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Back to the record of the conversation with Michael J. 's main pageSANJAY GUPTA MDA
October 2, 2010 broadcast
07: 30 ETTHIS is a hurried transcript.
This copy may not be in final form and may be updated. (
Start Video Editing)MICHAEL J.
Fox, actor: Parkinson's disease is like you cross the road, you are stuck in the middle, you know the bus is coming, you can't get in the way.
So, you might be a little scared, you might go and that bus will hit me at some point, even though you don't know how fast or how big it is. (END VIDEO CLIP)DR.
Moderator Sanjay Gupta: Welcome to the special edition of SGMD.
You know, there's a lot we don't know about Parkinson's. -
For example, what exactly is the cause and why does a 29-year-old start to develop symptoms?
No one knows exactly.
But we know: Michael J.
Fox has become a handsome face for Parkinson's in many ways.
Do you know that he has been ill for 19 years?
What is his daily life like?
What is his plan to do with the nearly $0. 2 billion he raised?
We can all start with Michael J. Fox?
He didn't do many long interviews because he was too tired.
But he has a lot to say today. (Start Video)
People, when I say I want to interview you, people ask me, how is he doing? And I don't --
Again, I don't want to say that, but I just--
I mean, you can do it. FOX:Yes.
What I'm going to say is that I'm referring to Parkinson's and how it affects my life as a gift.
People are skeptical about it and wonder how I can say that. But I quantified it. -
Qualify it by saying it's a constantly accepted gift, but it's a gif because it really makes me accept more things that are passionate, curious, adventuroustaking person. And give me a --
I'm not going to call the Foundation my Magnus work, but it's definitely one of the most important things I 've ever done, and you know, it might be done in my life. (MUSIC)
Now, when you--
When you move like I see you grab your left leg, you're trying to tell your left leg not to be like--is that --
Is this something you 've been thinking about? Or --
Do you know? It's like Whac-A-Mole. It's like --
Just like the arm will go.
If I stop my arm, the other one will go.
I sat down and left my leg. Cross the leg.
It's going somewhere.
So, it's been moving--
And then sometimes I will stop and stop.
I mean, for example, now, if I didn't talk to you, I would be completely quiet if I was just sitting. GUPTA:Is that --
Is this part of stress? Or is that --FOX:Yes.
This is just one--
Again, it's like fire stuff telling you that I want to pick up this glass to tell you that I need something here.
My mind can't tell what my brain is.
Gupta: Do you have to go through some sort of routine when you wake up in the morning?
I mean, do you take your medicine at some point?
Or do you have a feeling? How --
Well, it changed.
But in most cases, when I wake up, I have a feature called Tension Disorder, which is stiffness, cramps.
It affects my feet for me.
So, strangely, the first sound my wife often hears in the morning is that I am clumsily crossing the floor because I have a pair of shoes by the bed.
When I wake up and put them on, the stiffness of the shoes immediately forces the behavior of the feet. And then --
And I waited, you know, about half. an-
45 minutes an hour ago.
I mean, I might take half a pill to get me started.
But I might have to wait a few hours. -
Before I actually start, it depends on what I ask of me for the day.
Gupta: You know, things like taking care of yourself, combing your hair, brushing your teeth? (CROSSTALK)
Fox: Well, I sometimes cool off with an electric toothbrush without a battery or charger. I just --
Gupta: put your hand in--
Fox: Yes, let it go with one hand.
Yeah, I mean, those things. -again, it's --you just --
I'm used to it.
I'm used to it. It's --
Any one of us-
No matter what we face in our lives, we will find ways to cope and move forward.
If we don't, it doesn't matter what you have and the result will be the same.
You won't go forward.
You will stand still. (END VIDEOTAPE)
Gupta: Let's see how it all started. (Start Video)
Fox: every morning, as long as I remember, I wake up in the morning, I have a place to go, I have something to do, you know?
The alarm clock is ringing tomorrow. what should I do? GUPTA (voice-over)
: It's hard to believe that it's been more than ten years since Michael J.
Fox left the stage of his TV series "Spin City" in the final curtain call.
Two years ago, Fox publicly disclosed his Parkinson's diagnosis for the first time.
He spent a long time on the set, which made his symptoms of the disease worse.
Fox: The pressure to do this show is a bit like X-factor.
It would be interesting to see it removed from the scene and see what impact it has.
Gupta: Fox decided to stay away from the camera, a dramatic change for someone who actually grew up on the screen, he started in his native Canada in his early 70 s.
The small film character took Fox to Hollywood, and soon the United States met Alex P, a young Republican.
Keaton in the popular sitcom family relations. "(
Start the video clip, "family relationship ")
Selfishness saved my life.
I knew it would come in handy. (END VIDEO CLIP)
Gupta: family relationships attract a third American family every week.
Fox's TV series won him three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.
This is where Fox meets his future wife actress Tracy Poland. (
Start the video clip, "family relationship ")
Fox: A bit of a compliment. (LAUGHTER)(END VIDEO CLIP)
Gupta: The couple have been married for 22 years.
They have four children.
Fox's success on television prompted him to become a movie star with the big trilogy "back to the future.
Fox followed his character Marty McFly with more than 20 movies.
But on the set of the film "Hollywood Doctor", Fox first showed symptoms of early Parkinson's disease, which eventually pushed him to a new role, the role of advocate.
Fox: The War against Parkinson's is a war that can be won.
I am determined to play a role in this victory.
Gupta: Fox worked tirelessly to treat Parkinson's disease, fight for money, and build momentum for politicians who sympathize with his cause.
His support for stem
Cell Research seeking treatment for Parkinson's disease is sometimes controversial.
Although Fox used his fame to point the focus in different directions, he did not leave Hollywood completely.
In recent years, Fox has been a guest in the TV series many times, he is still a familiar face, and the lines in his last episode of "Spin City" are still true. (
Start the video clip, "spin the City ")
Fox: It will be fine.
I'm going to recover from this.
Actor Heather locklier: of course, Mike.
It's not over yet, is it?
Lockclear: it's far from here. (END VIDEO CLIP)(END VIDEOTAPE)
Gupta: Michael J.
Fox knows his life will change forever. (
Start Video Editing)
It may sound like a stupid question, but are they sure you have Parkinson's? (END VIDEO CLIP)(
Business break)(
Start Video Editing)
It may sound like a stupid question, but are they sure you have Parkinson's?
To some extent this is the case.
But this is the umbrella for Parkinson's.
I mean Parkinson's. -
I mean, I have a textbook on Parkinson's in many ways.
In other ways, I have special aspects of my experience.
For example, I am very sensitive to L-dopa.
Over time, its efficacy will disappear for many patients. It doesn't --it isn't --it isn't as --
Gupta: can you bear it?
Fox: Yes, it's also accompanied by a serious motor disorder that I did experience but didn't get to the point where I could.
But your experience is your experience. It doesn't --
You can't push it into the box that someone else created for it. And you can't --
You can't shrink it into a bracket symbol that someone makes with it.
This is your experience. It's --
I'm pretty sure I have Parkinson's.
But what is Parkinson's disease? (END VIDEO CLIP)
Gupta: Now, medically, it's actually very direct when you think about Parkinson's.
What you have is a specific part of the brain that produces a chemical called dopamine.
It can help us master the motor skills, especially smooth muscle movement.
But the brain of people with Parkinson's disease does not produce enough dopamine.
That's why, anyone can guess.
But the disease is really getting worse and worse.
The current situation is that doctors can only treat symptoms with pills that look like this.
It's called left dopamine.
This is the most effective way to control symptoms.
Let me give you a little bit of an idea on exactly how this works.
All you have is the pill that goes into the blood, and then it goes into the brain and turns into dopamine there.
Now, here's the problem.
When the pill began to wear out, the symptoms showed up again.
Sometimes they are even worse and everything goes on until the next pill is taken.
In the end, you can also develop tolerance for this drug.
Therefore, there is indeed some help and progress in minimizing this situation. It's sort of --
Imagine it as a gel version of this particular drug.
This is called Duodopa.
What happens is that the drug is released directly through the tube into the intestines, and patients can monitor their levels like those with diabetes who use insulin, and be alerted before the symptoms become too severe.
At present, the product has entered the clinical trial stage in the United States, but has been approved for use in 34 other countries.
For patients with poor drug response, surgery is also an option.
The most common thing now is deep brain stimulation.
I would like to give you a little idea of how it works.
It blocks abnormal nerve signals that cause Parkinson's symptoms by implanted batteries
An operating device of the same size as a stopwatch, and sending electrical stimulation that is essentially an abnormal signal that reaches the brain from any time. And Michael J.
Fox had surgery back in 1998.
Michael was actually awake during his surgery.
He's actually talking to his surgeon. (Start Video)
So he said take my-
Shake hands.
I tried it, but I can't.
I'm disappointed, I can't--
You know, I can't give him what he wants.
Of course--
I said I couldn't.
We're done, he said.
Wow, I think.
The action is over because they have achieved their goal.
Yes, they finished their goal. -
You know, it's too early for me.
So, it's just about stopping.
I have a big vibration on the left side, completely on the left side, and no vibration on the right.
So, all my life, you know, work and everything else is about manipulating the environment so I can grab that arm.
Put your hands in your pocket or--
Fox: put my hand in my hand, or be busy because it helps. And --
But too much.
That's when I had brain surgery.
Then, of course, I had a brain surgery that lightened the effect on my left side, but just due to the development of the disease, in a few months my right side startedSo --
I decided not ---
No brain surgery.
Gupta: Well, I don't want to say that, but if they say to you, look, it's not therapeutic, but with the thrill, we can, you know, pulling it down with a magnet can really relieve some of your symptoms, why not?
Fox: It's just a personal matter.
The next time they get into my brain, I want it to be--to get it done. I don't want --
I don't want it to be--
I mean, we're kidding when the air hits your brain.
"I don't want any air hitting my brain too much. I want it --
If they can do something there to heal, recover, or help progress, any more basic way than mechanical stops, pacemakers, that's what they have now-
This is just my personal preference.
I tend to object to it.
Gupta: because you don't want to have surgery again unless there's more hope?
Who wants brain surgery?
I'm a brain surgeon, so I-(CROSSTALK)
Yes, brain surgeons like it very much. (LAUGHTER)GUPTA:But --
So, yes, actually, there is--
Maybe something will appear by changing the pipe of the picture.
But now, I'm completely-I can --
If I look back on the last 20 years, you tell me that I will be here after 20 years of my diagnosis ---
I will take this right away. I'm very --
I am very satisfied with my life and very happy with what I can do. (END VIDEOTAPE)
Gupta: You know, a few years ago, many people, including Michael, wanted stem cells to be one of those options. (
Start Video Editing)
Gupta: why don't you talk about stem cells anymore? (END VIDEO CLIP)(
Business break)
Gupta: Michael J. Ten years ago.
Fox has set up a foundation, and now his name has been named for finding a cure for Parkinson's disease.
The foundation is working on a major research project.
They are looking for biomarkers for Parkinson's disease. (Start Video)
Gupta: It's interesting, you know, because biomarkers are some kind of signal from disease, whether it's protein or something in the body.
It can serve different purposes.
Maybe, like Alzheimer's, it can give you some early clues about someone who has this disease, may not have symptoms yet, or will develop into it.
But it may give you more insight into the disease itself.
Fox: a starting point-
It gives you a starting point.
If you want to keep track of the patient's disease progress, now you have to wait until he has symptoms.
But if you have a biomarker, you can--
You can track it from its early stages.
You can say, what is the trigger here.
Gupta: You talked a lot about this.
Stem cells will still appear.
Why don't you talk about stem cells anymore?
Fox: well, with the vote coming in 2006, there's an urgency right now.
I mean, the simple fact is that patients have the right to stick to federal funders and industry to pursue anything that might find an answer, to find a cure, you know?
The treatment will not fall from the sky. They don't --
I mean, we have to go up and get it.
We just assume--
Look, I think I always thought there was a treatment department, a treatment minister, a treatment secretary.
But no. It's us. (END VIDEOTAPE)
Such an important point.
The treatment secretary he said.
There are so many unknowns about this disease, how close are we to finding some answers?
Well, now with me are two leaders in Parkinson's disease treatment and research: Dr.
Walter Koroshetz, deputy director of the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke; and Dr.
Bernard Ravina, deputy director of Neurology, University of Rochester.
He's also a researcher at Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Thank you for joining us.
Man: Thank you.
Man: Thank you.
He did a good job.
Obviously, he really has a lot to say.
But he also pointed out many unknown things.
We don't know what caused it.
This treatment has not changed much in the past few years.
At some point, he said, he just gave him a diagnosis at such a young age, and he was not sure if he had Parkinson's. Dr.
Ravina, is that part of the reason why progress here is so difficult? DR.
Michael J. Bernard Lavina, a neurologist
Fox Foundation: that's true.
There may be multiple factors leading to Parkinson's disease, and of course, it may be much more difficult to make a diagnosis for patients with early onset or young onset, because there are several other diseases that may be suspected diseases, or you need to rule out these diseases first. DR.
Walter KOROSHETZ, police district. INST.
Nervous system disease: a prominent feature of Parkinson's disease, I think-
Most of the difference is that patients respond to drugs at an early stage, while many diseases do not.
So, this ability to respond to a dopamine activator is often the entry point to convince you that someone has Parkinson's disease.
Gupta: He says he has a clear reaction to this and he obviously benefits from taking dopamine, which is--
This is the brain defect in some Parkinson's patients.
Correct.
Gupta: He talked a lot and obviously the foundation is very interested in biomarkers.
First of all, tell us what some biomarkers are and why is this so important as we move forward? RAVINA:Sure.
Well, a biomarker is a feature or something you can measure that tells you about the underlying disease process.
Therefore, it is not the symptoms, but the cause of the symptoms.
Measuring blood sugar and diabetes is a good example.
It helps you to make a diagnosis and also helps to figure out if people are responding to treatment.
In Parkinson's disease, we really don't have biomarkers to tell us what the underlying disease is doing in the brain.
It's a bit more challenging because the measures we're interested in are in the brain.
So it's not necessarily as simple as a blood test.
KOROSHETZ: In my opinion, the meaning of biomarkers is a measure that you can aim with a drug or therapy that will increase your response to this therapyGUPTA:Five-
Annual research in several countries around the world, $40 million?
Lavina: That's right.
I mean, this is. -
This is the first big one.
Expand international efforts, develop biomarkers and tell us about the progress of Parkinson's disease. GUPTA:Right.
RAVINA: as Walter said, it is this that the goal here is to be able to use these biomarkers to help develop drugs that slow progress.
Stem cells are Michael J. Fox talked --
I used to talk a lot.
He said not much. Why not? Is there --
Is there less commitment?
There's a lot of enthusiasm, doctor. Ravina.
Lavina: Well, I don't know if there will be less promises.
This is, of course, a controversial issue.
But I think the key to Parkinson's disease is that we seek a variety of different treatments.
Stem cells may work, but we can also solve this problem in other ways.
KOROSHETZ: I think the key to knowing is that genetics does open the door because it separates a protein defect called synaptic nuclear protein in a specific family with Parkinson's disease
This opens the door because after that we found that everyone with Parkinson's disease had this synaptic protein problem.
It appears in the brain and nerves before you have symptoms.
So, now, you know, we know what treatment we can do.
Gupta: a small pioneer-
Correct. GUPTA:--
Give you a little prediction.
I think we all agree with that. I mean, he is --
He is an optimist forever.
Man: Yes.
Gupta: I mean, in the book, "always look up and he does call himself an eternal optimist.
When we come back, he will explain why he also called Parkinson's disease a gift. Stay with us. (END VIDEOTAPE)(
Business break)Michael J. Gupta
Fox called himself an incurable optimist.
He called Parkinson's a gift. -
As he said, this is a constant gift. (
Start Video Editing)
What makes you so optimistic?
Fox: It's like living in the present.
It's like there's no more important moment than now.
I think, you know, if you--
If you're in the worst situation
Case scenario and it--
You wasted your time.
If you're in the worst situation
The case scenario did happen and you have been through it twice.
You know, no--there's no --
Be prepared and told that it is OK to know what the future will bring, but it is also important to celebrate now.
I play golf and I am a bad golfer.
When I was in my 40 s, I started playing Parkinson's golf.
So I don't know what it is if it's not optimistic.
But I just do what I want.
I just work with what happened to me that day. And --but that's me.
Again, I am lucky in many ways.
Gupta: What is the heritage of the Foundation?
Fox: Hopefully we will be able to do our task and contribute to solving it to some extent. -to this puzzle. (END VIDEO CLIP)(
Business break)(
Start Video Editing)
We know you are a big athlete and runner.
So if you run a marathon, I urge you to run for the Fox team. (END VIDEO CLIP)
Gupta: As you can see, Michael is recruiting me to join the Fox team.
You know, he cheered with athletes all over the country to help him find a cure for Parkinson's disease.
He claimed to be the chief cheerleader of the Foundation.
A lot of information was discussed today.
We want to put it in a place that makes it easy for you to get involved.
You can go to CNN.
Find links to learn more about Parkinson's disease, sign up for the latest clinical trials, or just donate money. I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
More news from CNN is starting now.