Parkinson disease impaired memory

Leplow B, Dierks C, Herrmann P, Pieper N, Annecke R, Ulm G (1997) Remote memory in Parkinson s disease and senile dementia. Neuropsychologia 35 547-555 Lesne S, Koh MT, Kotilinek L, Kayed R, Glabe CG, Yang A, Gallagher M, Ashe KH (2006) A specific amyloid-beta protein assembly in the brain impairs memory. Nature 440(7082) 352-357... 

Everybody suffers some intellectual and memory impairment with age. If it becomes very marked or occurs earlier in life (40+) it is known as dementia. Although it may be caused by alcoholism, cardiovascular disease such as multiple infarcts, and is often seen in the later stages of Parkinsonism, the most common cause is a neurodegenerative one, namely, Alzheimer s disease (AzD). In fact this is the primary and sole cause in over half the cases of dementia and is a contributory cause in a further quarter and the younger the patient, the more likely is the dementia to be of the Alzheimer type. 

Since amphetamines increase blood pressure, the chances for a stroke increases in users. Abusers of amphetamine may also be prone to degenerative disorders of the nervous system such as Parkinson s disease. Research published in the March 2001 issue of American Journal of Psychiatry indicates that MAP abuse leads to long-lasting changes in the human brain that are linked to impaired coordination and memory. 

Continuous subcutaneous infusion of apomorphine can transform the quality of life of yoimger patients with severe motor fluctuations and dyskinesia, but this may lead to neuropsychiatric effects. If drug treatment fails in yormg non-demented patients, stereotactic subthalamotomy or bilateral stereotactic subthalamic stimulation can be very successful with only a small risk of surgical complications in experienced hands. Some 20% of patients with Parkinson s disease, notable the older ones, develop impairment of memory and speech with a fluctuating confusional state and hallucinations. As these symptoms are often aggravated by medication, it is... 

Nicotine, the major alkaloid fotmd in tobacco plant leaves and the prototypical nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist, is known to reduce memory impairment associated with chronic stress [1-3], aging [4—8], brain lesions [9], and cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer s disease (AD) [3, 10-14], schizophrenia [14], attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) [15,16], Parkinson s disease [13, 17], post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [18], sleep deprivation [19, 20], and hypothyroidism [21, 22], Moreover, nicotine is a potent scavenger of hydroxyl and superoxide free radicals. In fact, it has been reported that nicotine is more of an antioxidant than vitamin C [23]. 

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