What is gene therapy and can it help people with Parkinson’s? You may have read about efforts to use gene therapy as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD). It’s an exciting prospect and studies are underway, with some positive results so far. Understanding these studies and therapies requires some background information about what genes are and how they work, so I’ve included a glossary below. You might find it helpful to get familiar with the terminology before reading the rest of the article. The promise of gene therapy Gene therapy is a category of treatments that involve introducing DN ..read more

Understanding Cognitive Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease: PDD vs. DLB Cognitive challenges are a very common non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD). When the cognitive challenges are severe enough to interfere with daily activity, they are known as Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD). You may have heard of another condition called Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). Although they are two different diagnoses, there is a fair amount of similarity between these two conditions. There may even be confusion or conflicting opinions among the neurologists you have seen as to whether you or your l ..read more

Understanding CBD People with PD are eager to find alternative methods to help their symptoms, leading many of these patients to look into whether other therapies, such as medical marijuana, also known as medical cannabis, can be useful. Previously, I wrote a blog on medical marijuana and PD which you may find interesting. More recently, I have received many inquiries specifically about the use of cannabidiol or CBD, for symptoms of PD.  So today I’ll take a more in-depth look at CBD to help you better understand what it is and its possible use for symptoms of PD. (Of note, the acro ..read more

Carbidopa/Levodopa: Side effects, dosages, and more FAQs Loss of neurons in the brain that use dopamine to communicate is one of the hallmark features of Parkinson’s disease (PD), causing slowness, stiffness, tremor, and balance problems. Replacing the brain’s dopamine is therefore one of the key treatment strategies to help improve the motor symptoms of PD. Dopamine itself does not cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore can’t be used to treat PD. Instead, levodopa, a precursor of dopamine, which does cross the blood-brain barrier is used. If levodopa is ingested by itself howe ..read more

Understanding what factors may worsen Parkinson’s symptoms Many people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience variation in their motor symptoms (e.g. tremor, stiffness, slowness, trouble walking, balance difficulties) throughout the day and from one day and the next. This variability is often related to medication dosing, and you and your doctor may focus on adjusting the types of medications that you take as well as the timing and amounts that you take to improve your symptoms throughout the day. You can read more about the possible medication adjustments to improve the amount of time that ..read more

Differences of Parkinson’s Disease in Women Parkinson’s disease (PD) impacts millions of people around the world, and it does not discriminate based on gender. But while PD affects men and women with some similarities, the manifestation, progression, and even treatment responses can differ significantly between genders, in addition to important discrepancies related to healthcare access and psychosocial factors that can impact quality of life. Gaining a better understanding of PD in women is essential to providing them the best possible care and support, and many efforts to do so have been ma ..read more

Meet Denise and Bernard Coley, Leaders in the Black Parkinson’s Community You’ve seen us put a spotlight on APDA-funded researchers as well as interesting and inspiring people living with PD, and today we are excited to introduce you to Denise and Bernard Coley – two special people who are extraordinary advocates for the PD community and have been involved in numerous initiatives to improve Parkinson’s health outcomes in the Black  community. APDA is interested in expanding the reach of PD support and education and broadening the diversity of PD research. Our strategic plan has us focuse ..read more

An Interview With ADPA Researcher, Dr. Abdulmunaim Eid About Parkinson’s Subtypes Dr. Abdulmunaim Eid, APDA-funded researcher exploring Parkinson’s subtypes. 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 Researchers series within this blog so you can get a closer look at some of the dedicated APDA-funded researchers who are working tirelessly to understand this disease. Today we introduce you to Dr. Abdulmunaim Eid. He is a ..read more

An Interview With ADPA Researcher, Dr. Abdulmunaim Eid About Parkinson’s Subtypes Dr. Abdulmunaim Eid, APDA-funded researcher exploring Parkinson’s subtypes. 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 Researchers series within this blog so you can get a closer look at some of the dedicated APDA-funded researchers who are working tirelessly to understand this disease. Today we introduce you to Dr. Abdulmunaim Eid. He is a ..read more

Insights from Dr. Ihtsham Ul Haq and Tom Liodice on APDA’s Dr. Gilbert Hosts Deep brain stimulation (DBS) and focused ultrasound (FUS) are two medical procedures that may be considered for certain people with PD to help alleviate symptoms. On a recent episode of APDA’s Dr. Gilbert Hosts, I spoke with Dr. Ihtsham Ul Haq, a movement disorders specialist with a particular interest in DBS and FUS for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Tom Liodice, a person with PD who recently underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) . We covered a lot of ground during the broadcast and both Tom and Dr. Haq ans ..read more