Parkinsonism & related disorders
-
Parkinsonism Relat. Disord. · Aug 2015
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial of reduced coenzyme Q10 for Parkinson's disease.
Mitochondrial complex I deficiencies have been found in post-mortem brains of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is the electron acceptor found in complexes I and II, and is a potent antioxidant. A recent trial of the oxidized form of CoQ10 for PD failed to show benefits; however, the reduced form of CoQ10 (ubiquinol-10) has shown better neuroprotective effects in animal models. ⋯ This is the first report showing that ubiquinol-10 may significantly improve PD with wearing off, as judged by total UPDRS scores, and that ubiquinol-10 is safe and well tolerated.
-
Parkinsonism Relat. Disord. · Aug 2015
First-in-human cell transplant trials in Parkinson's disease: The need for an improved informed consent process.
First-in-human clinical trials of innovative medical procedures, such as cell transplantation for Parkinson's disease, present a variety of ethical challenges. In an era of rapidly developing stem cell technologies likely to be translated into clinical trials over the next few years, it is critical that ethical concerns be fully considered. ⋯ This will necessitate adequate disclosure of risks and benefits at a time when these are incompletely defined; ensuring understanding of a complex research protocol when there is significant possibility of therapeutic misconception; and careful determination of capacity for informed consent in patients with a neurodegenerative disorder that is known to affect cognition. Here we call attention to the ethical issues that researchers conducting these types of trials will face when trying to obtain a genuinely informed consent, and we suggest possible solutions.
-
Parkinsonism Relat. Disord. · Jul 2015
The walk-bicycle: A new assistive device for Parkinson's patients with freezing of gait?
Previous studies reported a preserved ability to cycle in freezers, creating opportunities for restoring mobility and independence. However, use of a bicycle is not always feasible. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of a "walk-bicycle" in reducing freezing of gait (FOG). ⋯ The walk-bicycle may help to reduce FOG in some patients, but not in all. Future studies need to evaluate its usefulness in a home environment.