Newsbriefs: Reducing Parkinson’s Symptoms; Blood Test for Cognitive Decline; Fittest City in America
Spinal Cord Stimulation Reduces Parkinson’s Symptoms
A team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine reports that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) measurably decreased pain and reduced motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, both as a singular therapy and as a “salvage therapy” after deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapies were ineffective. The study appeared in the Sept. 28, 2020, issue of Bioelectronic Medicine. Recruited were 15 patients with Parkinson’s disease, average age 74, with disease duration of about 17 years. All of the patients were experiencing pain not alleviated by previous treatments. Eight had undergone earlier DBS, a noninvasive, pain therapy in which electrical currents are used to stimulate specific parts of the brain, and seven patients had received only drug treatments previously. For the study, researchers implanted electrodes through the skin near the patients’ spines, who then chose one of three types of electrical stimulation: continuous, on-off bursts, or continuous bursts of varying intensity. Researchers reported that all patients reported significant improvement, based on the 10-point (“no pain” to “worst pain”) visual analogue scale. Results showed an average pain reduction of 59% across all patients and all stimulation modes. The potential ease of access and implantation of stimulators in the spinal cord compared to the brain suggests an exciting new path forward to ease pain, according to the researchers.
Blood Test for Cognitive Decline
A blood test for a fragment of the protein tau called N-terminal fragment of tau (NT1), a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), has been evaluated in participants in the Harvard Aging Brain Study (HABS), a cohort of cognitively normal, older adults who are followed closely over time. The study authors report that baseline NT1 blood levels were highly predictive of cognitive decline and AD dementia risk. “Our findings indicate that measuring a tau fragment in plasma can help predict which elderly people are likely to decline and how quickly they are likely to do so,” says author Dennis Selkoe, MD, co-director of the study. “We’re excited because there are currently no commercially available blood tests to predict risk of AD in still-healthy individuals.” Participants were, on average, 74 years old when they entered HABS and were followed for an average of five years. The team divided participants into those with high, medium, and low NT1 levels, finding that for the group with the highest levels, the risk of advancing to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD dementia was 2.4-fold greater compare to lower levels. NT1 levels predicted decline across multiple areas of memory, including episodic memory (remembering specific events or experiences such as a person’s birthday), and also predicted the speed of cognitive decline. A test that reveals damage before symptoms occur creates an opportunity to apply interventions that may prevent cognitive decline. However, researchers caution that a commercial test for routine clinical care likely remains several years away.
Fittest City in America
Arlington, VA, was named “America’s Fittest City” in the 2020 American Fitness Index rankings published by the American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation. The index evaluates America’s 100 largest cities annually, using 33 health behaviors, chronic diseases, and community infrastructure indicators. “We know from research that physical activity can build a healthier immune system and foster overall wellness, which help minimize harmful effects of illness and disease,” says Barbara Ainsworth, PhD, MPH, chair of the American Fitness Index Advisory Board. “The pandemic showed the need to have local parks, trails, and connected sidewalks in all neighborhoods to allow people to exercise safely. This challenge has local solutions, and the Fitness Index is a prescription for communities to bring about positive change.” Cities that experience weather extremes that made it into the top 10 are worthy to note and include Minneapolis, MN (#3); Madison, WI. (#4); and Denver, CO (#8). It shows that local leaders can make it easier for residents to stay physically active year-round. At the bottom of the 2020 list were Bakersfield, CA, and Oklahoma City, OK. Access to the full rankings and scores, summary report, city comparison tool, and other data is at americanfitnessindex.org.
The post Newsbriefs: Reducing Parkinson’s Symptoms; Blood Test for Cognitive Decline; Fittest City in America appeared first on University Health News.
