A study was recently conducted which indicates that a certain treatment method could have potential for treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Duke University School of Medicine, and the treatment method they looked at was long-term spinal cord stimulation. Spinal cord stimulation involves attaching a device to a part of the spinal cord and then having the device emit electrical signals.
In the study, the researchers attached a spinal cord stimulation device to rats which had dopamine levels and symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease sufferers. Then, for a period of six weeks, the researchers had the rats undergo two 30-minute spinal cord stimulation therapy sessions a week.
The researchers found that the rats experienced a reduction in symptoms and an improvement in motor skills. They also found that the rats showed improvements when it came to neuron survival.
Thus, the study indicates that spinal cord simulation could possibly help Parkinson’s disease sufferers with their symptoms. Given how severe the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can be, this has the potential to be a very encouraging and helpful development. It will be worth watching to see what future studies find regarding whether or not this treatment method could help humans who suffer from Parkinson’s disease.
The motor-skill-related impacts Parkinson’s disease can have on a person can sometimes cause a person to be unable to work. Thus, individuals who have Parkinson’s disease may have many questions regarding Social Security Disability benefits, including:
- Does my Parkinson’s disease qualify me for SSD benefits?
- What is the application process for SSD benefits?
- What sorts of things do I need to include in an application for SSD benefits?
- If I submit a claim for SSD benefits in relation to my Parkinson’s disease and it is denied, what should I do?
Social Security Disability benefits attorneys can help answer such questions.
Source: Medical Xpress, “Long-term spinal cord stimulation stalls symptoms of Parkinson’s-like disease,” Jan. 23, 2014