Readers have questions about Parkinson’s disease, moth wings and more
Your letters and comments on the December 8, 2018 issue of Science News
Gut connection
Abnormal proteins tied to Parkinson’s disease may form in the gut before traveling through the body’s nervous system to the brain, Laura Beil reported in “A gut-brain link for Parkinson’s gets a closer look” (SN: 12/8/18, p. 22).
The vagus nerve offers a connection between nerves in the gut and those in the brain. Beil reported on one study that showed that people who had their vagus nerve cut above the stomach had a lower Parkinson’s incidence starting five years postsurgery than people who did not have the surgery. Reader Terrence Kerwin wondered why there was a delay between the surgery, known as a vagotomy, and the drop in Parkinson’s disease risk.