by Caryl Buckstein

Created on: June 08, 2008   Last Updated: June 11, 2008

Actor Michael J. Fox put a public face on Parkinson's disease in 1991, when he was diagnosed at age 30. Fox was younger than one might expect, but Parkinson's is an affliction of contrasts, even controversy.

According to the National Parkinson Foundation, Parkinson's disease is a degenerative brain disorder marked by four symptoms:
1 Tremors and shaking,
2 Slowness of movement,

3 Stiffness or rigidity
4 Difficulty in keeping one's balance.

A person with Parkinson's may have cramped handwriting; a stiff facial expression; a shuffling walk; and muffled speech. The Parkinson's patient may suffer with depression.

Parkinson's afflicts more men then women. While most of those diagnosed are age 60 and older, up to 15 percent are much younger, like Fox.

The disease occurs when neurons, or nerve cells, die or become impaired in the part of the midbrain known as the substantia nigra. These cells produce dopamine, a chemical vital for the smoothly coordinated function of the body's muscles and movement. When 80 percent of the cells are damaged, symptoms of Parkinson's appear.

Diagnosis may be difficult, as no X-ray or blood test can confirm the disease. A physician may suspect Parkinson's after a thorough examination. Blood tests and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (an MRI) may rule out other possible causes of symptoms. The foundation recommends that people suspecting Parkinson's seek the care of a neurologist that specializes in the disease. Its website - www.Parkinson.org - includes a physician referral section.

The disease has a genetic component in some cases, while others appear to be random. But the experts express optimism: "In recent years, Parkinson's research has advanced to a point that halting the progression of PD, restoring lost function and even preventing the disease are all considered realistic goals," writes the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The NINDS website is www.ninds.nih.gov.

Parkinson's alone is not fatal, but it can bring about events, such as choking and falling that may become deadly. It progresses slowly. The symptoms may make daily routine activities difficult.

The NINDS website contains a brochure that lists 10 support groups, including the American Parkinson Disease Association, the Parkinson Alliance, the Parkinson's Action Network, the Parkinson's Institute and Fox's Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

Research has yet to determine if any supplement impacts the disease, although a clinical trial with coenzyme Q10 is underway. For now, NINDS recommends a normal, healthy diet that might benefit anyone. Eating a fiber-rich diet and drinking plenty of water may ease constipation. A diet high in protein, however, may decrease the effectiveness of levodopa, a common medication for Parkinson's patients.

Controversy has erupted over several treatments. Political outcry arose over the use of stem cells for treatment of Parkinson's and a number of other diseases, although presidential candidates from both major parties have indicated their support.

Another proposal uses chelation therapy that reportedly eliminates toxic concentrations of metals in the body. It uses chemical compounds to bind the metals and force them out, generally by excreting them through urine.

In a list of top 10 health frauds that the Food and Drug Administration published in 1989, chelation therapy is listed Number Eight.

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