Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

If you know anything about neurological disorders such as Parkinsons, Huntingtons, ALS, etc then you know that they are very scary and not totally understood. We know the general area of cause of many of these disorders but the actual manifestation and or treatments are not yet known. In some cases researchers may be close to understanding these disorders, but not quite there yet.

These are very frightening maladies and if you can do anything to prevent ever having one personally or helping a friend from getting one then you certainly would want to do it. The question is what really causes these disorders and what can be done to prevent them.

A new study suggests that Ecstasy which is known to affect dopamine levels, which are in turn known to be related to Parkinsons, may cause the symptoms of Parkinsons. There are speculations on both sides as to what the effects of ecstasy really are but it seems to me there is sufficient concern to stay away from it (when you really know what it CAN do, why take the chance? eat some mushrooms if you must, but dont mess with brain altering synthetic substances that MAY cause serious neurological disorders).

For more on the ecstasy debate see the linked wired article.

For more on Parkinsons see the linked Parkinsons Foundation and the Micheal J. Fox Foundation (both research and information foundations).   Ecstasy May Cause Parkinsons?: wired