Word: parkinsonism
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...hard to imagine asking a doctor to destroy a part of your brain. For the 1.5 million Americans suffering from Parkinson’s disease, however, such a drastic measure-in which an electrode is used to kill tremor-causing neurons-may occasionally be necessary...
...irreversible procedure is just one of many therapies, both surgical and pharmacological, Parkinson’s patients have tried over the years to control the tremors, rigidity and other symptons that characterize the disease. All of the treatments offer some relief, but none can remotely be called a cure. Now that may be changing. The deeper scientists peer into the human genome, the more they’re uncovering the secrets of Parkinson’s-and the more they’re growing convinced that next-generation drugs may be at last be able to beat back the disease. What’s more...
...first place to look for causes and treatments of Parkinson’s disease is in the brains of patients themselves. As the illness worsens, brain tissue becomes clogged with a protein muck that includes a substance called alpha-synuclein. No one knows exactly what alpha-synuclein does, but it’s believed to play a role in the smooth transmission of nerve signals. When the substance clumps, it can’t do the work it was designed to do, leading to neuron damage, loss of the neurotransmitter dopamine, and eventually to the familiar shakiness of such well-known Parkinson...
...intelligence we are creating is both derivative of and an extension to our human intelligence. We are already placing today's generation of intelligent machines in our bodies and brains, particularly for those with disabilities (e.g., cochlear implants for the deaf) and diseases (e.g., neural implants for Parkinson's patients). By 2030 there will be ubiquitous use of surgery-free neural implants introduced into our brains by billions of "nanobots" (i.e., microscopic yet intelligent robots) traveling through our capillaries. These noninvasive neural implants will routinely expand our mind through direct connection with nonbiological intelligence...
...reaction isn't surprising among contentious sci-fi fans (ask Patrick Stewart and Kate Mulgrew). But The X-Files isn't the only series of a certain age adding a prominent new face and taking a prominent risk. After losing nice guy Michael J. Fox, who's fighting Parkinson's disease, ABC's city-hall sitcom Spin City added bad boy Charlie Sheen. On NBC's Law & Order, Dianne Wiest takes over from Steven Hill, who was the show's savvy, world-weary district attorney for 10 years. Law & Order, driven more by taut crime tales than characters, has gradually...