Summary: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), this month posted new survey information at the Hospital Compare website, offering consumers more insight about the hospitals in their communities. The website provides three critical types of information about healthcare providers: quality information, patient satisfaction survey information, and pricing information for specific procedures. This information can help consumers make effective decisions about the quality and value of the healthcare available to them through local hospitals.

Comment: Much of the information is based on the first nationwide survey of patients about their experience during a hospital stay. Although the pricing and volume information pertains specifically to Medicare payments, the quality and satisfaction results provide useful comparison data for any patients, regardless of who pays for the services. A link to the Hospital Compare website is provided below.

Summary: Drug-maker UCB has begun recalling batches of its Parkinson's drug Neupro, but not due to contamination or toxicity. The company says the clinical performance of some product on the market was not up to standard. As a result of the recall, pharmacies in the U.S. may be out-of-stock of Neupro in late April.

Comment: Patients should not discontinuing Neupro because of the recall. The product is safe to use. However, because the defective batches may not be as effective as they should be, and because the product will be out-of-stock soon, patients should talk to their doctor about whether they need to alter their regimen.

Summary: A new technique could potentially help stem cells to repair damaged nerves in the human body. It uses minute fibers to create a "nano scaffold" that is injected into the body at the site requiring nerve regeneration. Stem cells are then embedded in the scaffold, forming a bridge in the brain or spinal cord.

Comment: The technology is the first step toward curing conditions such as Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injury. It requires much more testing and refinement until it will be available to treat neurological diseases.

Summary: After twenty tango lessons, patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) showed more improvement in their balance than patients who took the same number of strength and exercise classes. All of the patients, participants in a study at the Washington University in St. Louis medical school, showed significant improvements in standard tests to measure mobility.

Comment: The study justified tango classes as an appropriate and effective form of group exercise for people with PD. Dancing can improve functional mobility, especially balance, turning, changing movement speeds, and walking backward.

Summary: Certain neurology patients are at a high risk of accidental falls. The American Academy of Neurology encourages regular screening for neurology patients to help prevent the 1.8 million fall-related injuries and deaths in the United States each year.

Comment: The authors found people with stroke, dementia, and walking and balance disorders are at the highest risk of falling. Having fallen in the past year also strongly predicts that a person will fall again. People with Parkinson’s disease, peripheral neuropathy, weakness in the legs or feet, and substantial vision loss are also likely to fall.

Summary: In a small trial, patients with Parkinson's disease have been injected with a gene that stabilized the chemistry in the brain, improving their symptoms and suggesting that damage might be reversed.

Comment: Following these promising results, the gene therapy will be subject to a larger patient trial.

Summary: In an animal model of Parkinson's disease, the antioxidant compounds found in green tea protect dopamine neurons. The level of protection increases with the amount of green tea consumed.

Comment: Researchers hope that green tea polyphenols can be developed into a safe, effective drug for Parkinson's disease.

Summary: UCB has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve Neupro as adjunctive therapy to levodopa in patients with advanced-stage Parkinson's disease.

Comment: The drug was approved earlier this year for treatment of early-stage Parkinson's.

Summary: Two not-so-new drugs appear to suppress dyskinesias: dextromethorphan, which is used in cough medicine, and BMY-14802, which was developed for, but proven ineffective, in treating schizophrenia.

Comment: Dyskinesias are the spastic or repetitive motions that result from taking levodopa long-term.

Summary: Doctors have observed that some patients who receive deep brain stimulation become uninhibited and tend to make hasty decisions.

Comment: Dopamine drugs, another Parkinson's therapy, can also promote impulsive behavior by hindering a patient's ability to learn from negative feedback.