Comments on: Gene Therapy, Successful Against Parkinson’s, Continues on the Road to Redemption http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/03/17/gene-therapy-continues-on-the-road-to-redemption/ 80beats is DISCOVER's news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day's most compelling topics. Wed, 23 May 2012 16:07:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: michael murno http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/03/17/gene-therapy-continues-on-the-road-to-redemption/comment-page-1/#comment-2272601 michael murno Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:55:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=27372#comment-2272601 I am a 73 year old architect who has built airport terminals and hospitals, and has taught water color painting and pen ink sketching. I have had noticeable systems of Parkinsons for about 5 years now and the disease is causing me to be unable to return to work (I canot catch my breath) and my latest symptons involve total lack of balance recovery. As a result,I fall a great deal and cannot walk moderately withou bending over and tripping n the skightest raised sidewalk edge. I would happily undergo any treatment that can promise 23% improved mobility as now it is difficult to use the computer keyboard, AutoCAD drafting, and mouse due to shaking. I take LevaDopra and Selegilene, but have to restrict the dosage due to nausea and psychosis, plus inabiliy to execute a planed workflow sequence and I misplace things from the LevaDopra. Can anyone guide me to gene therapy or some other alleviation of the oncoming worsening symptons? I desperately want to go sking this winter, but it would be suicide in my present state and I may have to give up driving. I am a 73 year old architect who has built airport terminals and hospitals, and has taught water color painting and pen ink sketching. I have had noticeable systems of Parkinsons for about 5 years now and the disease is causing me to be unable to return to work (I canot catch my breath) and my latest symptons involve total lack of balance recovery. As a result,I fall a great deal and cannot walk moderately withou bending over and tripping n the skightest raised sidewalk edge. I would happily undergo any treatment that can promise 23% improved mobility as now it is difficult to use the computer keyboard, AutoCAD drafting, and mouse due to shaking. I take LevaDopra and Selegilene, but have to restrict the dosage due to nausea and psychosis, plus inabiliy to execute a planed workflow sequence and I misplace things from the LevaDopra. Can anyone guide me to gene therapy or some other alleviation of the oncoming worsening symptons? I desperately want to go sking this winter, but it would be suicide in my present state and I may have to give up driving.

]]> By: John S http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/03/17/gene-therapy-continues-on-the-road-to-redemption/comment-page-1/#comment-725361 John S Sat, 19 Mar 2011 18:42:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=27372#comment-725361 @stu The placebo effect is real and shows the power of our minds to produce changes in our health (that's why you test against placebo). The question is, how long do these results endure? I suspect that if the patients continue to be tracked that the placebo effect will disappear while the gene therapy effect will remain constant or perhaps even increase over longer durations. @stu The placebo effect is real and shows the power of our minds to produce changes in our health (that’s why you test against placebo). The question is, how long do these results endure? I suspect that if the patients continue to be tracked that the placebo effect will disappear while the gene therapy effect will remain constant or perhaps even increase over longer durations.

]]> By: stu http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/03/17/gene-therapy-continues-on-the-road-to-redemption/comment-page-1/#comment-722184 stu Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:17:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=27372#comment-722184 "...the gene therapy group’s motor abilities improved by 23.1%, while the placebo group only improved by 12.7%." As someone who looks after a person with Parkinson's I am a little confused by the results. How did the researchers measure the improvement? What does 23.1% actually mean? The other rather strange result is the improvement of 12.7% in Parkinson's patients taking a placebo. How can a placebo improve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease? With a placebo apparently resulting in improvement, the really quite bizarre conclusion is reached that gene therapy has a "relative improvement of 10.4%". “…the gene therapy group’s motor abilities improved by 23.1%, while the placebo group only improved by 12.7%.”

As someone who looks after a person with Parkinson’s I am a little confused by the results. How did the researchers measure the improvement? What does 23.1% actually mean?

The other rather strange result is the improvement of 12.7% in Parkinson’s patients taking a placebo. How can a placebo improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease?

With a placebo apparently resulting in improvement, the really quite bizarre conclusion is reached that gene therapy has a “relative improvement of 10.4%”.

]]> By: J. Wong http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/03/17/gene-therapy-continues-on-the-road-to-redemption/comment-page-1/#comment-722028 J. Wong Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:42:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=27372#comment-722028 I think you meant "[in]effective or downright dangerous". I think you meant “[in]effective or downright dangerous”.

]]> By: Robbie http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/03/17/gene-therapy-continues-on-the-road-to-redemption/comment-page-1/#comment-721281 Robbie Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:28:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=27372#comment-721281 THEY CAN SAVE THIRTEEN!!! THEY CAN SAVE THIRTEEN!!!

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