What I wish I knew when I was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

Wisdom & Advice from People Living with Parkinson’s Disease  The voice of our Parkinson’s disease (PD) community is vibrant...see more and full of excellent advice. And we know that hearing from those who have “been there” can be particularly helpful. For this article, we specifically consulted those who have more than a decade of experience with PD […]

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Handwriting & Parkinson’s Disease

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

Writing Big: Parkinson’s Disease & Handwriting For today’s topic, we enlisted the expertise of Andie Hill, an Occupational Therapy...see more student at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. Recently, she has worked with APDA’s Northwest Chapter, helping people with PD manage various symptoms of PD and improve their quality of life, including issues with […]

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Five Myths About Levodopa

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

Levodopa and Parkinson’s Disease When prescribed, levodopa is extremely effective in treating the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD)...see more and is embraced by many with PD. Many individuals see using Levodopa as a vital ingredient in maintaining movement and quality of life. It is the most prescribed medication for PD and has been the mainstay […]

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Meet Dr. Abby Olsen, an APDA-Funded Researcher Studying Parkinson’s Genes in Glial “Helper” Cells

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

Q&A with Dr. Abby Olsen on Glial Cells in Parkinson’s Disease Treatment A conversation about genes in glial helper...see more cells (and fruit flies!) Our A Closer Look blog is designed to educate, inform, and inspire you through a variety of topics and insights about Parkinson’s disease (PD). One way we do that is through our Interview with APDA […]

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Parkinson’s Disease & End of Life

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

End-Stage Parkinson’s Disease & Risk of Death It’s hard to think about the tough stuff. The what ifs, the...see more worst-case scenarios, the unknowns. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive condition, which means that it gets worse with time. However, for many people, the worsening is gradual, maybe even imperceptible at times. This affords you many […]

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Bringing Parkinson’s awareness to the big screen: John’s story

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

How John Became an Unlikely Celebrity When John Capone was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) at the young...see more age of 39, he never imagined acting in a movie with A-list celebrities. The news of his diagnosis was tough to handle at first, and he quickly became overwhelmed by depression and anxiety. But this tough […]

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Unique Influences on Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

How Geography, high altitude and cold weather can play a role Through APDA’s Ask the Doctor portal, we receive...see more many questions on a vast array of topics. (Feel free to submit your own question at any time.) Many readers have noted that geographic or seasonal factors seem to impact their Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms and […]

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Wearable devices that suppress Parkinson’s disease tremor

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

Non-Invasive Devices to Suppress Tremors For some people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), medication doses treat their tremor very well....see more However, for others, medication doses are clearly effective for symptoms of slowness and stiffness, but they are ineffective for their tremor. In these cases, deep brain stimulation (DBS) or focused ultrasound may be suggested to help […]

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New laboratory tests for Parkinson’s Disease

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

Currently, Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis is based on a visual clinical exam, done by a doctor (ideally a neurologist...see more or movement disorder specialist) in their office. This means that motor symptoms such as tremor, stiffness and slowness must be apparent before a diagnosis is made by the neurologist – yet those visible symptoms don’t often […]

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