Parkinson's in the nose recognize

Smell test shows Parkinson's disease

06/14/2012

The Parkinson's disease does not begin as is often assumed in the motor centers of the brain but in the nose. The neurology professor Heinz Reichmann came to this conclusion in the course of animal experiments on mice. He now presented his research as part of the European Neurologists Congress in Prague.

Parkinson's causes not only motor failure but also depression
With a simple smell test first indications of an incipient Parkinson's disease are to be determined. The Dresden neurologist came to this conclusion in his investigations of patients who had lost their sense of smell between the ages of 50 and 60 years. At about ten percent, the suspicion of Parkinson's hardened, as they showed the first signs of the nerve disease in a special ultrasound examination and biochemical tests. In animal experiments Reichmann was also able to observe that Parkinson actually begins in the olfactory organ with an accumulation of so-called Lewy bodies. These signaled Parkinson's, according to the expert. Starting from the nose, the disease then propagates from cell to cell first in the direction of the stomach and then via the vagus nerve to the brain. "This knowledge may even give us the opportunity to discover the disease much earlier and to prevent it from spreading," explained Reichmann, who holds the position of President of the European Neurological Society.

However, the exact causes leading to the onset of Parkinson's disease are still unclear. The parkinsonian expert from the Unklinik of the Technische Universität Dresden reported on another study that showed that the symptoms of Parkinson's are not limited to motion coordination but 90% also to odor loss, to 45% to constipation, in Ten percent of cases may be due to double vision and 30 percent to impotence. In women, in about 50 percent of the cases, feeling-poor and urinary incontinence occur. According to Reichmann, 30 percent suffer from diffuse pain, depression (30 percent), joylessness (30 percent) and dementia, which has become particularly evident in recent years. In addition, oily skin and extreme sweating would be common. "Recent research shows that these symptoms, especially depression and dementia, cost patients more quality of life than movement disorders," says Reichmann. Therefore, it is necessary to focus more on these symptoms. However, there is not yet a therapy available for all symptoms. "But we have good medication for depression, constipation and excessive perspiration."

The exact causes of the onset of Parkinson's are not yet clear. It is very likely that a genetic bias for increased sensitivity to environmental factors is the trigger. At the congress in Prague about 3,000 doctors and scientists discussed the topic.

Use Tai Chi to relieve symptoms of Parkinson's
As has recently become known, American researchers have found that Tai Chi exercises are particularly well suited for Parkinson's patients to counteract the physical decline.

For the study, the study participants were divided into three different groups: the first group did stretching exercises, the second Tai Chi and the third strength exercises. At the beginning, at the end and three months after the end of the training, the subjects were examined by the scientists. It turned out that the stretching exercises did not improve posture, while Tai Chi and strength training had a positive impact. Researchers led by Fuzhong Li from the Oregon Research Institute observed that the participants in the Tai Chi group had the best posture and the greatest directional control of the movements. The strength training improved the posture of the subjects, but the training did not affect the directional control of the movements.

Accordingly, Tai Chi is beneficial for Parkinson's patients to stay independent in their everyday lives longer. In addition, the study showed that regular Tai Chi reduces the risk of falls. (Ag)

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