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By Alysha Reid


Protein extracted from the spinal fluid may hold the key to better diagnosis, treatment, and prevention for Parkinson's disease, according to a new study published in JAMA Neurology.


Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine have linked biological differences to specific symptoms of this neurological disorder. Experts hope to use this information to better understand how specific proteins can alter the prognosis of Parkinson's - and to someday develop symptom-specific treatment regimens.




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At the beginning of the study, researchers collected spinal fluid from a total of 102 participants. Sixty three had early, untreated Parkinson's disease, and 39 were healthy controls. Researchers found that when compared to the healthy adults, the spinal fluids of subjects with Parkinson's disease had a different chemical makeup.


It's difficult for researchers to study the pathology of Parkinson's since it's a neurological condition. Unlike cancer, where biopsies are routine in the affected areas, researchers can't physically examine the brain. But according to Todd Sherer, PhD, neuroscientist and CEO of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, this study provides crucial insight on the biological changes that occur in Parkinson's disease.



"The spinal fluid, which feeds and bathes the brain, provides researchers with a window on biological information," Dr. Sherer said. For example, the researchers in this study discovered a relationship with the protein buildup in the spinal fluid and the presence of Parkinson's symptoms.


"In the brains of people with Parkinson's disease, there are changes in the way the brain handles certain proteins. You get these clumps of protein buildup in the brain from spinal fluid," he said.


Slowing Down the Progression of Parkinson's


Parkinson's is a progressive disorder, meaning that it becomes more severe over time. Currently, doctors prescribe regimens such as dopamine agonists and deep brain stimulation to treat the physical symptoms such as tremors. But as the condition worsens, treatment becomes less effective and must be altered.


But the progression of Parkinson's disease can vary widely from patient to patient. When evaluating the proteins in the spinal fluids, researchers in this study discovered major differences between subjects. The subjects with Parkinson's had lower levels of protein biomarkers amyloid beta, tau and, alpha synuclein in their spinal fluid. Researchers also linked specific concentrations of protein biomarkers to specific Parkinson's symptoms. For example, those with lower concentrations of tau and alpha synuclein had greater motor dysfunction. And patients with low levels of amyloid beta and tau were more likely to have balance issues and postural instability.


Understanding the biomarkers of Parkinson's can eventually help researchers tailor medication to the patient's specific symptoms. "We can really track treatment to slow the biological changes," Sherer said.


"It's setting the stage for a better understanding of Parkinson's so that we can develop treatments to slow the progression of the disease," he said.


A Parkinson's Diagnostic Test on the Way?


Today's study is part of the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), a worldwide observational clinical study headed by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's research. This ongoing, large-scale study, started in 2010 and considered to be the first of its kind, was developed to uncover a biomarker for this brain disorder.


"Biomarkers for Parkinson's disease such as these could help us diagnose patients earlier," said study senior author Leslie M. Shaw, PhD, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Penn Medicine in a press release. "And we've now shown that the simultaneous measurement of a variety of neurodegenerative disease proteins is valuable."


"Parkinson's Biomarker Test May Help Prognosis, Study Says[4] " originally appeared on Everyday Health.



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  • Michael J. Fox


    Fox, known for his roles in "Spin City" and the "Back to the Future" trilogy, was <a href="https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/michael-story.html" target="_hplink">diagnosed with Parkinson's disease</a> at age 30 in 1991, according to his foundation's website. However, he didn't share his condition publicly until 1998, and he officially retired from "Spin City" in 2000.

    That same year, Fox launched <a href="https://www.michaeljfox.org" target="_hplink">The Michael J. Fox Foundation</a> for Parkinson's Research, which is dedicated to raising awareness and funding.




  • Muhammad Ali


    The boxing champion first <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/20/parkinsons-disease-muhammad-ali" target="_hplink">started experiencing symptoms</a> of Parkinson's shortly after he retired from the sport in 1981, but <em>The Guardian</em> reported that he wasn't officially diagnosed until 1984. By that time, he was already <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/20/parkinsons-disease-muhammad-ali" target="_hplink">experiencing symptoms</a> of tremors, slow movement and slurred speech, according to <em>The Guardian</em>.

    The Associated Press reported that today, Ali, now 70, is largely left <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2017257069_ali17.html" target="_hplink">unable to speak</a>, save for several whispers in the mornings.

    "The <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2017257069_ali17.html" target="_hplink">Parkinson's has affected him</a> a lot, one of [the] things he has is a lot of difficulty speaking," Dr. Abraham Lieberman, director of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, told the Associated Press. "But he's never downbeat about it ... He's a tremendous inspiration to everyone."




  • Janet Reno


    The former U.S. Attorney General -- and the first woman to hold that position -- announced her <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/17/us/reno-discloses-diagnosis-of-parkinson-s-disease.html" target="_hplink">diagnosis of Parkinson's in 1995</a>, the <em>New York Times</em> reported. The first sign for her was uncontrollable shaking of her left hand.

    "Her <a href="https://ufandshands.org/news/2011/former-attorney-general-reno-helps-uf-open-center-movement-disorders-and-neurorestoration" target="_hplink">hand shook like mad</a>, but she pointed out that her brain wasn't shaking," Reno's sister, Maggy Hurchalla, said at the opening of the University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration last year, according to a statement.

    Reno told the American Academy of Neurology's <em>Neurology Now</em> in 2006 that even though the <a href="http://patients.aan.com/resources/neurologynow/index.cfm?event=home.showArticle&id=ovid.com%3A%2Fbib%2Fovftdb%2F01222928-200602010-00006" target="_hplink">tremors associated with her condition</a> have become worse throughout the years, they have been mainly in her left hand.




  • Mao Zedong


    While the Chinese Communist leader's cause of death in 1976 is not 100 percent confirmed, Mao was believed to have <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0909.html" target="_hplink">suffered from Parkinson's disease</a>, the <em>New York Times</em> reported.




  • Deborah Kerr


    Kerr, who had roles in "The King & I," "From Here to Eternity" and "An Affair to Remember," <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20152961,00.html" target="_hplink">passed away from Parkinson's</a> at age 86 in 2007, <em>People</em> magazine reported.

    TCM reported that the actress was <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/101216%7C37331/Deborah-Kerr/" target="_hplink">diagnosed with the condition in 1994</a>, and had to use a wheelchair.




  • Johnny Cash


    The iconic country music singer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee <a href="http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9710/27/johnny.cash/" target="_hplink">publicly announced his diagnosis</a> in 1997, CNN reported. At the time, his condition spurred cancellations of book promotions and concert tours.

    Cash ultimately <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2003-09-12-cash-obit_x.htm" target="_hplink">died from diabetes complications</a> in 2003 at age 71, <em>USA Today</em> reported.




  • Billy Graham


    Reverend Billy Graham publicly announced that <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/graham_billy/" target="_hplink">he had Parkinson's</a> in 1992 at age 73, CBC News reported.

    His spokesman said at the time that "Evangelist Billy Graham has known for about three years that he is in the <a href="http://articles.philly.com/1992-07-03/news/26027174_1_graham-spokesman-larry-ross-crusade-parkinson" target="_hplink">early stages of Parkinson's disease</a>," the <em>Philadelphia Daily News</em> reported. "It was diagnosed during a routine checkup at the Mayo Clinic. His early manifestations were a mild tremor that causes difficulty in handwriting and some difficulty in gait and in descending steps without a rail. Both symptoms improved significantly with a modest amount of medication."

    Today, Graham also <a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/05/11/2289457/evangelist-billy-graham-hospitalized.html" target="_hplink">suffers from macular degeneration</a> and hearing loss, and was most recently hospitalized because of pneumonia, the <em>Charlotte Observer</em> reported.




  • Learn about the Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease


    Dr. Bill Simpson explains Parkinson's Disease. He discusses the initial symptoms of this disease and how these symptoms progress.