Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive neurological disorder that results from destruction of specific cells in the brain. The condition results in lower production of dopamine, one of the main neurotransmitters in the brain. Scientists do not fully understand the disease, what causes it, or how to treat it.

Creatine is a commonly used supplement to improve muscle performance and increase muscle mass. Previous research has suggested that it may be able to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease, with very few side effects.

The current treatments for Parkinson's disease do slow the progression initially, but often lose effect over time and come with a laundry list of side effects.

In the study more than 1,500 persons with Parkinson's disease will be randomized to receive creatine or placebo for a period of about 5 years.

The researchers are hoping that this human study will mimic a past animal study that showed creatine prevented the loss of dopamine producing cells in the body. They believe the effect may be due to creatines effect on the mitochondria of the brain cells.

The review was published in Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Researchers at James Cook University in Australia, assessed the role of lipoic acid in preventing AD and dementia. Lipoic acid is produced by the body and plays an important role in cellular energy production. Lipoic acid is also a potent antioxidant that neutralizes the free radicals (unstable molecules that cause damage to cells), helping protect against inflammation and chronic diseases. AD is known to have reduced levels of the brain neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Lipoic acid increases acetylcholine production by activating choline acetyltransferase, an enzyme that assists in acetycholine production.

The study author's observe that lipoic acid's antioxidant activity helps reduce inflammation and increase levels of the antioxidant glutathione. Found in every cell, glutathione is an important immune system booster and helps repair cell damage. Lipoic acid can also improve brain health by increasing glucose levels in brain cells.

"In this review, the properties of lipoic acid are explored with particular emphasis on how this agent, particularly the R-alpha-enantiomer, may be effective to treat AD and related dementias," the study authors write.

REFERENCES:
1. Holmquist L et al. Lipoic acid as a novel treatment for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Pharmacol Ther 2007 Jan;113(1):154-64. Epub 2006 Sep 2.

The randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study, published in The Lancet, investigated the effects of folic acid supplementation on cognitive performance. Researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, administered 800 mug of folic acid or a placebo daily to 1,800 men and women aged 50-70 years for three years. The subjects were participants in the Folic Acid and Carotid Intima-media Thickness (FACIT) trial between November, 1999, and December, 2004, in the Netherlands. Cognitive function tests including memory, sensorimotor speed, complex speed, information processing speed and word fluency performances were obtained from the participants at the beginning and end of the study.

The researchers found that serum folate concentrations increased 576 percent and serum homocysteine levels decreased 26 percent in the folic acid group, as compared to the placebo group. Furthermore, the folic acid group had a significantly better change in memory, information processing speed and sensorimotor speed, than the placebo group

"Folic acid supplementation for 3 years significantly improved domains of cognitive function that tend to decline with age," the study authors conclude.

REFERENCES:
1. Durga J. Effect of 3-year folic acid supplementation on cognitive function in older adults in the FACIT trial: a randomised, double blind, controlled trial. Lancet 2007 Jan 20;369(9557):208-16.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, investigated whether vitamin D levels are associated with risk of multiple sclerosis. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, analyzed the data of 257 Army and Navy men and women diagnosed with MS between 1992 to 2004. The MS participants were matched to two controls obtained from over 7 million U.S. military personnel with serum samples stored in the Department of Defense Serum Repository. Serum vitamin D levels were determined from the collected serum samples.

The researchers found that the risk of MS significantly decreased with increasing levels of vitamin D. Whites with the highest serum vitamin D levels had a 62 percent lower risk of MS than those with the lowest vitamn D levels. However, no significant associations between vitamin D levels and MS risk were found with black and Hispanic subjects.

"The results of our study suggest that high circulating levels of vitamin D are associated with a lower risk of multiple sclerosis," the study authors conclude.

REFERENCES:
1. Munger KL et al. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of multiple sclerosis. JAMA 2006 Dec 20;296(23):2832-8.

In order to better understand these findings researchers at the Rush University Medical Center reviewed the autopsy reports of 233 persons enrolled in the Religious Orders Study.

The primary goal was to determine if any differences existed between the brains of diabetics and non-diabetics. In particular did diabetics display more change in the brain associated with Alzheimer's?

They also noted any occurance of cerebral infarctions, a particular type of damage to brain tissue that can cause declines in mental function and dementia. Cerebral infarctions are common in diabetics, due to the changes high blood sugar has on the blood vessels.

They found no difference between diabetics and non-diabetics when looking for changes associated with Alzheimer's disease. But a large difference was found between the two groups when looking at the incidence of cerebral infarctions.

Diabetics had more than double the risk of having a cerebral infarction compared to non-diabetics.

So perhaps the changes in mental decline and Alzheimer's like changes observed in previous studies of diabetic patients are due to cerebral infarctions and not Alzheimer's disease.

More research is needed to determine the relationships between each of these factors; diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cerebral infarctions.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, published in Annals of Emergency Medicine, investigated the safety and effects of progesterone in patients with acute traumatic brain injury. Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta, administered intravenous progesterone or a placebo to 100 adult patients with blunt traumatic brain injury (TBI), as part of the Progesterone for Traumatic brain injury--Experimental Clinical Treatment (ProTECT) study. The participants were treated within 11 hours of brain injury, usually from a car accident or fall. Neurologic function and disability levels were obtained from the participants after thirty days.

The researchers found that 13 percent of the progesterone group died, compared with 30 percent of the placebo group. Furthermore, the surviving progesterone group had a significant improvement in functional outcome and level of disability. No serious side effects or harmful events were reported with the progesterone treatment.

"In this small study, progesterone caused no discernible harm and showed possible signs of benefit," the study authors write.

REFERENCES:
1. Wright DW et al. ProTECT: A Randomized Clinical Trial of Progesterone for Acute Traumatic Brain Injury. Ann Emerg Med 2006 Sep 28; [Epub ahead of print].

The study, published in Archives of Neurology, investigated whether DHA levels are associated with dementia and Alzheimer disease. Researchers at Tuffs University, in Boston, analyzed the data of 899 seniors with no signs of dementia at the beginning of the study, as part of the Framingham Heart Study. The participants were followed for nine years. Neuropsychological tests, blood samples analyzed for DHA levels, dementia screenings, and dietary questionnaires were obtained from the participants.

Researchers found that 99 participants developed dementia, including 71 participants who developed Alzheimer's. Findings revealed that participants with the highest DHA levels had a 47 percent lower risk of developing dementia and a 39 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, compared to those with lower DHA levels. Participants among the top one-fourth of fish intake, had a mean fish intake of three times a week, with an average of 180 milligrams DHA daily.

"The top quartile of plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC) DHA level was associated with a significant 47% reduction in the risk of developing all-cause dementia in the Framingham Heart Study," the study authors conclude.

REFERENCES:
1. Schaefer EJ et al. Plasma phosphatidylcholine docosahexaenoic acid content and risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease: the Framingham Heart Study. Arch Neurol 2006 Nov;63(11):1545-50.

The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, investigated whether a demanding secondary task during learning changes the way in which participants solve a problem using either declarative memory or habit learning. Researchers at UCLA in Los Angeles, showed cards with shapes on them to 14 adult volunteers. The participants categorized the cards into one of two categories, either performing the task on its own or while doing something else at the same time. The participants performed the tasks while in an MRI scanner.

The researchers found that learning without distraction involved the declarative memory system. However, learning under distraction (while multi-tasking) involved less declarative learning and more habit learning. They found that habit learning memories are more difficult to recall if the specific circumstances under which they were learned change.

"These results have implications for learning in multitask situations, suggesting that, even if distraction does not decrease the overall level of learning, it can result in the acquisition of knowledge that can be applied less flexibly in new situations," the study authors write.

REFERENCES:
1. Foerde K et al. Modulation of competing memory systems by distraction. Proc natl Acad Sci USA 2006 Aug 1;103(31):11778-83. Epub 2006 Jul 25.

The study, published in Brain Research, investigated whether the brain discriminates between unpleasant, pleasant and erotic images. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, showed 55 color slides of unpleasant, pleasant and erotic images to 264 women. The researchers placed electrodes on the participants' heads to measure brainwave activity while viewing the slides.

Researchers found that electrical brainwave activity increased 20 percent more when the participants viewed erotic pictures, as compared to the other images. Furthermore, different areas of the brain processed the erotic material, than those areas for other images.

The researchers suggest that our brains may have evolved to preferentially react to erotic images. "This rapid, selective, and content-specific processing of erotic materials and its dissociation from other pictures (including emotionally positive pictures) suggests the existence of a specialized neural network for prioritized processing of a distinct category of biologically relevant stimuli with high adaptive and evolutionary significance," the study authors write.

REFERENCES:
1. Anokhin AP et al. Rapid discrimination of visual scene content in the human brain. Brain Res 2006 Jun 6;1093(1):167-77. Epub 2006 May 18

Researchers in South Carolina subjected mice to a high cholesterol, high fat diet for a significant period of time. Then the mice were subject to memory and performance tests. These mice were then compared to mice on a normal diet and genetically engineered mice who would not exhibit raised cholesterol levels.

Both the mice on the high fat diet and the genetically engineered mice showed deficits on the memory and performance tests compared to normal mice fed a normal diet.

The researchers believe that the changes in cognitive function are not specifically due to the fat or cholesterol, but are more related to the increases in inflammation that high cholesterol can cause. They found abnormally high levels of inflammatory markers in the brains of mice fed the high cholesterol diet, and in particular the regions that are affected by Alzheimer's disease.

They concluded that the study provides evidence that high cholesterol and high fat diets can impact cognitive function and that they may play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Because of the multitude of health conditions related to high cholesterol and high fat intake all person's should eat a low-fat diet, and the recommendation is double for any person with other risk factors for Alzheimers' disease.

The primary spice in curry is curcumin. Curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant herb that is used both medicinally and as a culinary spice. Epidemiological studies have found that cultures who use curry in a majority of their food often suffer less incidence of Alzheimer's disease and dementia compared to US citizens.

The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, gathered data on curry consumption from more than 1,000 men and women, all of whom had no previous diagnosis of dementia or decreased cognitive ability.

Each person was asked about their consumption of curry. Only 16 percent said they never or rarely ate curry, while 43 percent said is was a regular part of their diet.

The each participant completed the Mini-mental State Examination, a commonly used battery to assess cognitive ability and screen for dementia.

Those participants who regularly consumed curry scored on an average much higher on the examination than those who reported never or rarely eating curry.

This is the first study to show this connection between curry and cognitive ability. The authors hope that more studies will follow that address curry, and more specifically curcumin, as a possible treatment for Alzheimer's.

According to a new study out of Johns Hopkins University a bioflavonoid compound in red wine may prevent some of this damage following a stroke. The compound is known as resveratrol, a polyphenolic bioflavonoid that is produced when grapes and grape skins are fermented during the wine making process.

To test the effects of resveratrol on brain tissue researchers pre-treated mice with the compound then induced a stroke. Then areas of damage in the brain were compared between mice pre-treated with resveratrol and those not given the pre-treatment.

They found that mice given the pre-treatment with resveratrol had about half the damage to their brain tissue compared to non-treated mice. The researchers were even able to determine the mechanism behind reservatrols ability to fight free radicals. It appears to upregulate an enzyme, heme-oxygenase, which protects nerve cells from free radical damage.

Because the mice were given straight resveratrol, studies will have to be conducted to see if red wine can accomplish the same effects in humans. The authors stated that the concentration given to the mice was equal to one or two glasses of red wine per day in the average adult.

So in addition to protecting the heart and blood vessels, red wine may also be protective against damage from a stroke.

The study, published in Neurology, investigated the effects of an ultra-fat diet in patients with Parkinson's disease. Researchers at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York, administered an ultra-fat diet with very small portions of protein and carbohydrates to five Parkinson's patients, for 28 days. In four of the participants, unsaturated fats (such as olive oil) were substituted for saturated fats (such as butter).

The researchers found that the participants had improvements in balance, tremors, and mood. However, a placebo effect is possible. The patients with the unsaturated fat diet did not have increases in cholesterol. Nevertheless, an ultra-fat diet can increase the risk for heart disease and diabetes.

"Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale scores improved in all five during hyperketonemia, but a placebo effect was not ruled out," the study authors write. "An experimental ultra-fat diet treatment at New York's St. Luke's-Roosevelt Medical Hospital Center may help fight Parkinson's disease."

REFERENCES:
1. Vanitallie TB et al. Treatment of Parkinson disease with diet-induced hyperketonemia: a feasibility study. Neurology 2005 Feb 22;64(4):728-30.

Researchers in Boston used mice models of MS to study the effects of Vitamin B3 on disease development and progression. They were studying Vitamin B3 because it is the precursor to NAD, an important compound in the nervous system. NAD promotes proper function of brain cells and is used in the production of most neurotransmitters.

Mice who were injected with Vitamin B3 showed slower degeneration in the nerve fibers than non-treated MS mice. The actual fibers also had less inflammation and the myelin was healthier in the mice treated with Vitamin B3.

The researchers also looked at timing of therapy, by waiting 10 days after induction of MS to begin treatments. They saw signs that Vitamin B3 may reverse or repair damage. This is very promising, because many of the current treatments for MS need to be initiated immediately for best results.

The lead researchers are optimistic that more studies will follow looking into the effects of Vitamin B3 in humans with MS. Some doctors are already using it anecdotally with some success.

The study was published in the journal Archives of Neurology. A total of 3,700 men and women were included in the study that measured daily copper and fat intake from various sources dietary and supplemental. Cognitive decline was assessed over a period of 6 years.

Interest in copper metabolism in the elderly has been high since finding high amounts of copper in the blood of Alzheimer's patients. Copper is an essential mineral for the body and is involved in numerous reactions, both good and bad. Previous evidence found that higher than normal levels of copper can actually inhibit normal maintenance of blood vessels, allowing for plaque build up.

Fat intake, and in particular saturated and trans fat intake negatively effects cardiovascular health in all people. The latest studies have shown that even one meal high in saturated fats may be harmful to our heart. High saturated fats increase the likelihood that dangerous plaques will build up in the blood vessels causing increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

In this study more than 600 subjects had a high copper intake combined with high saturated and trans fat intake. Most copper was attributed to multivitamin use, though other sources of high copper include organ meat, beans, legumes, and shellfish.

In this study about 600 subjects were identified with high intakes of both copper and saturated fats. For this group mental decline was rapid. Over the 6 year follow-up period these subjects experienced mental decline equivalent to aging 19 years. This represented a 13 year advance over subjects who did not consume the combination of high copper and high fats.

The study authors believe this may be one link to Alzheimer's disease, though patients had not been diagnosed. In people with Alzheimer's a very rapid cognitive decline is the most apparent sign.

The study does not prove causation, but brings to light interesting coorelations between copper and fat intake. The highest levels of copper in the blood of these study subjects was 1.6 mg, which is above the recommended daily intake of 0.9 mg.