http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspxYour source for the latest news at NWPF.(c) 2012 Northwest Parkinson's Foundation. All rights reserved.The same tobacco leaves that kill hundreds of thousands of smokers every year may hold the key to preventing Parkinson’s disease, according to new research from the University of Louisville.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=40115/15/2012 12:00:00 AMEarly Monday evenings, when other folks are rushing home from work, a group of 10 individuals are quietly learning the art of tai chi at the Center for Living in the Prairie Heart Institute at St. John’s Hospital.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=40105/15/2012 12:00:00 AMA colonoscopy or similar test could one day diagnose Parkinson's disease years before symptoms occur. That's because signs of Parkinson's that appear in the brain also show up in the colon, a new study says.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=40095/15/2012 12:00:00 AMSergey Brin, the 38-year-old co-founder of Google Inc., is making strides in his quest to find a cure for Parkinson's, a progressive disease his DNA and family history suggest may afflict him as early as 10 years from now.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=40085/15/2012 12:00:00 AMNeuroscientist Patrik Verstreken, associated with VIB and KU Leuven, succeeded in undoing the effect of one of the genetic defects that leads to Parkinson's using vitamin K2. His discovery gives hope to Parkinson's patients.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=40075/14/2012 12:00:00 AMAfter his first season as coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Steve Ludzik was relaxing on the back porch of his home with his wife, Mary Ann, in the summer of 2000 when he noticed one of his fingers was trembling.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=40065/10/2012 12:00:00 AMWhen Parkinson’s disease patients are admitted to hospitals, they often end up on incorrect doses of levodopa during their stay – if it’s prescribed at all – and sometimes inappropriately get metoclopramide or neuroleptics, dopamine-blocking agents that could make their disease worse, according to a study from the University of Calgary (Alta.).http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=40055/8/2012 12:00:00 AMScientists have figured out how to stop brain cell death in mice with brain disease and say their discovery deepens understanding of the mechanisms of human neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=40045/8/2012 12:00:00 AMWhen actor Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, he became one of some 2.5 million Americans afflicted with it or a related disease every year.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=40035/7/2012 12:00:00 AMIndividuals with Parkinson 's disease severe enough to prevent them from working are able to collect vital benefits through Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI. If the individual is a veteran, disability benefits through the VA may also be available.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=40025/7/2012 12:00:00 AMThe tantalising prospect of treating a range of brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, all with the same drug, has been raised by UK researchers.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=40015/7/2012 12:00:00 AMParkinson's disease, a disorder which affects movement and cognition, affects over a million Americans, including actor Michael J. Fox, who first brought it to the attention of many TV-watching Americans. It's characterized by a gradual loss of neurons that produce dopamine. Mutations in the gene known as DJ-1 lead to accelerated loss of dopaminergic neurons and result in the onset of Parkinson's symptoms at a young age.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=40005/3/2012 12:00:00 AMSome personality traits appear to be linked with the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests. The results show patients with Parkinson's disease are more likely to be cautious and avoid taking risks compared with people who don't have Parkinson's.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=39994/30/2012 12:00:00 AMScientists at the UCSF-affiliated Gladstone Institutes have determined how specific circuitry in the brain controls not only body movement, but also motivation and learning, providing new insight into neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease — and psychiatric disorders such as addiction and depression.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=39984/30/2012 12:00:00 AMIt started 12 years ago. Steve Ludzik was enjoying a warm summer evening with his wife, Mary Ann, on the porch of their Niagara Falls home. Ludzik was unwinding after his first season as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Then it happened.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=39974/27/2012 12:00:00 AMIt's not surprising that Michael “Rich” Clifford is the recipient of this year's Public Leadership in Neurology Award from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and its Foundation—because he practices what he preaches. The former astronaut for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) lives his advice that people with Parkinson's disease (PD) shouldn't let it “drive what [they] do.”http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=39964/27/2012 12:00:00 AMDEAR MAYO CLINIC: What are the latest findings on Parkinson's disease? Are there any new medications? I've heard a lot about CoQ10 as a promising alternative for those with Parkinson's. Is there any truth to this?http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=39954/24/2012 12:00:00 AMThe Michael J. Fox Foundation, which was set up in the name of the actor to study Parkinson's Disease, has announced that it is to work with the ‘big pharma’ company Sanofi to look at a potential new treatment for the disease.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=39944/24/2012 12:00:00 AMMonsanto's controversial herbicide, Roundup, has now been linked to Parkinsonism related disorders according to research reported in the Neurotoxicology & Teratology journal.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=39934/24/2012 12:00:00 AMJoe Jackson, brother of famed basketball coach Phil Jackson, grew up in an active family. He remains active even now, as he lives with Parkinson’s disease, a chronic and progressive movement disorder.http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=39924/24/2012 12:00:00 AM