Stupors experienced by Parkinson's patients

[TheParser]

Do you or a loved one/friend have Parkinson's?

Do you (or that loved one/friend) ever have what I will call catatonic stupors?

For example, such a person will sit down (especially after some physical exertion) and suddenly start staring into space. That person will not talk. That person may even lose balance and start to fall. It is a terrifying sight.

If I start yelling at him to "wake up," he does after a few minutes.

Any advice regarding these catatonic stupors would be appreciated.


Thank you

 

[theHawk]

Yes. I have an elderly family member that has secondary Parkinson’s, caused by medications. She had to have surgery but since then has been pretty much as you describe, almost catatonic and non-responsive. At first just staring off, but now able to just response with a few words.

It’s unbelievable to me that doctors prescribe medications that cause all this.

 

[waltky]

'Reprogrammed' Stem Cells to be used to fight Parkinson's...

Japan Scientists to Use 'Reprogrammed' Stem Cells to Fight Parkinson's
July 30, 2018 — Japanese scientists said Monday they will start clinical trials next month on a treatment for Parkinson's disease, transplanting "reprogrammed" stem cells into brains, seeking a breakthrough in treating the neurodegenerative disorder.

Parkinson's is caused by a lack of dopamine made by brain cells, and researchers have long hoped to use stem cells to restore normal production of the neurotransmitter chemical. The clinical trials come after researchers at Japan's Kyoto University successfully used human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) to restore functioning brain cells in monkeys last year.

Jun Takahashi, left, professor at Kyoto University's Centre for iPS Cell Research and Application, attends a news conference in Kyoto, Japan​

So-called iPS cells are made by removing mature cells from an individual — often from the skin or blood — and reprogramming them to behave like embryonic stem cells. They can then be coaxed into dopamine-producing brain cells. "This will be the world's first clinical trial using iPS cells on Parkinson's disease," Jun Takahashi, professor at Kyoto University's Centre for iPS Cell Research and Application, told a news conference.

The center is headed by Shinya Yamanaka, who in 2012 shared a Nobel Prize for medicine with a British scientist, John Gurdon, for the discovery that adult cells can be transformed back into embryo-like cells. "We intend to carry on conducting our research carefully, yet expeditiously, in coordination with Kyoto University Hospital, so that new treatment using iPS cells will be brought to patients as soon as possible," Yamanaka said in a statement.

The fact that the clinical trial uses iPS cells rather than human embryonic cells means the treatment would be acceptable in countries such as Ireland and much of Latin America, where embryonic cells are banned.

Japan Scientists to Use 'Reprogrammed' Stem Cells to Fight Parkinson's

See also:

Boxing Gym Challenges Parkinson's Symptoms
July 26, 2018 —
Rock Steady Boxing NOVA gym opened in McLean, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C., last December. That was the good news for 75-year-old Neil Eisner, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's six years ago and finds boxing an effective way to fight back against the disease.

Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) was designed especially for people with Parkinson's, a neurodegenerative disorder that leads to tremors and balance problems. Each exercise in the program focuses on a specific skill — one is combining punches on a bag to work on strength, another is crawling across the floor. Eisner says the exercises help him perform everyday tasks like moving around and getting in and out of bed. Some strengthening exercises target vocal cords. "One of the things that's interesting enough is [Parkinson's patients] tend to have a [softer] voice. When you have that lower voice, and people can't hear you, you don't realize. So, he asks us to bring our voice clearly and more loudly," Eisner said.

Becoming an RSB trainer

For personal trainer Alec Langstein, working with an older population is familiar. He understands their health issues and the need for them to stay active. "My aunt has a gym in Westchester, New York, and she does a Rock Steady Boxing program there," he said. "She invited me up to her gym to check out the program. She thought it would be a perfect fit for what I do. I helped out with a few classes, and it was just, I thought, an amazing program." The Rock Steady Boxing nonprofit was founded in 2006 by attorney Scott C. Newman, who was looking for ways to stay active after being diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 40. Since then, more than 500 boxing programs have been introduced in the U.S. and around the world.

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Parkinson's patient Jim Coppula gets some pointers from his daughter Ellen as he works out on a bag during his Rock Steady Boxing class in Costa Mesa, California​

Langstein went to the organization's headquarters to become an RSB-licensed trainer, and a few months later, he opened his Rock Steady Boxing NOVA gym. "It's a typical boxing program," he explained. "They focus on balance, hand-eye coordination, reaction, footwork. There is some cognitive stuff because in boxing, certain numbers equal certain punches. So, when I yell certain numbers, you have to move and react at the same time. So, the brain and the body are working together. It's also taking out the aggression some people may have out of having the disease."

Improving quality of life

To understand how RSB can help Parkinson's patients, physical therapist Danielle Sequira says it's important to know what triggers the symptoms. "Parkinson's mainly affects the dopamine-producing cells in the brain. That leads to a lack or a loss of dopamine, which contributes to the movement difficulties," she said.

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Parkinson's patients stretch as they begin their workout at Rock Steady Boxing in Costa Mesa, California​

While boxing and other exercises don't cure the disease or stop the dopamine decline, they can improve the patient's quality of life. Exercises can be modified for people with Parkinson's, including those in wheelchairs. "The research shows that exercise helps the brain use dopamine more efficiently," Sequira said. "My goal usually, after I work with some of my patients with Parkinson's, is to refer them out to get involved in an exercise program out in the community."

The social effect