Browsing by Author "Mohanakumar, KP"

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    Association of (L)-DOPA with recovery following Ayurveda medication in Parkinson's disease
    (JOURNAL OF THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES, 2000) Nagashayana, N; Sankarankutty, P; Nampoothiri, MRV; Mohan, PK; Mohanakumar, KP
    Ayurveda, the Indian system of traditional medicine, uses a concoction of several spices, herbs and minerals for the treatment of diseases. In a clinical prospective study we have evaluated the efficacy of Ayurveda treatment (a concoction in cow's milk of powdered Mucuna pruriens and Hyoscyamus reticulatus seeds and Withania somnifera and Sida cordifolia roots) in 18 clinically diagnosed (with a mean Hoen and Yahr value of 2.22) parkinsonian patients. As per Ayurveda principles, 13 patients: underwent both cleansing (for 28 days) and palliative therapy (56 days), 5 patients underwent palliative therapy alone (84 days). Only the former group showed significant improvement in activities of daily living (ADL) and on motor examination as per UPDRS rating. Symptomatically, they exhibited better response in tremor, bradykinesia, stiffness and cramps as compared to the latter group. Excessive salivation worsened in both the groups. Analyses of powdered samples in milk, as administered in patients, revealed about 200 mg of L-DOPA per dose. The study establishes the necessity of cleansing therapy in Ayurveda medication prior to palliative therapy. It also reveals contribution of L-DOPA in the recovery as observed in Parkinson' disease following Ayurveda medication. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
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    Ayurveda in Parkinson's disease
    (JOURNAL OF THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES, 2001) Sankarankutty, P; Nagashayana, N; Mohan, PK; Mohanakumar, KP
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    Unilateral implantation of dopamine-loaded biodegradable hydrogel in the striatum attenuates motor abnormalities in the 6-hydroxydopamine model of hemi-parkinsonism
    (BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH, 2007) Senthilkumar, KS; Saravanan, KS; Chandra, G; Sindhu, KM; Jayakrishnan, A; Mohanakumar, KP
    Dopaminergic functional recovery following controlled release of dopamine from biodegradable polymer matrices implanted in the lesioned striaturn was investigated in a hemiparkinsonian animal model. Significant dopamine depletion in the striatum ipsilateral to the side of infusion was observed in animals unilaterally infused with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in the substatia nigra. These animals displayed apomorphine-induced contralateral rotational behavior, when examined on the 16th day. Implantation of a controlled release delivery system (hydrogel obtained by mixing dextran dialdehyde cross-linked with gelatin) containing dopamine in the denervated striaturn on the 1st day or the 18th day significantly abolished the apomorphine-induced contralateral rotational behavior in these animals. The recovery was visible for about 17 days, thereafter the behavioral bias reappeared. The present results indicate that dopamine released from the polymer matrices alleviates behavioral bias in experimental parkinsonism, implying use of such technologies as an alternative method for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. This approach is useful in reducing the oral dose of drugs that are with severe systemic effects, and that develop tolerance. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.