Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
September 20th, 2011 | 
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Surgical Treatment
When all treatments have failed and is very advanced PD can be thought of surgery. There are various techniques such as pallidotomy, deep stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus or core palidum, etc. The purpose of these interventions is usually trying to control symptoms of disease intensity. Transplants have also been made of dopamine, using human fetal cells containing dopamine in the striatum of PD patients, seeking to slow the progression of symptoms and partial improvement in many of them.
Gene Therapy
Gene therapy in PD is based on the perspective of the production of proteins within the brain that may restore the ability of biological synthesis of dopamine in PD. This can be accomplished by transplantation of genetically modified cells (immortalized cell lines) or gene delivery by some viruses specially prepared for this purpose.Neurotrophic Factors
Genetic engineering can produce molecules that stimulate nerve cell growth and development of neural networks in the striatum and the substantia nigra. The factor glial derived neurotrophic (GDNF, developed by Amgen) can be useful in PD. GDNF can restore the functional activity of dopaminergic neurons injured.
What can the patient do?
Education
The diagnosis of PD is a key event in the life of the patient. The patient must be informed of the disease. It is very important to have the confidence of a good specialist, a neurologist.
Nutrition
The diet should be rich in fiber to reduce constipation, frequent in PD. This occurs both by disease and by drugs. Avoid large meals, especially rich in protein, especially if the medication should be taken afterwards. Ideally should wait about 60 minutes between taking the drug and the food.
Exercise
To maintain an acceptable mobility should undergo a mild to moderate exercise. When the disease is advanced physiotherapy treatments are beneficial, especially as a guide to the exercises to do. For many useful swimming, walking and dancing, especially if done regularly.
What problems can wait for the patient with Parkinson’s?
It is impossible to predict what problems may develop a patient with PD. It can affect any aspect of your daily life, so it’s important to get adequate information about their own illness. At some point going to see a decrease in drug action, this can happen very variable, soon, to the first 2 years or later, about 8 to 10 years of treatment. Today, with drug treatments and non-pharmacological support, most patients can have an acceptable quality of life. There must be close collaboration between the patient, his family, specialist, nurse practitioner and the hospital in order to succeed and be a successful treatment.
credit to: Dr. Jimmy Alfonso Schieman Delgado, Dr. G. Hotton, Dr. K. Ray Chaudhuri
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