As society in the West is aging, more and more people are going to suffer from age-related illnesses, such as Parkinson’s disease. This terrible condition is already affecting millions and, of course, it is incurable.
Around three quarters of Parkinson’s patients experience hallucinations, which can sometimes be triggered by medication used to tread other symptoms. Now scientists from UCL found that a common drug used to treat nausea in chemotherapy patients could alleviate hallucinations in people with Parkinson’s.
Ondansetron is mostly used to treat nausea in chemotherapy patients, but could help people with Parkinson’s as well.
The drug in question is Ondansetron. It is typically used to treat nausea in chemotherapy patients, but ever since the early 1990s its influences on visual processing in the brain and its potential for treating visual hallucinations in Parkinson’s have been explored. Hallucinations are one of the worst symptoms of Parkinson’s and it is incredibly difficult to treat. COVID-19 lockdown increased the frequency at which Parkinson’s patients are asking for help due to hallucinations that they are experiencing. The only medication that is available now to treat hallucinations can actually worsen other symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Now scientists involved 216 people over two years to participate in a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to test the effectiveness and safety of Ondansetron in treating hallucinations in people with Parkinson’s. COVID-19 pandemic is posing new challenges for scientists, but they said that they will accommodate social distancing requirements for both the staff and the participants. All kinds of hallucinations delusions (false beliefs) will be assessed after 6 and 12 weeks of treatments. Scientists hope to see whether Ondansetron is effective and safe as a treatment and could be prescribed to people with Parkinson’s.
Dr Arthur Roach, Director of Research at Parkinson’s UK, said:It’s vital we find better treatments for people with Parkinson’s who have seen their hallucinations worsen at home and ondansetron offers much hope for them and their families. If successful, positive results from the trial could see this drug, which is already used in the NHS, quickly repurposed to become an available treatment in Parkinson’s.”
One of the big advantages of Ondansetron is its low price. Also, because it’s already being used, medical professionals are familiar with it and its potential adverse side effects are well known. This could also help tackle some bureaucratic hurdles to get Ondansetron approved as a treatment for hallucinations in Parkinson’s.
More than 10 million people in the world are living with Parkinson’s disease. It is a debilitating condition, which gets worse and worse over time. Hallucinations can be incredibly distressing and treating them is very difficult. Hopefully Ondansetron will be the answer.
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