Parkinson’s Study May Give Some Hope To Families

There are about 25,000 people living with Parkinson’s in Michigan out of the roughly 1 million nationally. It's a disease that has crippled families, but there is some hope in a new study released this year involving a new device that may be helpful in slowing or reversing the progression of the disease. The experimental study investigated whether using a novel delivery system could regenerate dying dopamine brain cells in patients with Parkinson’s and even reverse their condition. It could be ‘the first neuro-restorative treatment for people living with Parkinson's,’ according to Steven Gill, who designed the infusion device used in the study. My good friend is dealing with Parkinson these days with her dad in and out of the hospital. The attention to treating Parkinson’s is likely to increase inside managed care in the next 10 years with the increase in the number of insurers partnering with behavioral health companies. ‘Just our access to neuro-specialists alone will be helpful in guiding us to provide a more substantive benefit for patients and families, and to do more to help in earlier diagnosis and management.’ In May, BCBS of Michigan is teaming up with the Kirk Gibson Foundation to raise awareness and provide resources.