ECSTASY GIVES PARKINSON'S SUFFERER HOPE

A victim of crippling Parkinson's disesase was able to perform amazing
gymnastic stunts after taking the rave drug Ecstasy.

Now Manchester University academics Dr Jonathan Brotchie and Prof Alan
Crossman hope their findings will help in the search for new
treatments for the brain disorder.

But they have warned that Ecstasy, which kills brain cells, is a
"dirty drug" and far too dangerous to be used as a medicine in its
present form. Former stuntman 39-year old Tim Lawrence - who was
diagnosed with the brain disorder six years ago - discovered the
unexpected effects of Ecstasy while out clubbing.

Anatomy experts Dr Brotchie and Prof Crossman have been looking for
new treatments for Parkinson's for five years. They set up Motac
Neuroscience Ltd to develop new drugs and one area of study has been
the effect that serotonin has on the Parkinson's. Taking Ecstasy is
known to increase levels of the chemical in the brain.

The two experts were asked to study video tapes of Mr Lawrence's
transformation in which he is able to leap, somersault, swallow dive
and perform backflips.

"I must admit we were suprised at how dramatic the effect was", said
Dr Brotchie. He said Mr Lawrence's discovery showed the way brain
chemicals could be affected to create new therapies.

But Dr Brotchie added: "Ecstasy is a dirty drug. It does four or five
different things. We don't know which of these potential actions of
Ecstasy are responsible for the good effects you see in Tim.

"We don't know whether all Parkinson's sufferers would show the same
effect, and we don't know exactly what was in the Ecstasy tablets he
was taking - but he claims he always gets the same effect. We would
not want to encourage people to take what is in effect a very
dangerous drug, which kills brain cells.

"Even Tim doesn't take Ecstasy every day, probably one or twice a
month. He doesn't feel any better he's on it because of all the side
effects, plus he's scared of killing his brain".

He said Mr Lawrence's experiences gave them hope that their own
research was on the right tracks, and revealed that clinical trials on
drugs that work on serotonin in the brain may only be 12 months away.

He said other ways of treating Parkinson's were also being developed -
some already at the clinical trial stage - in the fight to help
sufferers lead more useful and prolonged lives. a.. BBC2's Horizon
programme screens Mr Lawrence's story on February 15.