Developing a chronic, degenerative condition like Parkinson’s disease is a raw deal. It’s also horrible when it comes at the age of 36, as it did for me. You’re entering the prime of life and career, and BLAM! Hello, early-onset Parkinson’s disease. It’s totally unfair to young spouses…
Women with Parkinson’s disease have more uneven and unstable muscle contraction than men, even when their clinical symptoms are similar, a study found. The differences are related to the firing of motor units; a motor unit is a single nerve cell and the muscle fibers it controls, which together…
Breathing carbon dioxide (CO2) for brief periods may help activate the brain’s natural cleanup systems that remove toxic proteins in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study. Researchers stressed that more work is needed to confirm the results and evaluate the clinical relevance of this approach, but…
Discussion
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Receiving a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease at age 45 in March 2010 marked the beginning of…
A smartphone app allowing Parkinson’s disease patients to report their day-to-day symptoms is a reliable tool for improving communication with doctors, a study found. Patients’ self-assessments using the Parkinson’s Image Self Report generally aligned with doctors’ clinical ratings, the researchers said. “Integration with wearables and telemedicine may advance patient-centered [Parkinson’s]…
Spinal cord stimulation appears to be safe and may help people with Parkinson’s disease maintain movement, although it did not improve posture, balance, or gait compared with sham treatment in a small study from Denmark. The STEP-PD study (NCT05110053) involved 12 patients with gait impairments who were randomly…
Becoming educated and informed about Parkinson’s is a good first step. Here you’ll find general information about the disease, including diagnosis, symptoms, and causes.
It helps to know others have been where you are now. Here’s a collection of our columnists’ words of wisdom to help you along on your Parkinson’s journey.
There is no cure for Parkinson’s yet, but there are treatments that can help manage the disease. Learn more about current therapeutic approaches here.
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