Understanding Parkinson’s

There is a lot to know about Parkinson's disease. Learn about symptoms, how it is diagnosed and what treatment options are available.
Living with Parkinson’s

While living with PD can be challenging, there are many things you can do to maintain and improve your quality of life and live well with Parkinson's disease.
Resources & Support

Living well with Parkinson’s disease (PD) means getting the support you need — from tools that help you work alongside your care team to resources that empower you.
Advancing Research

Our research has led to breakthroughs in treatment and improved care that bring hope to the entire Parkinson's community.
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There are many ways you can support the fight against Parkinson’s. Whatever form your gift takes, you can be confident that it goes toward providing crucial resources for those affected by this disease.

Advancing Research

One Year Later: Catching up With Parkinson's Foundation Research Grantee Amy W. Amara, MD, PhD

Apr 27, 2018

Woman laying in bed restless while husband sleeps next to her

One year after the Parkinson’s Foundation awarded $500,000 in research grants to address critical unmet needs in Parkinson’s disease (PD), we check in with one of three of the researchers making a difference right now.

Researchers were tasked with jumpstarting practical solutions to ease difficulties related to cognition, fatigue and sleep, all debilitating yet under-recognized symptoms in Parkinson’s. They have each received a grant funded through the Parkinson’s Foundation Community Choice Research Awards, the first program to set research priorities based on the insights of people living with Parkinson’s.

Amy W. Amara, MD, PhD, received a research grant to study "Impact of Exercise on Executive Function and Sleep" at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

A: This study evaluates the effect of exercise on cognition and sleep in people with Parkinson’s. Participants are randomly assigned a group: exercise or no exercise. Changes in cognition and sleep (measured by sleep studies) from the beginning to the end of the study are compared between the groups. Our goal is to investigate the impact of exercise on these non-motor symptoms. This is important because there are not many effective medication treatments for these symptoms. In addition, exercise has been shown to improve the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s, so it is possible that it could improve these symptoms as well.