A NEED FOR A SUPPORT GROUP

Parkinson's disease affects only 2 percent of the nation's population, but most victims are between the ages of 50 and 70.

And with a growing elderly population in Southeast Missouri, there was a need for a Parkinson's disease support group.

Desma Reno, a nurse who specializes in gerontology, started the group about a year ago. It meets the last Monday of the month at St. Francis Medical Center.

Every other month, the members try to talk about issues facing care givers and victims of the disease. Special programs on nutrition, exercise and medical updates are also planned.

Most members were diagnosed over the age of 60, Reno said, adding that symptoms often are attributed to aging.

Some common symptoms include rigidity, trembling, slow movement and a loss of balance.

Parkinson's disease is caused by damage to nerve cells in the brain. The damage also causes a chemical imbalance and triggers a loss of dopamine, a chemical found in the brain.

It is often treated with a medicine that replaces the lost chemical. Alternative treatments include a fetal tissue transplant, but there are still unanswered ethical and medical questions.

By the time a person notices symptoms about 80 percent of the brain's dopamine is already depleted, said Susan Levin, director of the Parkinson's Center at the Washington University Medical School in St. Louis.

There is no cause for Parkinson's disease, but many theories abound. Because 10 percent of the 1.5 million known cases are diagnosed in patients younger than 55, doctors think there may be some environmental connection.

They are either better diagnosed, seek help earlier or the disease is caused by environmental toxins. Some people may be more predisposed because of the toxins, Levin said.

Younger patients don't make up the majority of sufferers, but early diagnosis is increasing thanks to advanced technology, Reno said.