A food supplement rumored to give athletes a boost of power may help Parkinson?s disease patients control the tremors and deterioration that characterize the incurable disease.
“There?s evidence Creatine enhances brain cells,” said Dr. William Weiner, chairman of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “This shows some promise in patients with Parkinson?s disease.”
In a five-year study funded by the National Institutes of Health, University of Maryland and other researchers picked Creatine out of a broad range of substances tested for its ability to help slow the progression of Parkinson?s disease.
Now they are trying to find out how it works.
Weiner said two theories exist.
“One idea is it helps to boost productivity of mitochondria, which are the energy producers of the cell. It also serves as an antioxidant, maybe relieving oxidative stress in the brain,” he said.
Parkinson?s is a motor system disorder resulting from the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Symptoms include trembling in the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face; stiffness; slowed movement; and impaired balance and coordination. It affects at least 1 million Americans.
Certain drugs, such as Levodopa, can reduce symptoms, but no proven treatments slow the progressive deterioration, according to a university release.
Mouse studies haveshown Creatine may prevent the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine.
The university is one of 51 sites in the United States and Canada recruiting 1,720 patients with Parkinson?s.
Investigators will measure disease progression in terms of quality of life, walking ability, cognitive function and the ability to carry out other activities of daily living.
“This study is an important step. We are pleased to have so many sites participating in this study, which may help us move more quickly toward developing a therapy that could change the course of this devastating disease,” said Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the NIH, said in a statement. “The goal is to improve the quality of life for people with Parkinson?s for a longer period of time than is possible with existing therapies.”
For information about enrolling, call 410-328-7817.
