People with Parkinson's disease encounter social difficulties simply because of the way they talk, new research has revealed. Marc Pell, PhD, an associate professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec, discovered that many people develop negative impressions about individuals with Parkinson's based solely on how they communicate.

These perceptions limit opportunities for social interaction and full participation in society for those with the disease, reducing their quality of life, Dr. Pell reported last month. His research offers the public a better understanding of the difficulties these patients face, as well as an opportunity to promote greater inclusiveness.

He conducted the research in collaboration with Abhishek Jaywant, a research assistant in the Neuropragmatics and Emotion Lab at McGill. Aging adults both with and without Parkinson's were recorded as they described visual scenes. Their voices were then played to listeners who were unaware of the speaker's health status. Those with Parkinson's disease were perceived as less interested, less involved, less happy and less friendly than aging speakers without the disease. Negative impressions of their personality were specifically related to changes in the speaking voices caused by the disease, not the ability to describe the scenes.

The ability to communicate effectively is of paramount importance to the psychological well-being of all humans. This research emphasizes that problems with movement, which alter the speaking voice of adults with Parkinson's, create important social barriers and difficulties with interpersonal communication for those affected. These findings provide another avenue by which health professionals can address mental and emotional health issues in patients with Parkinson's.

In other news on Parkinson's research, a neuroscientist at the Mayo Clinic, in Jacksonville, FL, has been awarded a $500,000 grant for his work contributing to a potential new treatment approach for the disease. Matthew Farrer, PhD, studies how the gene LRRK2 functions normally within neurons and how it can go awry when mutated.

Dr. Farrer was part of the original team that discovered the link between LRRK2 and Parkinson's disease in 2004. A year later he described LRRK2 G2019S, which is now believed to be the most common genetic risk factor for Parkinson's.

For these reasons the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) for Parkinson's Research identified LRRK2 as a high-priority therapeutic target and invested nearly $17 million to drive critical LRRK2-related initiatives at every stage of drug development. Dr. Farrer's work in teasing apart the function of LRRK2 in dictating the structure of neurons earned him a two-year grant.

"Our research is focused on the genetic basis of Parkinson's-the specific proteins and molecular pathways that are affected," Dr. Farrer stated. "Our model and drug development program is designed to halt disease progression, not just to treat the symptoms."

When brain cells from mice without the LRRK2 gene were grown in lab culture, neurons without the gene branched out more than those that had it. This shows the gene helps regulate neuronal architecture.

The research team is working to further understand the function of the protein produced by the LRKK2 gene. "It has many parts," Dr. Farrer said, "so we are going to replace pieces of the protein with and without the mutations that predispose people to develop Parkinson's to see what roles different regions play."

The researchers also will delete other proteins known to interact with the LRRK2 protein to see their effect.

"Answers to these questions are critical for future drug development," he said.

For More Information

• McGill University, online: www.mcgill.ca/pell_lab/

•???MJFF, online: www.michaeljfox.org