Word: levodopa
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Dates: during 1987-1987
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...First there was the mild stiffening of limbs and the tremors that mark the onset of Parkinson's disease. Then came the gradual loss of muscle control, leaving them prisoners in their own bodies -- mentally lucid but physically unable to eat, urinate or comb their hair without assistance. Levodopa, the most common treatment for the debilitating illness, had ceased to work for one man and could not be tolerated by the other. Nor were other drugs of use. Facing further deterioration, the two agreed to become guinea pigs in a remarkable experiment conducted at La Raza Medical Center in Mexico...
...million Americans with Parkinson's disease, the Mexican research offers new hope. "If these results turn out to be valid and replicable, this would be a major advance," says Neuroscientist William Freed of the National Institute of Mental Health. Current treatments for Parkinson's are far from ideal. Levodopa, which is chemically related to dopamine, can cause irregular heartbeats, paranoia and depression, and ceases to be effective after prolonged use. Freed and others are eager to see if the new technique will work in older patients (most Parkinson's victims are over 50), and if its benefits will last...
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