PARKINSONS GRANT:
ADITIONAL FUNDING FOR PARKINSON’S DISEASE RESEARCH:
Australian Executor Trustees allocated a $10,000 Grant to Parkinson’s disease research from their annual discretionary trust. Australians are known for their generous spirit of giving and support of worthwhile causes. Australian Executor Trustees has been helping people give back to the community for over 120 years.
A novel therapy for involuntary motor movements and disease progression in Parkinson’s disease.
Summary
Levodopa (L-DOPA) is the primary treatment for Parkinson’s disease despite the fact that 40-70% of all patients on L-DOPA will develop both motor fluctuations and dyskinesia within 5 years of beginning treatment. Dyskinesia is involuntary jerky muscle contractions, twisting or rapid movements, and is often more debilitating than the original symptoms. These involuntary motor movements significantly interfere with the patient’s quality of life, and unfortunately, there is no treatment. The current project will investigate the novel hypothesis that dykinesia is related to oscillating substance P levels in the basal ganglia, and will examine whether substance P antagonists can reduce dyskinesia while maintaining L-DOPA delivery, and whether they can attenuate disease progression. The project has the potential to profoundly improve the quality of life of Parkinson’s disease patients.
PO Box 698, North Adelaide SA 5006, Australia
Telephone: +61 8 8371 0771
nrfginta@bigpond.com
