Lithium may Help Treat Parkinson’s Disease

A group of American researchers have suggested that Lithium could be used in the fight against Parkinson’s disease after it was found to prevent the buildup of toxic proteins that are linked with the nerve disease.

Researchers from San Francisco’s Buck Institute for Ageing tested the effect of the compound on animals and found that lithium prevented the accumulation of toxic proteins and also stopped the cell loss that leads to the degenerative disorder.

Parkinson’s Disease - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by progressive dopamine brain cells loss. Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are correctable to an extent.

Writing in the report, which has been published in the Journal of Neuroscience Research, lead researcher Julie Andersen said, “This is the first time lithium has been tested in an animal model of Parkinson's disease. The fact that lithium's safety profile in humans is well understood greatly reduces trial risk and lowers a significant hurdle to getting it into the clinic.”

Source-Medindia

Parkinson's Disease
Slide animation on Parkinson disease. It is a progressive movement disorder due to degeneration of nerve cells of the substantia nigra of the brain. The symptoms get worse with time but drugs or surgery can control them. PD cannot be cured.

Parkinson's Disease - Surgical Treatment
Slide animation on surgery for Parkinson disease. Surgery is only indicated where drugs fail to control the symptoms of this progressive movement disorder. Surgery cannot cure the disease.