Ex-France international rugby player has Parkinson’s disease

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Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 23 December 2015

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Ex-France international rugby player Marc Dal Maso has revealed he has Parkinson’s disease.

In his career, the 48-year-old played 33 times for France as a hooker between 1988 and 2000 and appeared in the 1999 World Cup as well as winning the Five Nations Grand Slam in 1997 and 1998. He was a coach for Japan at this year’s World Cup when the Asian team surprised everyone by beating South Africa.

Dal Maso says he decided to go public because of negative rumours that were spreading.

He told the Midi-Olympique rugby daily: “There were rumours doing the rounds so rather than listen to people say stupid things it was better that they know. Let’s just say there are sports which help illnesses like this and rugby is one of them.”

He added that the illness had been detected in 2012 but had probably started years before then.

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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.”

Parkinson’s could be present from birth, study finds

Parkinson’s may be present from birth in younger people with the condition, new research has found. The study – conducted by Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, US, and published in ‘Nature Medicine’ journal – used induced stem cells from people with young-onset Parkinson’s, to grow dopamine-producing neurons and observe them for early warning signs of the condition. An abnormal pile-up of protein was found during the neurons’ development, including alpha-synuclein; which occurs in Parkinson’s. The scientists conjecture that Parkinson’s symptoms appear when the pile-up continues over 20 or 30 years. The team also found that the drug PEP005 – currently used against skin precancers – could help treat the condition. Michele Tagliati, vice chair and professor at Cedars-Sinai’s Department of Neurology and the study’s co-author, said: “This exciting new research provides hope that one day we may be able to detect and take early action to prevent this disease in at-risk individuals.”…

Testing saliva can help diagnose Parkinson’s, study finds

A saliva test carried out by doctors may be able to both diagnose Parkinson’s and detect the severity of the condition, according to a recent study published in medical journal ‘Neurological Sciences’. Several indicators of the development of Parkinson’s, including problems in the production of energy, can be easily detected in saliva. As part of the study, carried out by a team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, saliva samples were collected from 76 patients living with Parkinson’s, and 37 participants with good general health. They found that the saliva of those with Parkinson’s reflected evidence of alteration in neurotransmitters – chemical messengers that allow nerve cells to communicate. The researchers said the test “may highlight the characteristic changes in metabolite levels during the onset of Parkinson’s”.

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Ex-France international rugby player has Parkinson’s disease

News

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 23 December 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

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5 free books to help explain Parkinson’s to children and teens

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Tonya’s trends: ‘off the shoulder’ – a low-slung look on the up

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Meet Andy Butler, the man behind the Parkinson’s People Facebook group

Can awakening dormant neurons reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms?

Parkinson’s could be present from birth, study finds

Testing saliva can help diagnose Parkinson’s, study finds

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Ex-France international rugby player has Parkinson’s disease

News

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 23 December 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

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Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Resources & Tools

5 free books to help explain Parkinson’s to children and teens

Perspectives

Tonya’s trends: ‘off the shoulder’ – a low-slung look on the up

Interviews

Meet Andy Butler, the man behind the Parkinson’s People Facebook group

Can awakening dormant neurons reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms?

Parkinson’s could be present from birth, study finds

Testing saliva can help diagnose Parkinson’s, study finds

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