Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that affects the way the body

moves with symptoms that worsen over time. The first medical essay published on Parkinson's
was in 1817 written by Dr. James Parkinson. Some symptoms of Parkinson's are having a speech
impediment with slurred words and talking slowly with pauses in between, having impaired
posture and troubles with your balance, stiff limbs, slowed movements and tremors often in the
hands, legs and face. The disease is more common in men than it is in woman, and usually
happen at an older age in life. In extremely rare cases it has been found to be hereditary.
Roughly 6.3 million people in the world suffer from Parkinson's disease and a
cure has not yet been found. In 1960 we discovered that Parkinson's is caused by the loss of
neurons in the substantia nigra. The brain slowly stops producing dopamine, which is a
neurotransmitter that helps with sending messages to the part of the brain that helps us control
our coordination and movement. A lack of dopamine can result in abnormal nerve functioning
which causes the inability to control our body movements like we want to. When we lose about
60% - 80% of the cells that produce dopamine experience neurodegeneration then the symptoms
of Parkinson's occur. Some studies have shown that brain trauma could factor in risk for
neurodegenerative diseases, but there are others that go against the case.
There has been controversy around the possibility of a genetic cause of Parkinson's.
There were some genetic abnormalities that were identified in a small number of families that
lead to Parkinson's. There is still very little information on how Parkinson's disease is inherited
but the research and studies are ongoing. Evidence in certain toxins out in the environment
causing Parkinson's has also arose through the years. Scientists have suggested that there are
toxins that may selectively destroy the neurons that produce dopamine, they've concluded that
some of those toxins may be manganese, carbon monoxide, carbon disulfide and other pesticides.
It's also believed that oxidative stress could be a cause in the disease. Oxidative stress is the
imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body's ability to detoxify or counteract
harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants. It is normal for free radicals to form in the
body and brain, but we usually have a mechanism to get rid of them. In the case of people with
Parkinson's disease, the mechanisms may not be as effective or they might produce too much.
Sadly there is still no sure for Parkinson's, but as years of research go by learn new ways
of helping those affected by the disease cope with their condition and we continue to advance in
the field. Alim-Louis Benabid is a neurosurgeon and member of the Academy of Sciences.
Mahlon DeLong is a neurologist and a professor at the Medical School of Emory University.
They were both credited and awarded the LaskerDebakey Clinical Medical Research Award in
2014, the awards are among the most prestigious science prizes in the world. The Lasker
Debakey Clinical Medical Research Award honors investigators whose contributions have
improved the clinical treatments of patients. They were recognized for their work in being
pioneers in deep brain stimulation (DBS). Generally people who receive the diagnosis of
Parkinson's disease are 60-70, and age is the biggest risk factor for the disease. There is an
estimation that 1% - 2% of people older than 60 are affected by the disease. Mahlon DeLong
started to study a complicated and looked over area of the brain in the early 1970's. DeLong
played a crucial role in the advancement of understanding human neural networks, and that
helped lead the way for electrical modulation. It was discovered that many of the symptoms of
neurologic and neuropsychiatric diseases could be corresponding with dysfunction in specific
brain circuits through various parts of the brain.
Alim-Louis Benabid had the idea of leaving a wire in the human brain that could provide
a continuous electric current. Alim-Louis Benabid operated on a man who had tremors in 1987.

Benabid passed a large test probe several centimeters below the brains surface. He knew that
from past work low frequency stimulation would make the tremors worse and that the faster
pulse stimulations would suppress it. Benabid left a neurostimulator in the man's brain and he
implemented a wire that had 4 metal contacts at its tips. The wire was then connected to an
external battery source where they could adjust the settings to best suit the individual's needs.
Thanks to the success of deep brain stimulation, multidisciplinary teams were formed to evaluate
patients for deep brain stimulation therapy. Better designs and more energy efficient units have
been made since then and they continue to improve. Adjusting the devices remotely is something
almost in grasps. As of right now the technology is limited and has its flaws still. The currents
can spread through parts of the brain that were unintended that can cause side effects, and the
deep brain stimulation therapy does not treat all the symptoms. But it has had a big effect on the
treatments for Parkinson's disease, and also has helped treat Alzheimer's, Tourette's syndrome
and epilepsy.
Stem cell research is another hot topic when looking into a cure for Parkinson's
disease as it is emerging as a hopeful treatment. Stem cells can divide indefinitely and replicate
to more cells of the same type, which can prove helpful in repairing brain damage from
degenerative disorders such as Parkinsons by creating more neurons that produce dopamine.
Ivar Mendez neurosurgeon and is a Chairman of Surgery at the University of Saskatchewan.
Mendez has had work where he had footage of him working with a patient that had Parkinson's
disorder off his medication. In the footage it is shown that the patient struggles to move his hands
the way he wants to and struggles getting out of his chair, and when he does get out he has a
slow walk. Later on it shows the same patient still off his medication, but 8 years have passed.
And it has been 8 years since Mendez transplanted dopamine cells from a fetus into the patient's
brain. People with Parkinson's do not have a sufficient amount of dopamine which is very
important in movement. Neurons that are found in the midbrain region substantia nigra. The
video shows that the man has aged, but he has more energy than before and acts like a younger
man. When asked to do the same tasks as he was in the older footage 8 years prior, he does it
with ease. The problem is stem cells are hard to come by.
There have been a lot of bumps in the road on stem cell research
because of some of the ethics and political issues of using aborted fetal tissue. There is not a
large supply. In early clinical trials, not enough patients saw any improvement quick enough and
some even developed serious side effects. In 2014 neurologist Roger A Barker of the University
of Cambridge led the first large clinical trial of cell therapy in Parkinson's in a decade. It helped
that there was new evidence shown that the transplantation could work successfully like in the
case of Mendez's patient. Not only would this be a groundbreaking movement in a cure of
Parkinson's disease, but many other disorders as well such as spinal cord injuries, diabetes and
cancer.
The progress made since it was first recorded in 1817 has
been substantial. From learning about how it effects the body, the understanding behind why it
occurs to people, the cause of how people get the disease, to new discoveries and theories on
what we can further look into on finding a cure. Parkinson's disease research continues to be
funded through charity, and even through celebrity foundations such as Michael J Fox and
Muhammad Ali who both suffer from the disease. It is of great importance that we continue to
help those fighting the disease and help them live their regular life and one day find a cure.