Parkinson's disease affects nerve cells in many parts of the brain, particularly those that use the chemical messenger dopamine to control movement. The most common symptoms are Tremor, Rigidity, Akinesia and Postural instability, also known as TRAP. Although, patients with PD have been being treated with oral replacement of dopamine.
It is thought that an insufficiency in Vitamin D can lead to Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases, or that it is an outcome of having these diseases. A study at Emory University School of Medicine showed that people with PD are more likely to be Vitamin D deficient when compared to healthy adults or people with Alzheimer's disease. Vitamin D insufficiency can be determined from a blood test. Insufficiency is defined as less than 30 nanograms per milliliter of blood of the 25-hydroxy form, while a deficiency is defined as less than 20 nanograms per milliliter. People usually get their dose of vitamin D from exposure to sunlight or by dietary supplements, but with increasing age it is harder for older individuals to absorb Vitamin D from the sun. This can also be a problem for people with PD due to lack of activity or exposure to the sun. Studies have also shown that people have lower levels of Vitamin D in the fall and winter when compared to the spring and summer. But, that is again related to the amount of sun exposure and activity during those seasons. It is known that the part of the brain most affected by Parkinson's is the substantia nigra. This area has high levels of the vitamin D receptor, which could be where the lack of vitamin D could be important for normal functions of these cells. Further research is necessary to determine at what stage the deficiency in vitamin D levels occurs in the brains of people with PD. It is still not known if taking a dietary supplement, or increased exposure to the sun could help alleviate symptoms or have an affect on the rate of the condition's progression.
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This is quite interesting. I attended a multiple sclerosis (MS) conference a couple of months ago in Canada and found out that they have one of the highest incidences in the world. One hypothesis is that the population is lacking Vitamin D due to the lack of sun during the winter months. Geographically, we find prevlance of the disease in temperate latitudes (North America, Europe, and Australia).
It is possible that there may be a correlation in neurological diseases and geographic location.
Source:
http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/facts.html
This is interesting that Parkinsons may have a link to Vit D. There are increasing concerns that Vit D may provide anti-inflammatory function and therefore protect from autoimmune disease. This is one of the theories for why MS and other autoimmune diseases are more prevalent above the 38th parallel.
The amazing thing is that 10-15 minutes of sun on the hands and face between 10 Am and 3PM is adequate to have normal levels of Vit D....
Don't forget your sunscreen!
The connection between Vitamin D and neurodegenerative diseases I find intriguing. I see the relationship between sun exposures and geography as an opportunity to assess the spatial relationship of neurodegenerative diseases across the globe. I am formally trained in the field of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems. There are significant advances in these technologies that use satellite imagery and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to better understand temporal (e.g., pre-post fire imaging or pre-post flood imaging) and spatial (e.g., bark beetle outbreak based on elevation or wildlife movement associated with water source) relationships of ecological phenomenon. These same technologies are also being used to study diseases that affect humans. For instance, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever has been studied with these technologies and scientists have determined a strong temporal relationship with the season (wet vs. dry) and a spatial relationship (urban vs. rural) to outbreaks.
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