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RESEARCH LIBRARY - DOCUMENT [97]

Category: Newspaper Reports

Date	16-jul-2005
Article Title	Did You Know?
Author	New Idea
Main Condition/ Disease	Parkinson's Disease
Source	New Idea magazine, Australia 16 July 2005
Summary	This is a small piece which states "If you are knocked unconscious, your risk of developing Parkinson's disease increases 32%. If you're knocked out twice that risk increases to 174%. Family history of the disease increases that risk to 350%." The article quoted is one in New Scientist. It's interesting to me because my view is the head injury can cause the realtionship of the head to the first cervical vertebra (atlas or C1) to be compromised (atlas subluxation) and in turn cause critical neurovascular structures at the base of the skull to be compromised. Blood flow to the brain (to the dopamine producing cells - Fernandez-Noda) can be reduced, thus causing the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease. In fields outside chiropractic, atlas subluxation could be compared to KISS (kinematic sub-occipital strain syndrome) or cranio-cervical syndrome. My view (hypothesis) on the genetics involvement theory is that the genetics is in the anatomical similarities in the skull base between family members and the tendency to pursue similar activities, which could result in similar trauma. Or it could be that genetics sets you up to get the disease, but unless you have had trauma to the head and sustain an atlas subluxation you most likely won't get the disease.
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