Health and wellness could revolutionise management of long term neurological conditions
The latest emphasis in health and fitness circles has been on measuring, not our lifespans, but our ‘healthspans’. A societal effort to do the same might well present a possible solution to our growing healthcare challenges, and could revolutionise the way we manage neurological conditions. The latest edition of the British Journal for Neuroscience Nursing […]
What have we learnt from the GDNF study?
Dr Alan Whone opened his presentation of the pioneering GDNF study by answering the question posed – “We have learned a lot!”. Although the study did not meet its primary endpoint,33 many interesting findings can be realised in the data, and it would be wrong to view this study as a failure. First off, this was the first randomised clinical trial in PD using an innovative [...]
Opicapone: The promise of the theory
Parkinson’s disease clinicians are increasingly looking towards personalised medicine, where an understanding of phenotypic subtypes guides treatment decisions, but how to reconcile this move with the introduction of new drugs such as opicapone which have been developed for all patients treated with levodopa and experiencing [...]
NHS RightCare progressive neurological conditions toolkit launches
A new toolkit has just been published to help healthcare systems better understand the priorities in care for people living with various progressive neurological conditions. Currently, those living with progressive neurological conditions are experiencing: delays in diagnosis and treatment, fragmented and uncoordinated services, limited availability of neurospecialist rehab and reablement and a lack of psycho–social […]
NHSE elective care handbooks now available
This summer, NHS England has published a series of handbooks setting out best practice and ‘how-to’ solutions for each of the 14 high-volume elective care specialties that RightCare have identified as their focus. The NHS RightCare programme, which works locally with systems to present a diagnosis of data and evidence across that population, believes that […]
2019 so far
By Dr Peter Fletcher, Academic Director For our Parkinson’s Academy, August offers the briefest of respites as we move towards the final third of 2019. As usual our autumn term starts with our September 2 day Foundation MasterClass (MC37F on the 18th and 19th), this year with a record planned attendance of 60. The 2-day […]
Prodromal PD – Fact or fiction?
“While the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains focused on motor symptoms, the underlying pathological process clearly starts many years before these overt signs” began Dr Alastair Noyce (Queen Mary University London). In this ‘prediagnostic’ phase, a diverse range of non-motor and motor features can occur with a wealth of evidence now [...]
How can we target the disease mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease?
“There is currently a great deal of research being conducted on Parkinson’s disease. The Cure Parkinson’s Trust is involved in 17 trials and patients are desperate for information” stated Dr Simon Stott of The Cure Parkinson’s Trust. PD is a multifactorial disease, where both genetic and environmental factors are involved, and this provides a smorgasbord [...]
Non-pharmacological therapies: An evidence free zone?
Current medical management is only partially effective in controlling the symptoms and signs of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Medication mainly targets impairments related to dopaminergic lesions and is, therefore, not effective for symptoms that are largely related to non-dopaminergic lesions, such as impaired balance or dementia. Consequently, even with [...]
Double Dutch – Case presentation by Prof Bas Bloem
Using a series of cases, Professor Bastiaan Bloem (Director, Parkinson Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands) underscored the importance of clinical observation in his daily practice. The first case was of a professional violinist whose tremor resulted in him retiring from his passion.1 Professor Bloem explained that this patient typically increased his [...]
