Parkinson's Disease Health Article

Alternative treatment

Currently, the best treatments for PD involve the use of conventional drugs such as levodopa. Alternative therapies, including acupuncture, massage, and yoga, can help relieve some symptoms of the disease and loosen tight muscles. Alternative practitioners have also applied herbal and dietary therapies, including amino acid supplementation, antioxidant (vitamins A, C, E, selenium, and zinc) therapy, B vitamin supplementation, and calcium and magnesium supplementation, to the treatment of PD. Anyone using these therapies in conjunction with conventional drugs should check with their doctor to avoid the possibility of adverse interactions. For example, vitamin B₆ (either as a supplement or from foods such as whole grains, bananas, beef, fish, liver, and potatoes) can interfere with the action of L-dopa when the drug is taken without carbidopa.

Prognosis

Despite medical treatment, the symptoms of Parkinson disease worsen over time, and become less responsive to drug therapy. Late-stage psychiatric symptoms are often the most troubling, including difficulty sleeping, nightmares, intellectual impairment (dementia), hallucinations, and loss of contact with reality (psychosis).

Prevention

There is no known way to prevent Parkinson disease.

BOOKS

Biziere, Kathleen, and Matthias Kurth. Living With Parkinson Disease. New York: Demos Vermande, 1997.

PERIODICALS

"An Algorithm for the Management of Parkinson Disease." Neurology 44/supplement 10 (December 1994): 12. <http://neuro-chief-e.mgh.harvard.edu/parkinsonsweb/Main/Drugs/ManPark1.html>.

ORGANIZATIONS

National Parkinson Foundation. 1501 NW Ninth Ave., Bob Hope Road, Miami, FL 33136. <http://www.parkinson.org>.

Parkinson Disease Foundation. 710 West 168th St. New York, NY 10032. (800) 457-6676. <http://www.apdaparkinson.com>.

Worldwide Education and Awareness for Movement Disorders (WE MOVE). Mt. Sinai Medical Center, 1 Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029. (800) 437-MOV2. <http://www.wemove.org>.

OTHER

AWAKENINGS. <http://www.parkinsonsdisease.com>.

Laith Farid Gulli, MD

KEY TERMS

AADC inhibitors—Drugs that block the amino acid decarboxylase; one type of enzyme that breaks down dopamine. Also called DC inhibitors, they include carbidopa and benserazide.

Akinesia—A loss of the ability to move; freezing in place.

Bradykinesia—Extremely slow movement.

COMT inhibitors—Drugs that block catechol-O-methyltransferase, an enzyme that breaks down dopamine. COMT inhibitors include entacapone and tolcapone.

Dopamine—A neurochemical made in the brain that is involved in many brain activities, including movement and emotion.

Dyskinesia—Impaired ability to make voluntary movements.

MAO-B inhibitors—Inhibitors of the enzyme monoamine oxidase B. MAO-B helps break down dopamine; inhibiting it prolongs the action of dopamine in the brain. Selegiline is an MAO-B inhibitor.

Orthostatic hypotension—A sudden decrease in blood pressure upon sitting up or standing. May be a side effect of several types of drugs.

Substantia nigra—One of the movement control centers of the brain.