More recently, doctors are being urgedto treat dementia more aggressively inParkinson’s patients, as it would optimize quality of life for the patients andtheir caregivers.    It is established that one third of patientswith Parkinson’s disease experience dementia. Cognitive impairments are the hallmark features, including decreasedattention span, executive functioning and memory deficits.  Obtaining a legitimate diagnosis of dementiacan be quite tricky in that symptoms may widely fluctuate and therefore thediagnostic instruments that physicians use the diagnose Parkinson’s dementia maynot always give reliable results.  Researchis conflicting at this point as to which is the best medical agent to use inthis population. 

 Optimize Diet

Thereare multiple safe nutritionally oriented treatments that patients may engage into help prevent early onset dementia as it related to Parkinson’s disease.  First and foremost, optimization of diet iscritical.  There is much research tosuggest that a diet that is high on the glycemic index scale can exacerbatedementia.  Insulin resistance, associatedwith a diet that is chronically high on the glycemic index, has been associatedwith Alzheimer’s disease.  The connectionhas been labeled type 3 diabetes by some. (See my published article under the References section of my websiteonthis topic).

 Low Glycemic Index, No Pesticides, No MSG

Eatingorganic, MSG and pesticide free foods that can exacerbate both Parkinson’s aswell as dementia is important.  Remember thatMSG can trigger glutamate receptors in Parkinson’s and non-Parkinson’s patientsalike.    Followinga Mediterranean style diet that is high in unheated extra virgin olive oil,fish and poultry, nuts, vegetables, low glycemic index fruits, whole grainsthat are gluten free and unprocessed foods in key.   

Just Do It 

Addinga daily exercise component is imperative. Exercise can trigger dopamine levels to rise, help with coordination,drive down cortisol, improve insulin resistance, and help with mental acuity.  These are all essential when hoping to helpprevent dementia and improve Parkinson’s symptoms.  Exercise should include weight bearingexercise as well as core bodywork.

DHEA 

Theadrenal hormone DHEA has been shown to boost dopamine levels.  There is also a significant amount ofresearch pointing to DHEA helping with improvement in memory in dementiapatients.  DHEA is ever present in braintissue and helps to offset the negative effects of cortisol.  It is, however, a precursor to many of theother hormones and needs to be used judiciously and under medicalsupervision. 

 Follow an Anti-Inflammatory Program

Low grade chronicinflammation may be a precursor to neurodegenerative disease.  An excellent anti-inflammatory program,including diet and supplements may help to quite the inflammation down. 

 Polyphenols, excellentantioxidants found in green tea, have recently been studied to see if theymodify the course of Parkinson’s.  TheChinese study enrolled 410 untreated people with Parkinson’s disease and wererandomized to receive 0.4g, 0.8g, or 1.2 g of green tea polyphenols daily.  As a reference, 2 cups of green tea containapproximately 300mg of polyphenols.  At 6months a significant improvement was noted in each dosage category based on theUnified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale. At 12 months, however, unexplainably, the scores did not differ fromplacebo.  Improvements were more profoundfor those with a greater severity of disease.  There were no notable side effects except for insomnia for those notaccustomed to green tea intake. 

 The reduction ofoxidative stress on neurologic tissue in Parkinson’s as well as dementiapatients is important.  Utilization ofpolyphenols. vitamin C, tocotrienols, bioflavanoids, proanthocyandinsfrom grape seed extract, coenzymeQ10, and curcumin may have a beneficialeffect.   

 Stay Tuned...

Stay tuned for anarticle on coenzyme Q 10 and glutathione treatment in Parkinson's Disease. 



Living Smarter, Living Longer, 

Dr. Kroner