Early-stage Parkinson's disease patients who lower their calorie intake may boost levels of glutamate, a brain neurotransmitter important for motor control, function and learning. This essential brain chemical is destroyed by the neurodegenerative disorder.
Problems with Motion
Parkinson's disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder affecting the region of the brain where movement is controlled. It eventually causes symptoms such as tremor or shaking, muscular stiffness or rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with balance.
First Study to Show a Reversal
A new study on mice is the first to show that a restricted diet can reverse neurochemical changes in the brain occurring in early-stage Parkinson's.
Mice were divided into two groups, each with the symptoms of early-stage Parkinson's. One group was given food each day, and one group only every other day, over a 21-day period. The mice that ate less often lost 10 percent to 15 percent of their body weight.
Glutamate Normalized
The dietary restriction appeared to normalize the levels of glutamate, in what may have been a reversal of locomotor deficits associated with the disease. However, matching the increase in glutamate levels with positive behavioral changes is difficult at this point in the research. Further testing is being done to verify this.
