson’s tremors and their severity through the tracking of body movements. The device – Tremor Tracker – was created by two students, Julie Gaudin and Elizabeth Hummel, at Louisiana Tech University, US, as part of a design class project. The students designed an algorithm using data recorded from volunteer participants at Rock Steady, a boxing programme for people with Parkinson’s. They then applied the algorithm to a GENEActiv, a wrist-worn device that has been scientifically validated for clinical research. Hummel, co-creator of the Tremor Tracker, said: “Through supervised machine learning, the device predicts whether a patient’s tremors are parkinsonian or non-parkinsonian, as well as the severity of these tremors. A quantitative analysis of parkinsonian tremors provides a more detailed disease state.”

Can awakening dormant neurons reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms?

Reawakening dormant neurons could help reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms, researchers in South Korea have found. While Parkinson’s is typically believed to be caused by neuronal death, a new study – published in ‘Current Biology’ journal – suggests that dormant neurons could be another cause. After completing an animal test – which treated the subjects with two compounds that block dopamine-producing neurons from becoming dormant – the researchers found these neurons to be “awakened”, allowing them to resume dopamine production. The researchers hope that this will lead to a disease-modifying treatment, especially for people in the early stages of Parkinson’s. Hoon Ryu, a senior author of the study and researcher at KIST Brain Science Institute, South Korea, said: “This research refutes the common belief that there is no disease-modifying treatment for Parkinson’s due to its basis on neuronal cell death.”

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Digital entrepreneur becomes face of Australian charity

News

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 17 June 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

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Perspectives

Tributes paid to “inspirational” Tom Isaacs

In my country

Why I launched Nepal’s first Parkinson’s support group

Interviews

“I’d be in prison by now if it wasn’t for my Parkinson’s”

‘Dopamine-boosting’ BT13 molecule could be used to slow Parkinson’s

Students develop wearable device to track Parkinson’s tremors

Can awakening dormant neurons reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms?

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Digital entrepreneur becomes face of Australian charity

News

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 17 June 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Perspectives

Tributes paid to “inspirational” Tom Isaacs

In my country

Why I launched Nepal’s first Parkinson’s support group

Interviews

“I’d be in prison by now if it wasn’t for my Parkinson’s”

‘Dopamine-boosting’ BT13 molecule could be used to slow Parkinson’s

Students develop wearable device to track Parkinson’s tremors

Can awakening dormant neurons reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms?

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