Registration to the Second International Meeting on the Together vs. Parkinson

Opened the registration terms for the Second International Meeting Together vs. Parkinson to be held from 9th to October 16th 2009 in the towns of Blanes and Lloret de Mar.

The hotel that hosted the participants and this conference center is located the town of Lloret de Mar

However some of the cultural activities undertaken in the Lloret de Mar in the neighboring town of Blanes

All the details on the arrangements for registration, the content of the conference, lodging formulas and their prices, how to get there, be at your disposal at this site dedicated to meeting

A Moving New Parkinson's Disease Campaign Aims to Stamp Out Inequalities in Treatment and Care Across Europe

The "Awareness Campaign" Visualises Daily Challenges Faced by People

With Parkinson's as Revealed by New European Research

MADRID, August 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The European Parkinson's Disease Association (EPDA) today urged European decision makers and politicians to end inequalities in care and treatment access for people with Parkinson's disease.

The plea was made during the launch of EPDA's latest campaign, 'Parkinson's is visible, make it livable', intended to visualise the daily challenges faced by those with Parkinson's, increase people's knowledge and understanding of the disease and influence decision makers.

EPDA's campaign follows new research* highlighting the extent to which everyday activities are negatively impacted by Parkinson's. The research, Real Life, Real PD, conducted by EPDA among 3,000 people living with the disease, showed that eating, dressing, washing and speaking are some of the daily tasks significantly affected and that the majority of people do not feel in control of their symptoms. Almost half of all respondents described how their depression and mood swings placed an added strain on relationships with partners and families.

Speaking at the event, EPDA president Stephen Pickard commented, "Parkinson's is a costly disease and places a huge burden on carers and society as a whole. We need governments to realise that taking action to reduce this burden by ensuring people receive the best care and treatment available makes the most economic and social sense."

He continued, "There are nearly 1.2 million people living with Parkinson's in Europe, and with an ageing population this figure is set to rise. It's time to address inequalities in care and treatment of the disease and improve the lives of those affected by Parkinson's now and in the future."

The campaign was launched at the 12th Congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) in Madrid where delegates heard from EPDA representatives and watched a series of emotive short films featuring people with Parkinson's battling with everyday tasks such as shopping and crossing the road.

The campaign, 'Parkinson's is visible, make it livable', is the first step towards eradicating inequalities in care and treatment access across Europe and a summit meeting is scheduled to take place in Brussels next year where MEPs will discuss the practical steps required to improve management of the disease.

Campaigner, Tom Isaacs (40), who has lived with Parkinson's disease for 12 years, commented at the event, "It always amazes me how Parkinson's is so visible socially and yet seemingly invisible to society. This is a ruthless condition and help is needed throughout Europe. This EPDA initiative is crucial. We need to increase understanding. We need to raise the profile. We need people not just to see, but to act."

To watch EPDA's short films and find out more about the campaign, please follow this link:

http://www.parkinsonsdecisionaid.eu.com/awarenessCampaign/2008/video.asp

*The full research report has been submitted for publication to the International Journal of Clinical Practice and is currently under review

Extracellular dopamine induces the oxidative toxicity of SH-SY5Y cells

Yuhua Jiang ^{1 2}, Lin Pei ¹, Shupeng Li ¹, Min Wang ¹, Fang Liu ^{1 3 *}

¹Department of Neuroscience, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Clarke Division, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8
²Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Ji-Nan 250012, People's Republic of China
³Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8

email: Fang Liu (f.liu.a@utoronto.ca)

^*Correspondence to Fang Liu, Department of Neuroscience, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Clarke Division, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8

Abstract

Dopamine-induced neuronal cytotoxicity has been proposed as a leading pathological mechanism underlying many neuronal degenerative disorders including Parkinson disease. Various hypotheses have been proposed including oxidative stress and dopamine (DA)-induced intracellular signal disorder via DA D1 and D2 receptors. The exact mechanism involved in this process is far from clear. In this study, employing a neuronal blastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, we tried to elucidate the roles of these different suggested mechanisms in this pathological process. The results showed that DA induced cell toxicity in a dose- and time-dependent way. Selective D1 and D2 DA receptor antagonist could not block the cytotoxic effects, whereas reductive reagent ascorbic acid but not GSH could effectively rescue the cell death, suggesting that DA-induced cell toxicity was caused by an extracellular oxidative stress. This was further supported by the enhancing effects of DA transporter blocker, GBR, which could increase the cell death when pretreated. Finally, ascorbic acid could also protect SY5Y cells from DA-induced cellular apoptotic signal changes including PARP and P53. Our studies suggested that DA exerted its cytotoxic effects via an extracellular metabolism, whereas intracellular transportation could reduce its oxidative stress. Cytotoxicity effects induced by extracellular DA could be protected by reductive agents as ascorbic acid. These results help to broaden our understanding of the mechanisms of DA-induced cell death and may provide potentially therapeutical alternative for the neurodegenerative disorders. Synapse 62:797-803, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease: the challenge and the promise

Abstract: This review addresses the literature surrounding Parkinson’s disease (PD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

It discusses the neuropsychological, pharmaceutical, and pathological overlap, the socioeconomic impact of PD and MCI, and the value of recognizing,understanding, and treating MCI in PD.

It is concluded from this review that MCI in PD does exist and should be considered in clinical and research investigations. Due to the lack of accepted clinical criteria, an inclusive operating definition of MCI in PD is proposed.

Research guidelines for studying the presence of MCI in PD and evaluating the efficacy of pharmaceutical interventions are also suggested.

Abstract: This review addresses the literature surrounding Parkinson’s disease (PD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). It discusses the neuropsychological, pharmaceutical, and pathological overlap, the socioeconomic impact of PD and MCI, and the value of recognizing,understanding, and treating MCI in PD. It is concluded from this review that MCI in PD does exist and should be considered in clinical and research investigations. Due to the lack of accepted clinical criteria, an inclusive operating definition of MCI in PD is proposed. Research guidelines for studying the presence of MCI in PD and evaluating the efficacy of pharmaceutical interventions are also suggested.

See full article.......

Authors:

Hubert H Fernandez1
Gregory P Crucian1
Michael S Okun1
Catherine C Price2
Dawn Bowers2
1Department of Neurology,
2Department of Clinical and Health
Psychology, University of Florida,
Gainesville, FL, USA

Etiquetas de Technorati: Parkinson,Investigación,Información,Blog,PD

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