Parkinson's Disease

Harvard University Staff Writer Alvin Powell reports that Harvard scientists have had coffee under the microscope for years, and last year announced the discovery of six new human genes that relate to coffee

Background Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. In Europe, almost 1.2 million people are estimated to have PD, with about 75,000 new cases diagnosed every year48. …

Caffeine has no impact, says long-term trial that reverses earlier findings

Most cases of Parkinson disease (PD) over age 50 are sporadic, and twin studies strongly suggest a predominance of environmental over genetic etiologies.1 However, few factors have been found consistently in epidemiologic studies to have major effects, protective in all cases: smoking, urate,2 and caffeine consumption.3 The protective effect of caffeine (found not only in coffee, but also in tea, and some sodas) has been demonstrated in large prospectively followed populations of men, with a dramatic reduction in risk (up to fivefold for persons who drank more than 4 cups of coffee a day). Decaffeinated coffee afforded no protection, pointing to caffeine rather than other substances in coffee or tea as the underlying pharmacologic agent. No such linear relationship is found in women, in whom the protective effects are either nonexistent or U-shaped.4 Caffeine’s protective effect on 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)–induced parkinsonism in experimental models is generally considered supportive evidence.5 A randomized controlled trial of caffeine for treatment of PD found improved motor manifestations at 6 weeks in secondary analyses, but not the hypothesized improvement in excessive daytime sleepiness. Caffeine is an antagonist at adenosine 2A receptors (A2A-R) located exclusively in the striatum, and specifically in medium spiny neurons coexpressing D2 dopamine receptors, a critical link in the indirect motor pathway. A plausible model can be proposed by which blockade of adenosine receptors would protect dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra from excitotoxic injury.6 Several randomized controlled trials have confirmed the efficacy of istradefylline, a selective A2A-R antagonist, to reduce “off” time and to improve motor manifestations of PD.7 Thus, exploring the mechanisms by which caffeine may protect against PD is a worthwhile endeavor.

Ronald Postuma, MD, and colleagues previously published an intriguing study showing that moderate amounts of coffee (caffeine) may improve the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this month’s issue of Neurology, Postuma and colleagues revise their previous comments on coffee drinking. Their revision is based on a larger and better designed clinical study.

G. Webster Ross, MD; Robert D. Abbott, PhD; Helen Petrovitch, MD; et al

Earlier findings that raised hopes caffeine could be used to relieve symptoms of Parkinson's disease didn't pan out. Yet it's clear that non-coffee drinkers are at higher risk of developing the debilitating neurological condition. The question is why.

MINNEAPOLIS – While drinking caffeine each day does not appear to help improve sleepiness among people with Parkinson’s disease

J Alzheimers Dis. 2010;20 Suppl 1:S205-20. doi: 10.3233/JAD-2010-091459. Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review

People with Parkinson's showed measurable improvements in movement speed and stiffness

Contrary to previous research, caffeine may not relieve movement symptoms for people with Parkinson's disease, according to a study.

While drinking caffeine each day does not appear to help improve sleepiness among people with Parkinson’s disease, it may have a benefit in controlling movement, according to new research.

Numerous epidemiologic studies have indicated that coffee consumption reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease. For a long time, efforts have been made to determine what the magic ingredient in this popular beverage is. Many people have speculated that the stimulant caffeine is the critical active ingredient in this neuroprotective effect. New research, however, suggests that…

Following up on a previous study, researchers find that caffeine is unlikely to improve movement symptoms for patients with Parkinson's disease.

Researchers have created two caffeine-based compounds that they say could halt the development of protein clumps associated with Parkinson's disease.