Supplements

Mayo Clinic has published a research commentary that analyzes the relationship between low levels of Vitamin B-12 and Parkinson's Disease. While the paper does not prove causality, it does "propose that vitamin B12 supplementation could be considered as an adjuvant approach to improve cholinergic transmission and, potentially, motor and cognitive function in patients with PD." And it makes a case for "future clinical trials of high-dose vitamin B12 supplementation as a well-tolerated symptomatic adjunctive therapy for posture and gait instability and cognitive impairment in PD." Mayo Clinic Video: The paper analyzes the potential relationship between vitamin B12 and acetylcholine metabolism. Dysfunction ...

A recent study concluded that one of the active forms of Vitamin B-12 offers neuroprotection and significantly prevents neurotoxicity in animal models of Parkinson's which are influenced by a hereditary genetic variation in the LRRK2 gene. What exactly does that mean? Well, I'm not a scientist, and if you are reading this, you probably aren't either...so let's try to break this down so the rest of us can understand. (If by chance, you are a scientist, then I would suggest skipping this article, and reading this article instead: https://scienceofparkinsons.com/2019/03/22/b12/. As usual, the Science of Parkinson's website offers excellent detailed analysis, ...

A study published this week raises an interesting point: Mobility deficits, including gait disturbance, balance impairments and falls, are common features of Parkinson's disease (PD) that negatively impact quality of life. Mobility deficits respond poorly to dopaminergic medications, indicating a role for additional neurotransmitters. Due to the critical role of cortical input to gait and balance, acetylcholine-an essential neurotransmitter system for attention-has become an area of interest for mobility. Overview of the cholinergic contribution to gait, balance and falls in Parkinson's disease I find this interesting, because the first Movement Disorder Specialist that I met with to confirm my Parknson’s ...

While traveling back home on a long cross country flight, I got a chance to read a fascinating book, "Suggestible You: The Curious Power of Your Brain to Deceive, Transform and Heal” by Erik Vance. The first few chapters are all about the placebo effect, and how some conditions, such as Parkinson's Disease, are particularly prone to it. In a nutshell, the placebo effect is the big challenge in phases 2 & 3 of a clinical trial for a new drug or treatment. In these so-called double blind studies, there is one group that receives the treatment and another group ...

Since being diagnosed with PD in 2014, I've had the pleasure to meet individuals who have lived with Parkinson's for 10 to 20 years, and even longer. The common theme for living well with PD is regular exercise and staying active. PD may be a life sentence, but it is far from being a death sentence. Think of exercise as your most important prescription, something that you need to make time for almost every day. Exercise is more important than any medication, but medication is often necessary or helpful to maximize your ability to exercise ...

There is an Italian doctor, Antonio Costanini, who treats Parkinson's patients with high doses of Vitamin B1 (Thiamin). He first published a report about his results in 2013: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3762356/ There are interesting Before/After Patient videos (in Italian, but some have subtitles)...a few are embedded below, more are available at: http://www.ultimaedizione.eu/video-parkinson-pazienti-prima-e-dopo-il-trattamento/ ...