PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Long-term spinal cord stimulation stalls symptoms of Parkinson's-like disease

2014-01-23
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Rachel Harrison
rachel.harrison@duke.edu
919-419-5069
Duke University Medical Center
Long-term spinal cord stimulation stalls symptoms of Parkinson's-like disease

DURHAM, N.C. -- Researchers at Duke Medicine have shown that continuing spinal cord stimulation appears to produce improvements in symptoms of Parkinson's disease, and may protect critical neurons from injury or deterioration.

The study, performed in rats, is published online Jan. 23, 2014, in the journal Scientific Reports. It builds on earlier findings from the Duke team that stimulating the spinal cord with electrical signals temporarily eased symptoms of the neurological disorder in rodents.

"Finding novel treatments that address both the symptoms and progressive nature of Parkinson's disease is a major priority," said the study's senior author Miguel Nicolelis, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurobiology at Duke University School of Medicine. "We need options that are safe, affordable, effective and can last a long time. Spinal cord stimulation has the potential to do this for people with Parkinson's disease."

Parkinson's disease is caused by the progressive loss of neurons that produce dopamine, an essential molecule in the brain, and affects movement, muscle control and balance.

L-dopa, the standard drug treatment for Parkinson's disease, works by replacing dopamine. While L-dopa helps many people, it can cause side effects and lose its effectiveness over time. Deep brain stimulation, which emits electrical signals from an implant in the brain, has emerged as another valuable therapy, but less than 5 percent of those with Parkinson's disease qualify for this treatment.

"Even though deep brain stimulation can be very successful, the number of patients who can take advantage of this therapy is small, in part because of the invasiveness of the procedure," Nicolelis said.

In 2009, Nicolelis and his colleagues reported in the journal Science that they developed a device for rodents that sends electrical stimulation to the dorsal column, a main sensory pathway in the spinal cord carrying information from the body to the brain. The device was attached to the surface of the spinal cord in rodents with depleted levels of dopamine, mimicking the biologic characteristics of someone with Parkinson's disease. When the stimulation was turned on, the animals' slow, stiff movements were replaced with the active behaviors of healthy mice and rats.

Because research on spinal cord stimulation in animals has been limited to the stimulation's acute effects, in the current study, Nicolelis and his colleagues investigated the long-term effects of the treatment in rats with the Parkinson's-like disease.

For six weeks, the researchers applied electrical stimulation to a particular location in the dorsal column of the rats' spinal cords twice a week for 30-minute sessions. They observed a significant improvement in the rats' symptoms, including improved motor skills and a reversal of severe weight loss.

In addition to the recovery in clinical symptoms, the stimulation was associated with better survival of neurons and a higher density of dopaminergic innervation in two brain regions controlling movement – the loss of which cause Parkinson's disease in humans. The findings suggest that the treatment protects against the loss or damage of neurons.

Clinicians are currently using a similar application of dorsal column stimulation to manage certain chronic pain syndromes in humans. Electrodes implanted over the spinal cord are connected to a portable generator, which produces electrical signals that create a tingling sensation to relieve pain. Studies in a small number of humans worldwide have shown that dorsal column stimulation may also be effective in restoring motor function in people with Parkinson's disease.

"This is still a limited number of cases, so studies like ours are important in examining the basic science behind the treatment and the potential mechanisms of why it is effective," Nicolelis said.

The researchers are continuing to investigate how spinal cord stimulation works, and are beginning to explore using the technology in other neurological motor disorders.



INFORMATION:

In addition to Nicolelis, study authors include Amol P. Yadav of Duke University; Hao Zhang, Thais Vinholo and Chi-Han Wang of Duke University School of Medicine; and Romulo Fuentes and Marco Aurelio M. Freire of the Edmond and Lily Safra Institute of Neuroscience of Natal in Brazil.

This research was supported by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Transformative Award (R01-NS073125-03), an NIH Director's Pioneer Award (DP1-OD006798), and the grant ''Plano de Acao Brasil Suica CNPq 590006/2010-0'' awarded to Nicolelis.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Large and in charge

2014-01-23
Bigger really is better – at least it was for early prehistoric life. A NASA research group featuring University of Toronto Mississauga professor Marc Laflamme has helped to explain why some ...

Climate change threatens Winter Olympics

2014-01-23
Only six of the previous Winter Olympics host cities will be cold enough to reliably host the Games by the end of this century if global warming projections ...

Cohabitation plays 'major role' in number of long-term relationships

2014-01-23
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new national study provides surprising evidence of how cohabitation contributes to the number of long-term relationships ...

Molecules as circuits

2014-01-23
Silicon-based electronics has certain limits, in the physical sense of the word: this type of circuit can never become "nano" because of the physical laws ...

Tracing unique cells with mathematics

2014-01-23
This news release is available in German. Each cell in our body is unique. Even cells of the same tissue type that look identical under the ...

NCCS scientists discover gene regulation is dependent on protein ANP32E

2014-01-23
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 23-Jan-2014 [ | E-mail ] var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more" Share Contact: Ms Rachel Tan Rachel.Tan.C.H@nccs.com.sg 659-754-0842 SingHealth NCCS scientists discover gene regulation is dependent on protein ANP32E Architecture of DNA is maintained by a protein called ANP32E; Cells lacking ANP32E lacked proper chromatin structure; ANP32E's ability to strip histone H2A.Z from DNA can alter gene expression; Findings ...

Cultural connections with Europe found in ancient Jordanian settlement

2014-01-23
Swedish archaeologists in Jordan led by Professor Peter M. Fischer from the University of Gothenburg have excavated a nearly 60-metre long well-preserved building from 1100 B.C. ...

Near error-free wireless detection made possible

2014-01-23
The accuracy and range of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems, which are used in everything from passports to luggage tracking, could be vastly improved thanks to a new system developed by ...

Insulin-producing beta cells from stem cells

2014-01-23
The findings of the scientists of the Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research ...

Choose your love

2014-01-23
To test whether female mate choice enhances the health and disease-resistance of offspring, either through immune resistance, tolerance to infection, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Metabolically active visceral fat linked to aggressive endometrial cancer, new study reveals

Scientists glimpse how enzymes “dance” while they work, and why that’s important

California partnership aided COVID-19 response and health equity, report finds

University of Oklahoma secures $19.9 million for revolutionary radar technology

Study finds restoring order to dividing cancer cells may prevent metastasis

High-accuracy tumor detection with label-free microscopy and neural networks

Wayne State research reveals fetuses exposed to Zika virus have long-term immune challenges

Researchers deconstruct chikungunya outbreaks to improve prediction and vaccine development

Study finds one-year change on CT scans linked to future outcomes in fibrotic lung disease

Discovery of a novel intracellular trafficking pathway in plant cells

New tool helps forecast volcano slope collapses and tsunamis

Molecular coating cleans up noisy quantum light

From Parkinson's to rare diseases, discovered a key switch for cellular health

Tiny sugars in the brain disrupt emotional circuits, fueling depression

Mini-organs reveal how the cervix defends itself

Africa, climate, and food: How to feed a continent without increasing its carbon footprint

Researchers demonstrates substrate design principles for scalable superconducting quantum materials

How better software choices could cut US health care costs

Concussion history in NCAA athletes yields mixed health outcomes

Counting plastic reveals hidden waste and sparks action

Warming oceans may pose a serious threat to American lobsters

Deaths from drug-induced unintentional injury rise across the US

In car crashes with pedestrians, age and zip code may predict extent of traumatic injuries

AI optimizes evacuation, diagnosis, and treatment of wounded soldiers in Ukraine

Mastectomy linked to worsened sexual health, body image after surgery

Drop in credit score after cancer diagnosis linked to increased mortality, study shows

Use of weight loss drugs before bariatric surgery has soared in recent years, study finds

EMS call times in rural areas take at least 20 minutes longer than national average

Rectal bleeding in young adults linked to 8.5 times higher risk of colorectal cancer

Hospital closures disproportionately affect socioeconomically disadvantaged communities

[Press-News.org] Long-term spinal cord stimulation stalls symptoms of Parkinson's-like disease