Depicted in this 2007 was CDC microbiologist Susan Phillips, using an Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) test.
Image Credit: James Gathany/CDC
Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the brain that results in tremors and difficulty with muscle control. The National Institutes of Health explains that the disease is correlated with a loss of brain cells that produce the chemical dopamine. Without dopamine, the nerve cells cannot properly send messages and thus a loss of muscle control. We don't know why these dopamine-producing brain cells suddenly go amok.
If you remember the film, Awakenings with Robin Williams, the story is about neurologist Oliver Sacks who discovers the benefits of L-dopa upon patients who had survived encephalitis lethargica. The doctor had been impressed with the success of L-dopa upon parkinson's patients and decided to treat his patients similarly.
Levodopa, or L-dopa is the primary treatment for Parkinson's disease. It temporarily increases the production of dopamine within the brain, but similar to the portrayal in Awakenings, its effectiveness decreases after 4-5 years of treatment. Curiously, L-dopa is not effective throughout the day, and some other drugs may be required to control symptoms.
Lithium prevents brain damage tells there may soon be another treatment for Parkinson's disease. In a trial with a mouse model of Parkinson's disease, small levels of lithium appear to be neuroprotective. It is also possible that lithium can be used in treating Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Lithium carbonate has been used to treat bipolar disorder since 1970. There are some side effects and additional research/study needed.
This was researched in 2007 and it took 4 years to come to a result.
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