42 Parkinsonian patients were compared with controls in terms of
environmental factors. A lower risk of the disease was found to be associated
with residence in rural areas. A higher risk of contracting the disease seemed
to be associated with occupational exposure to manganese, iron and aluminium.
Pesticide handling and farm work did not seem to be associated with
Parkinson's disease. Zayed J et al: Environmental factors in the etiology of
Parkinson's disease (in French). Can J Neurol Sci 17(3):286-91, 1990.
Possible disease-causing factors were assessed in 130 cases of Parkinson's
disease. A family history of the disease was the strongest predictor of risk,
followed by head trauma then occupational use of herbicides (week-killers).
Semchuk KM et al: Parkinson's disease: a test of the multifactorial etiologic
hypothesis. Neurology 43(6):1173-80, 1993.
Rates of death from Parkinson's disease (PD) in Michigan were compared with
exposure to heavy metals. Areas with a paper, chemical, iron or copper-related
industry showed significantly higher death rates from PD than areas without
these industries. The investigators suggest that there is a geographical
association between PD mortality and the industrial use of heavy metals.
Rybicki BA et al: Parkinson's disease mortality and the industrial use of
heavy metals in Michigan. Mov Disord 8(1):87-92, 1993.
Permanent Parkinson's disease developed in a 37-year old man two years
after chronic exposure to the fungicide maneb, containing the two neurotoxins
manganese and dithiocarbamate. Meco G et al: Parkinsonism after chronic
exposure to the fungicide maneb (manganese ethylene-bis-dithiocarbamate). Scand J Work Environ
Health 20(4):301-5,1994.
Data on environmental and other factors, including pesticide exposure,
heavy metals, general anaethesia and head trauma, were collected from 380
parkinsonian patients and compared with controls. Factors which appeared to
increase the risk of parkinsonism included cigarette smoking, pesticide use,
amalgam (silver) tooth fillings, exposure to wood preservatives, general
anaesthesia, head injury, and the presence of parkinsonism in other family
members. Seidler A et al: Possible environmental, occupational and other etiologic
factors for Parkinson's disease: a case-control study in Germany. Neurology
46(5):1275-84, 1996.
A patient who abused solvents developed Parkinson's disease and responded
to the treatment usually given for parkinsonism, levodopa. Uitti RJ et al:
Parkinsonism induced by solvent abuse. Ann Neurol 35(5):616-9, 1994.
A study of 500 people newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease found that
of all the factors they had in common, exposure to fly spray and other
pesticides used in the home was the strongest link between them. Those who had
been exposed to pesticides were twice as likely to develop the disease then
those who had not. Nelson LM et a, 52nd Annual meeting of the American
Academy of Neurology, San Diego, Californig, USA, April 29-May6, 2000.
High doses of vitamins C and E administered to patients with early
Parkinson's disease delayed the need for levodopa by an average of 2.5 years
compared with control patients. This study was intended to test the endogenous
toxin hypothesis of Parkinson's disease. Fahn S: An open trial of high-dosage antioxidants in early Parkinson's disease. Am
J Clin Nutr 53(1) Suppl:380S-382S, 1991.
In 11 patients with previously untreated Parkinson's disease, treated with
supplements of the amino acid L-methionine for 2 weeks to 6 months, there were
improvements in akinesia and rigidity within about 3 weeks. The effects of this
treatment were comparable to those obtained with the conventional treatment
L-dopa. Meininger V et al: L-methionine treatment of Parkinson's disease:
preliminary results (in French). Rev Neurol 138(4):297-303, 1982.
10 Parkinsonian patients were given supplements of the amino acid L-tyrosine.
For some, 3 years of L-tyrosine treatment was followed by better clinical
results and fewer side effects than with conventional treatments. Lemoine P et
al: L-tyrosine: a long term treatment of Parkinson's disease (in French). C R
Acad Sci III 309(2):43-47, 1989.
