Word: parkinsonism
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Even before the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine came off the presses, the new experimental surgery to treat Parkinson's disease had sparked more than its share of controversy. Pro-lifers hated it because the operation used cells from aborted fetuses to replenish patients' dying brain tissue. Many others were troubled because clinical trials of the procedure involved "sham surgery"--in this case, drilling through the skulls of half the patients in the study without giving them any treatment...
...when the first results of the trials appeared in the Journal last week, researchers found themselves mired in an even deeper flap. The surgery did help some patients a little, partially alleviating the rigidity and slow movements typical of Parkinson's. But for others, that improvement came at a price: a year or more after the operation, about 15% of patients developed uncontrollable writhing, joint flexing, chewing and other movements. At least one person was so debilitated that he could no longer eat and had to be fed through a tube...
...answer is that Parkinson's is such a devastating disease that sufferers and their families are desperate for a cure. Drugs can alleviate the symptoms, but not retard the progressive death of brain cells. That's why fetal-cell transplants were first proposed and why some doctors were already performing the operation on patients who could afford it (cost: as much as $40,000). The researchers in the controversial study were doing what scientists are supposed to do: conduct a rigorous study to determine whether a treatment actually works...
...quantity that's so impressive. He's got enough blarney in him to spread across three characters for two hours and still seem like he's got a good lot left over. And the Sugan's actors know just what to do with McPherson's stream of words. Aidan Parkinson as Ray is deliciously self-absorbed--he's also more than happy to share his narcissism with any who will listen. And if you're not listening at first, he'll make sure you are before long. Ciaran Crawford as Frank may be the best actor of the bunch. Theres...
...media, anyway, this study will be painted as a failure. Do you think, beyond all the bad press, that this has a larger significance for Parkinson's research in general...