Herald - Issue 405

22nd April 2021 • The HERALD • Page 37 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v The Waterside Physiotherapy &  Osteopathy Clini c www.thewatersideclinic.co.uk Jon Eyres an d Associa tes • NECK AND BACK PAIN • PREGNANCY RELATED PAIN • ACUPUNCTURE • ARTHRITIC PAIN • ALL SPORTS INJURIES • SHOULDER/ARM PAIN Treatment by Chartered Physiotherapists and Registered Osteopaths Registered with all major health insurers and HCPC Tel: 023 8020 7764 First Floor, South Street Centre, Hythe, Southampton SO45 6EB FOUR SEASONS DENTURE CENTRE MORE THAN JUST A DENTAL LABORATORY If you want the best quality dentures in a relaxed, friendly and professional environment then call today for a free consultation Tel: 023 8084 6443 Mobile: 07919 074360 1 HOUR DENTURE REPAIRS N orth R oad , D ibden P urlieu , S outhampton SO45 4RE NEED NEW DENTURES? Foot Health Practitioner PAINFUL CORNS? UNSIGHTLY CALLUS? FUNGAL NAIL? PAINFUL INGROWN NAILS? Diabetic Foot Care DON’T SUFFER ANY LONGER! I am a fully qualified foot health practitioner offering a professional and relaxed service in the comfort of your own home. For appointments please contact Kirsty Webber DipCFHP, MPSPract. Mob: 07823 774619 Email: kirstyhwebber@yahoo.co.uk Kirsty’s Foot Care MANDY STEER S.A.C DIP RFHP Mobile Foot Health Practitioner Covering the Waterside & New Forest area 01590 612302 or 07907 114365 Health, Beauty & Wellbeing Parkinson’s Disease and the Pioneering GDNF Trial Written by Chemistry, Biology and Psychology Student George Lee in Collaboration with Brockenhurst College you to do more research and to discuss Parkinson’s disease and the GDNF trial with others. e aim of this series is to raise awareness and understanding of medical conditions in the hope of making su erers feel more understood and to encourage a better awareness of our bodies. Sources: www.parkinsons.org.uk www.nhs.uk/conditions/parkinsons-disease Why we’re investing to drive forward a new trial of GDNF | by Arthur Roach | Parkinson’s UK | Feb, 2021 | Medium A ecting an estimated 1 in 350 people, Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition which leads to the progressive damage of nerve cells in the brain. It is o en thought of as a disease which only impacts older people, but a signi cant number of those diagnosed are below the age of 50. It is caused by the loss of nerve cells in the substantia nigra region of the brain which in turn leads to the reduction of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which conveys signals between di erent neurons in the brain. It plays a vital role in regulating movement in the body. is means the part of the brain controlling movement cannot work as well as normal, causing movements to become slow and abnormal. e cause of nerve cell loss is unknown, but it is believed that genetics and environmental factors play an important role. e main symptoms are tremors (shaking), slowness of movement and muscle sti ness. Other common symptoms are having depression, mild memory loss, insomnia, and pain in joints. A variety of other symptoms may present in some people. ere are a variety of treatments for Parkinson’s disease, such as physiotherapies to relieve muscle sti ness. Medication is also common. Examples are levodopa – a chemical which is absorbed by the brain and turns into dopamine; dopamine agonists which act as a substitute to dopamine; and rasagiline and selegiline which inhibit the enzymes that break down dopamine. ese can help with movement issues. It is important to note that while these techniques are signi cant, they only treat symptoms and not the cause of the disease. However, a treatment that slows, stops, or even reverses the disease could be developed in the foreseeable future. In 2019, the results from a clinical trial conducted into a protein called GDNF were released. GDNF is naturally produced inside the brain and supports the many types of brain cells, including those lost in PD. Previous studies showed that when this protein was given to brain cells it had the ability to encourage these cells to grow again. However, there was a problem – the protein couldn’t be taken as a drug or injection as it was too large to di use from the blood into the brain. e solution was devised by Professor Steven Gill. He designed a sophisticated new delivery system whereby 4 tubes were carefully inserted into the brains of 41 people with PD which were accessed from a port behind the ear. is allowed a month’s supply of GDNF (or a placebo) to be delivered to exactly the correct parts of the brain in only 2 hours. e trial lasted 18 months. e trial was inconclusive, however. ere was not a big enough di erence in improvement of symptoms between those who had the placebo and those who had the GDNF to demonstrate cause and e ect. is was very disappointing for the Parkinson’s community, but the trial results did show some signs of promise which are exciting scientists. Brain scans showed that those who received GDNF had a 100% improvement in dopamine activity in the treated brain regions compared to those who received the placebo. Many participants also reported profound and long-lasting bene ts in symptoms and quality of life. Parkinson’s UK and partners are committed to conducting another, much larger trial to answer de nitively the questions raised by the previous trial. ey are hopeful that GDNF holds, even only in part, the key to curing this debilitating disease. If this article has interested you, I really encourage ILLNESS SUPPORT ONLINE Anyone living with a chronic or life limiting illness can join a monthly online support group run by the Oakhaven Wellbeing team. Hosted by Dr Lucy Boyland, the group takes place each month via Zoom on the 2nd Monday of the month from 9.30am until 10.30am. e next session takes place on Monday 10th May . Family and friends are also welcome to join the session. e aims of the group are to support each other, share experiences and skills in managing stress and di culties, as well as looking at ways to live life as well as possible. Anyone living across the Waterside, Totton and surrounding areas, and the New Forest can access support. You do not need to be known to Oakhaven. Places are limited so please book ahead by contacting: wellbeing@oakhavenhospice. co.uk Sadly the Coates Centre, Oakhaven’s wellbeing centre is still closed to visitors, but the Wellbeing team is working hard to re-open safely as soon as possible. More details about this and other Wellbeing support that can be accessed can be found at: www.oakhavenhospice.co.uk/ wellbeing