Blood profile holds clues to role of infection in a premonitory state for idiopathic parkinsonism and of gastrointestinal infection in established disease

The two-stage neuroinflammatory process, containment and progression, proposed to underlie neurodegeneration may predicate on systemic inflammation arising from the gastrointestinal tract. Helicobacter infection has been described as one switch in the pathogenic-circuitry of idiopathic parkinsonism (IP): eradication modifies disease progression and marked deterioration accompanies eradication-failure. Moreover, serum Helicobacter-antibody-profile predicts presence, severity and progression of IP. Slow gastrointestinal-transit precedes IP-diagnosis and becomes increasingly-apparent after, predisposing to small-intestinal bacterial-overgrowth (SIBO). Although IP is well-described as a systemic illness with a long prodrome, there has been no comprehensive overview of the blood profile. Here, it is examined in relation to Helicobacter status and lactulose-hydrogen-breath-testing for SIBO

'Winter Sun'

'Winter Sun' was a temporary public artwork commissioned by Kings Cross. Inspired by our need for light in the darkness of winter, 'Winter Sun' gathered people together in a temporary structure of ever-changing light. The collaboration between artist Kim Coleman with James Bowthorpe and architect Andrew Lock, took inspiration from the technology we humans use to avoid darkness at this time of year. The circular structure stood among the trees of Granary Square and became an endlessly dimming and brightening social space encircled by twelve glowing ‘suns’ emulating natural light. Some suns approximated daylight, others continuously simulated daybreak, and those in darkened corridors – like moons – were illuminated using recorded light from around the structure projected back into the space. The work - commissioned to run for only one month - was extended due to popularity and was visited by thousands of visitors over the 2014/15 winter season