Parkinson's Disease study may lead to improved treatment

Parkinson's Disease study may lead to improved treatment

Research now in its third year at the University of Queensland is hoping to improve the effectiveness of drugs currently used to treat Parkinson's Disease.

The research is being carried out jointly by the University's School of Pharmacy and Speech Pathology and Audiology Department and has involved 26 Parkinson's Disease sufferers (studied from one to three occasions).

Spokesman for the research team, Professor Ted Triggs, said the study was monitoring the effect of the most commonly-used drug, Levodopa, on the effects of speech. People with Parkinson's Disease develop speech difficulties as a result of low lip strength.

Professor Triggs said that while Levodopa was widely regarded as the best drug to treat Parkinson's Disease, many sufferers complained that their speech deteriorated after several years of using the drug.

"Because a patient should have a more mobile mouth structure after taking the drug, our research is monitoring on-going lip strength and investigating possible elements which may have an impact on the effectiveness of Levodopa. Factors may include the length of time the drug has been taken, the seriousness of the disease and the age of the patient."

"If we can predict at the earliest stage a pattern which shows deterioration of the effect of the drug, we may be able to recommend other drugs or modify treatment, such as increasing dosage frequency or administering Levodopa through a controlled release tablet," Professor Triggs said.

While surgical techniques are also used to treat Parkinson's Disease, the expensive procedure is not always 100 percent effective.

"About 1 percent of people over 65 will develop Parkinson's Disease, and it is not uncommon to find sufferers in their forties," Professor Triggs said. "Unfortunately, there are no new major advances in drugs or procedures ?on the horizon' to treat this disease, so our research is focused on trying to improve the treatment we already have." The study is expected to be completed by December this year.

The University of Queensland was named Australian University of the Year in 1998 and is a recognised leader in medical and health-related research and teaching.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Ted Triggs telephone 3365 2868