The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Treating Parkinson's Disease

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 15, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Treating Parkinson's Disease

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: : Parkinson's Disease and Botulinum toxin therapy for movement disorders will be the key areas of interest of the two-day international conference `Ram-Move 2005,' to be held in the city beginning on Friday.

The conference, organised by Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute (Deemed University), aims at increasing knowledge and awareness about movement disorders among practicing physicians and neurologists.

An annual programme, it is being held for the second time by the Movement Disorder Programme of the Department of Neurology, SRMC, according to C.U. Velmurugendran, conference chairman. Faculty includes experts from London, Liverpool, Mumbai, New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram. Parkinson's Disease is caused by the deficiency of the chemical dopamine in the brain and manifests as tremors, slowness of movements and rigidity.

However, treatment of the disease, in recent time, has been helped by the addition of newer, potent drugs and the availability of alternatives such as deep brain stimulation.

The participants will discuss the drugs that have been of use to patients with advanced Parkinson's Disease, U. Meenakshisundaram, organising secretary said on Thursday.

Explaining the modality of treatment using Botulinum toxin injections, he said small doses administered directly to the affected muscle would go a long way in containing excessive, abnormal or inappropriate movements.

The uses of Botulinum therapy in the treatment of spasticity in children and in post-stroke patients will also be discussed.

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