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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
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Alzheimer's Disease |
Information on Degenerative Diseases05/26/2000 |
How closely related is Alzheimer's to Parkinson's Disease or ALS?
The diseases mentioned are all classified as being "degenerative" -- that is, there is no obvious reason why they occur (such as tumor, or lack of blood supply, etc.) Additionally, all 3 conditions occur with aging, are limited to the central nervous system and involve loss of neurons (nerve cells). There has been a lot of work looking for common biological mechanisms that might underlie all 3 disorders. One theme is the possibility of environmental toxins. Another possibility is a susceptibility to chemicals used in nerve cell transmission, such as excess amounts of glutamate, especially in ALS. The evidence for this in AD or Parkinson's is less clear. Finally, there is evidence of genetic involvement in at least some cases of each disorder. And there can be some overlap, especially in advanced disease in symptoms (such as dementia in Parkinson's disease or ALS; some patients with AD develop Parkinsonism...)
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Jon Stuckey, PhD Formerly Case Western Reserve University |
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Alan J Lerner, MD Professor of Neurology School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University |
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