Friday, 28 October 2005

Muhammad Ali still fighting Parkinson's disease

Muhammad Ali's battle with Parkinson's Disease is getting more intense, his prizefighter daughter Laila Ali has just told the Los Angeles Times.

"I feel like the disease is progressing. I have noticed a change in him, something that goes along with Parkinson's," Laila Ali said.

Muhammad Ali, 63, won the heavyweight world title three times, and his dominance of boxing in the 1960s and 70s transcended the sport itself.

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease of the nervous system, affecting more than one per cent of people over the age of 65.

Once known for his quick-fire repartee, Muhammad Ali is often silent now, his daughter said.

"He has his good days and his bad days. He's taking a lot of different medications. Sometimes, his speech is so slurred you can hardly understand him," she said. "But he definitely knows what's going on. That's for sure. He sees everything."

She said that her father still loves to draw and perform magic tricks, and even shows flashes of his famous sense of humour.

"He doesn't feel sorry for himself, so it's hard to feel sorry for him," Laila Ali said.

Scientists say Parkinson's occurs when there is a loss of cells in a specific part of the brain that produces dopamine, a neurotransmitter chemical substance that communicates with other brain cells, which regulate motor functions.

The symptoms range from tremors and awkwardness and muscular stiffness to a distinctive shuffling gait.

The cause of the cell loss is unknown, but there has been widespread speculation that in Muhammad Ali's case the battering he took from boxing may have contributed to his illness.

Laila Ali, 27, has followed in her father's footsteps. She made her pro debut in the ring in 1999 and is unbeaten, boasting a 21-0 record with 18 knockouts.

While Muhammad Ali first disapproved of women boxers, he has come to respect her abilities, she said.

"He didn't believe a woman's place was in the ring," Laila Ali said. "But he can appreciate it when he sees we can do it, same way men can do it."

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