=============================================================== == == == ----------- ALS Interest Group ----------- == == ALS Digest #824 (21 March 2001) == == == == ------ Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) == == ------ Motor Neurone Disease (MND) == == ------ Lou Gehrig's disease == == ------ maladie de Charcot == == == == This e-mail list has been set up to serve the world-wide == == ALS community. That is, ALS patients, ALS researchers, == == ALS support/discussion groups, ALS clinics, etc. Others == == are welcome (and invited) to join. The ALS Digest is == == published (approximately) weekly. Currently there are == == 4700+ subscribers in 70+ countries. Please be advised, == == the editor is not a medical doctor and the Digest is == == not peer reviewed. This newsletter is not intended to == == provide medical advice on individual health matters. == == Any such advice should be obtained personally from a == == physician. == == To subscribe, to unsubscribe, to contribute notes, == == etc. to ALS Digest, please send e-mail to: == == bro@met.fsu.edu (Bob Broedel) == == == == Bob Broedel; P.O. Box 20049; Tallahassee, FL 32316 USA == =============================================================== == Back issues of the ALS Digest are available on-line at: == == http://www.glnicholas.com/ == == http://www.alslinks.com == == http://www.alssurvivalguide.com == == http://cc4144-a.ensch1.ov.nl.home.com/~digest == == http://health.oldeman.net == =============================================================== CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE: 1 .. re: Dry Scalp 2 .. ZazAngels Event 3 .. Glutathione 4 .. $99 device uses head motions to control computer 5 .. the amygdala area of brain, glutamate, and mercury 6 .. re: help request (ALSD822) 7 .. My dear brother (1) ===== re: Dry Scalp ========== Date : Wed, 21 Mar 2001 >From : krusinsk@salus.med.uvm.edu (Patti Krusinski) Subject: Re: Dry Scalp Regarding "Dry Scalp?" , seborrheic dermatitis is very common in ALS, most specifically around the hairline, nasolabial folds and on the scalp. It produces itchiness and thick scale. This can very effectively be treated with Diprolene lotion 0.05% rubbed directly onto the affected areas. Directions: apply to affected areas every other day x 1 or 2 weeks, then twice a week x 2 weeks then as needed. Our patients have had terrific results. Patty Krusinski, CCRC (2) ===== ZazAngels Event ========== >From : Barbiz@aol.com Date : Wed, 21 Mar 2001 Subject: ZazAngels Event FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Barbi Zakin (212) 744-0799 MEDIA ALERT: MICHAEL ZASLOW'S ZAZANGELS GALA THEATER BENEFIT TO RAISE FUNDS FOR ALS (LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE) RESEARCH WHAT: M.Z. Ribalow's evocative, witty new play, The Nature of the Universe STARRING: Tony Award winners - Blythe Danner and Brian Dennehy and "One Life to Live" Star Gina Tognoni WHEN: Sunday, May 6, 2001 7:00pm WHERE: Neil Simon Theatre 250 West 52nd Street New York City HONORARY CO-CHAIRS: Alec Baldwin, Vincent Irizarry, Diane Keaton, Lynn Leahey, Edward Norton, Liz Smith, Jerry Stiller, Kaity Tong CO-CHAIRS: Lynn Cassaniti and Linda Dano BENEFIT COMMITTEE: Includes Jane Alexander and Ed Sherin, Robin Bronk, Blair Brown, Beth Chamberlain, Maria Cooper Janis, Maureen Garrett, A.R. Gurney, Lisa Hedley and Robert Newman HONOREE: the cast and crew of Emmy Award winning ABC daytime drama One Life to Live ZazAngels was founded by Emmy Award winning actor Michael Zaslow, who passed away in December 1998 after a two-year battle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurological disease that robs men and women of their most basic human rights - the ability to move, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe. It is not a rare disease. The incidence of ALS is five times higher than Huntington's Disease and equal to Multiple Sclerosis, yet there exists not one effective treatment. Ticket prices are $150, $250, $350, or $500 per person. Sponsorships that include admittance to a pre-theatre reception for celebrities and press start at $1,000. Ticket orders can be placed by calling 212-619-1400. (3) ===== Glutathione ========== >From : Irina Carvalho Subject: RE: Date : Tue, 20 Mar 2001 I would like to know how to buy Glutathione and to get more information. I know it proplably gives diferent reactions to different patients but there is always a chance to see something diferent. Rilutk is not doing anything to help my mother and here in Portugal there is no way to try something diferent. Irina in Portugal (4) ===== $99 device uses head motions to control computer ========== >From : "Bob C." Subject: $99 device uses head motions to control computer Date : Tue, 20 Mar 2001 >From www.rideforlife.com - for people living with ALS Dear Friends, As ALS progresses, some people find that they are relying more and more on their computer to help them communicate. Up to now, assistive devices which allow head movement to control a computer were very expensive, and for many, cost prohibitive. This is no longer true. Eye Control Technnologies (http://www.naturalpoint.com) has developed a $99 device which will enable people with disabilities to precisely control a computer's cursor with simple head motion. Please read the press release below and my review for more information. =================== FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mike Vial, Communications Director Eye Control Technologies, Inc. http://www.naturalpoint.com Phone: 541.753.6645 Fax: 541.753.6689 Email: mike@eyecontrol.com Eye Control Technologies, Inc. Launches NaturalPoint trackIR Corvallis, OR (March 13, 2001) Today Eye Control Technologies, Inc. announced the launch of their revolutionary trackIR cursor control system. The $99.00 web cam sized device enables people with disabilities to control a computer's cursor with simple head motion. The sleek looking trackIR sits on top of a computer monitor, or clips to a laptop screen and uses infrared light and an embedded processor to track users physical motion and determine precise cursor movement. Spirits are high at the company's Corvallis, OR headquarters, where staff have been inundated with calls and e-mail from curious computer users. "The NaturalPoint trackIR will open up a world of possibilities for people who could not afford a head tracker in the past," predicts Eye Control Technologies President, Jim Richardson. "Other mouse replacement products for people with disabilities are priced in the $1500-$2000 range, which is more than many computers cost right now." The trackIR comes with a feature laden software package that allows people with disabilities to tailor the device to suit their needs. Richardson feels that this is a real strength. "When we started this project, we realized that the trackIR needed to be more versatile and intuitive than other head trackers and mouse replacements. Our advanced dwell clicking system, and our gravity feature, which helps you grab hard to hit icons and buttons will really appeal to users." Eye Control Technologies Communications Director, Mike Vial expects that many people who would have never considered buying a head tracker will be attracted to the unit's low cost. "Before, the cost of these products was prohibitive for many of the people who could really benefit from this technology. Now, with our product and available keyboard or voice synthesis software many people will have a new communication suite within their reach." For more information on the NaturalPoint trackIR, visit www.naturalpoint.com. About Eye Control Technologies, Inc. Based in Corvallis, OR, Eye Control Technologies, Inc. specializes in providing innovative control solutions for computers, video games, LCD projectors, and television set-top boxes. For more information, visit: www.eyecontrol.com or www.naturalpoint.com. ) Eye Control Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ============== Eye Control Technologies has been kind enough to provide Ride for Life with a trackIR device for evaluation. My initial reaction to the trackIR is extremely positive. The device is very simple to install and the software is very easy to adjust for your personal preferences. The trackIR works as promised and allows small head movements to control the mouse cursor on the screen by tracking a small reflective dot you stick to your forhead, or the bridge of your eyeglasses. After a very short time, it becomes very intuitive. A user assigned hot-key allows for mouse-clicking and your hands never have to leave the keyboard. For people who have limited or no use of their hands, there is a feature called "dwell clicking" which will automatically double-click an icon, button, or menu item if you keep the cursor on it for a few seconds. Another feature called "gravity" causes the cursor to move to the center of any clickable item, when the cursor passes over it. These features allow totally hands-free operation of your computer. The trackIR can be used with any Windows software (a Mac version is in development) and can be especially valuable when combined with one of the many communication programs designed for people with disabilities (not included.) Please note that the trackIR is not an eye tracking device. You must be able to move your head for it to work effectively. At $99, Eye Control Technologies has created a very affordable and practical way for people with disabilities to regain control of their computers and allow them to continue to communicate with others. It is worth a visit to their website (www.naturalpoint.com) to check it out. Thank you. Bob Cauttero http://www.rideforlife.com (5) ===== the amygdala area of brain, glutamate, and mercury ========== >From : Bernie Windham Subject: the amygdala area of brain, glutamate, and mercury Date : Wed, 7 Mar 2001 Wayne wrote: I was reading something about an area of the brain I had never heard of the other day, called the Amygdala. It apparently has a role in the effects emotions, stress, fears, etc have on the body. It apparently releases quite a few different hormones, etc, including glutamate when we experience these things. One place I was reading even mentioned obsessive-compulsive disorder as having some kind of effect that involves the Amygdala. And now I see in the digest that glutamate might have something to do with ALS. ********** comments and more documentation on this by B. Windham: I have posted docuemtation before relevant to this, but though I posted references relevant to this, I didn't specifically mention the areas of the brain affected. The following paper is one of many that have documented that mercury accumulates in the amygdala and other areas of the brain and CNS and being extremely toxic and immunoreactive does a lot of harm to those areas. What condition one is diagnosed with depends on an individuals specific weaknesses and susceptabilities as to which damage shows up first. Thompson CM; Markesbery WR; Ehmann WD; Mao YX; Vance DE. Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky; Regional brain trace-element studies in Alzheimer's disease. Neurotoxicology 1988 Spring;9(1):1-7. Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain trace-element imbalances in the "amygdala", hippocampus and nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM) are found in most cases to be consistent with those previously reported in samples derived principally from AD cerebral cortex (Ehmann et al., 1986). The elevation of mercury in AD nbM, as compared to age-matched controls, is the largest trace-element imbalance observed to date in AD brain. ******************************************************************* The following is snipped from a much bigger paper of mine that documents the connection of mercury to glutamate related damage (as well as generated reactive oxydative species) to the amygdala and other areas of the brain and CNS. The references can be found at a European Univ. Web page: http://www.web-light.nl/AMALGAM/EN/SCIENCE/bernie_science.html ******************* Calcium plays a major role in the extreme neurotoxicity of mercury and methyl mercury. Both inhibit cellular calcium ATPase and calcium uptake by brain microsomes at very low levels of exposure (270,288,329,333,432,56,). Protein Kinase C (PKC) regulates intracellular and extra cellular signals across neuronal membranes, and both forms of mercury inhibit PKC at micromolar levels, as well as inhibiting phorbal ester binding(43,432). They also block or inhibit calcium L-channel currents in the brain in an irreversable and concecentration dependent manner. Mecury vapor or inorganic mercury exposure affects the posterior cingulate cortex and causes major neurological effects with sufficient exposure(428,453). Some of the resulting conditions include stomatitis, tremor, ADD, erythism, etc. Metallic mercury is much more potent than methyl mercury in such actions, with 50 % inhibitation in animal studies at 13 ppb(333,329). Spatial and temporal changes in intracellular calcium concentrations are critical for controlling gene expression and neurotransmitter release in neurons(432,412). Mercury alters calcium homeostasis and calcium levels in the brain and affects gene expression and neurotransmitter release through its effects on calcium, etc. Mercury inhibits sodium and potassium (N,K)ATPase in dose dependent manner and inhibits dopamine and noreprenephrine uptake by synaptosomes and nerve implulse transfer(288,50,270,35). Mercury also interrupts the cytochrome oxidase system, blocking the ATP energy function (35,43,84,232,338c), lowering immune growth factor IGF-I levels and impairing astrocyte function(119,131). Astrocytes are common cells in the CNS involved in the feeding and detox of nerve cells. Increases in inflamatory cytokines such as caused by toxic metals trigger increased free radical activity and damage to astrocyte and astrocyte function(152). IGF-I protects against brain and neuronal pathologies like ALS, MS, and Fibromyalgia by protecting the astrocytes from this destructive process. Mercury lymphocyte reactivity and effects on glutamate in the CNS induce CFS type symptoms including profound tiredness, musculoskeletal pain, sleep distubances, gastrointestinal and neurological problems along with other CFS symptoms and fibromyalgia(342,346,368,369,375). Mercury has been found to be a common cause of fibromyalgia(293,346,369). Glutamate is the most abundant amino acid in the body and in the CNS acts as excitory neurotransmitter(346,386,412), which also causes inflow of calcium. Astrocytes, a type of cell in the brain and CNS with the task of keeping clean the area around nerve cells, have a function of neutralizing excess glutamate by transforming it to glutamic acid. If astrocytes are not able to rapidly neutralize excess glutamate, then a buildup of glutamate and calcium occurs, causing swelling and neurotoxic effects(119,131,152,333). Mercury and other toxic metals inhibit astrocyte function in the brain and CNS(119,131), causing increased glutamate and calcium related neurotoxicity(119,152,333,226a) which are responsible for much of the fibromylgia symptoms and a factor in neural degeneration in MS and ALS. This is also a factor in conditions such as CFS, Parkinson's, and ALS(346,416). Animal studies have confirmed that increased levels of glutamate(or aspartate, another amino acid excitory neurotransmitter) cause increased sensitivity to pain, as well as higher body temperature - both found in CFS/fibromyalgia. Mercury and increased glutamate activate free radical forming processes like xanthine oxidase which produce oxygen radicals and oxidative neurological damage(346,142,13). Medical studies and doctors treating fibromylagia have found that supplements which cause a decrease in glutamate or protect against its effects have a positive effect on fibromyalgia and other chronic neurologic conditions. Some that have been found to be effective include Vit B6, methyl cobalamine(B12), L-carnitine, choline, ginseng, Ginkgo biloba,vitamins C and E, nicotine, and omega 3 fatty acids(fish and flaxseed oil)(417). B.W. (6) ===== re: help request (ALSD822) ========== Date : Wed, 21 Mar 2001 Subject: Re: >From : "Jack" Dear Terry, I have ALS for 5 years now and although a bit younger than your father - I am 60- feel as he does, that I do not want future intervention with breathing and eating. Lets hope that is a long way off for both of us. I do find it a worrying prospect. I should be very interested in any response you receive to your question and wonder if you could possibly email them to me. Many thanks Kay. (7) ===== My dear brother ========== Date : Sun, 04 Mar 2001 Subject: My dear brother >From : "bruce" I have read the ALS digest for several years. I want to thank all the contributors for supporting each other in this difficult struggle with ALS. I include here Eric's obituary as it appeared in the Washington Post, February 22, 2001. Eric gracefully persisted for 5 years, and ultimately slipped away peacefully amongst his closest friends. Eric will be sorely missed by his family, dear friends, and by the dance community. His courage and strength have inspired each and every one of us. Eric Hampton, Choreographer Eric Hampton, 54, a Washington choreographer, died on February 20, of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). He was an alumnus of the Interlochen Arts Academy and the Juilliard School. A former member of the Netherlands Dance Theater and the Scapino Ballet, Mr. Hampton was also a soloist and resident choreographer of the Washington Ballet. For many years he was a member of the faculty of the Maryland Youth Ballet and Resident Choreographer for the Academy's professionally focused children. In 1991, he founded his own company, Eric Hampton Dance. His choreography has been taken into the repertoires of the Juilliard School and locally based professional troupes. In October of 1997, Hampton won the Mayor's Arts Award for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline and the Pola Nirenska Award. In February 2000 he received the Gene Frey Award for Fund Raising from the Whitman Walker Clinic. Since its inception, Hampton's company had produced benefit galas to raise money for the Whitman Walker Clinic (Washington's primary AIDS support organization). Survivors include his parents, Gladys and Roy Hampton of Hackensack, New Jersey, and two brothers, Mark Hampton of Canterbury, New Hampshire and Bruce Hampton of Harvard, Massachusetts. -- Bruce Hampton, AIA === end of alsd 824 ===