The Link between Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease

There’s a good chance someone you know is either suffering or has a family member who is suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. In the United States alone, almost 4.5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease afflicts another million. While these diseases are very different, both of them negatively affect the quality of life for those suffering from them. Alzheimer patients lose their memory and brain functionality, while Parkinson’s affects a person’s motor skills, resulting in difficulty walking and talking, accompanied by tremors. Even though the two diseases affect different areas, scientists have explored the possibility that they are somehow related.

Is There a Common Cause?

In the April 2006 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, scientists from the Emory University School of Medicine identified a certain protein (DJ-1) that seemed to be damaged by oxidative stress in patients who had the form of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s not caused by heredity. This suggests that adding antioxidants to your diet in the form of green tea or nutritional supplements may be a smart preventative measure for anyone to take.

Back in 2001, research scientists at the University of California at San Diego discovered that similar proteins associated with both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease can interact in such a way that they end up enhancing each other’s degenerative effects, even though they manifest differently in each disease. There is some evidence to suggest that as many as 25% of Alzheimer’s sufferers also develop Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms – and some Parkinson’s sufferers also experience some Alzheimer’s symptoms.

Both diseases cause irreversible neurological degeneration in those who suffer from them. So even though Alzheimer’s seems to be associated with a person’s ability to function mentally and Parkinson’s seems to relate only to physical symptoms, scientists who are trying to discover a cure for both diseases have begun to wonder if there is some kind of similar imbalance or genetic trait that is present in both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The value of research

How valuable is discovering whether there is a link between these two diseases? Since both diseases are on the increase in our society, scientists are hard at work to discover new treatments and possible cures for both diseases, and a significant connection between Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s could mean more efficient treatment options for both types of patients. A connection between these debilitating diseases could also help prevent future generations from contracting them. Research in one area could lead to a discovery in another area; we should do all we can to support as much research as possible.