Hope For Millions Of Patients With Dementia And Parkinson

Image: Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological disorders  

Daily Mail: Hope for millions of patients with dementia and Parkinson's as scientists find likely culprit behind nearly all neurological diseases 

* 'Toxic' acid system to remove damaged cells in the brain could be going wrong 

* Scientists say this is the likely suspect of a number of brain diseases and aging 

* Blocking the fat from working helped to save 75% of brain cells in study on mice 

* While promising, experts warn that treatment is not ready to be used on humans 

Scientists believe they've found the culprit behind nearly all neurological diseases, in a breakthrough that could offer hope to millions. 

Dementia, Parkinson's and many other brain disorders are caused by key cells called neurons dying over time. Researchers have now found other brain cells – known as astrocytes – play a 'critical role' in their death.  

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CSN Editor: Faster please!

The Link Between Parkinson Disease And Farming

From Live Science:

Although genetics is very important in Parkinson disease (PD), many researchers believe that environmental exposures also increase a person's risk of developing the disease. There are studies that show that farmers and other agricultural workers have an increased risk of getting PD.

PD was first described in 1817 by Dr. James Parkinson, a British physician. It affects 1 in 100 people over the age of 60. It can also affect younger people. The average age of onset is 60. Research suggests that PD affects at least 500,000 people in the United States.

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Study Into Sunscreen's Link To Alzheimer's

From The Independent:

Scientists are to investigate whether human-engineered nanoparticles which are found in sunscreen have any links with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Professor Vyvyan Howard, a pathologist and toxicologist, and Dr Christian Holster, an expert in Alzheimer's, have been awarded £350,000 from the European Union to carry out a three-year research project.

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Rural Well Water Linked to Parkinson's Disease

HEALTHY FIELDS, SICK WATER: Pesticides implicated in Parkinson's Disease are believed to travel from farms to humans via private wells. FLICKR/RWKVISUAL

From Scientific American:

California finding bolsters theory linking neurological ailment to insecticides.

Rural residents who drink water from private wells are much more likely to have Parkinson’s disease, a finding that bolsters theories that farm pesticides may be partially to blame, according to a new California study.

Nearly one million people in the United States--one of every 300--have the incurable neurological disease. Beginning with a slight tremor, Parkinson’s often progresses to severe muscle control problems that leave patients struggling to walk and talk.

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