Parkinson's Today Blog

Every ethnic group across the globe is impacted by Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, most of the PD genetic information that is studied by scientists has primarily been collected from people of European and East Asian ancestry. In fact, as of 2018, only 1.3% of study participants in the genome-wide association study (GWAS) Catalog data are Latino. With Parkinson’s on the rise on a global scale, the importance of increasing the genetic diversity of research participants is of utmost importance.

You’re interested in starting a Parkinson’s disease (PD) support group in your area or virtually, but where do you begin? Here are six tips for starting a Parkinson’s support group, from the new Parkinson’s Foundation Support Group Leader Guide.

For more than a decade, the Parkinson’s Outcomes Project has captured the experiences of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and care partners on topics such as medications, treatment, exercise and lifestyle. How has this essential data helped make life better for people with Parkinson’s?

The human body naturally produces antioxidants. These antioxidants have been shown to destroy excess free radicals (oxidative stress) which, in turn, helps protect brain cells (neurons) from their toxic effects, such as inflammation, DNA damage and cell tissue damage. Studies have also shown that long-term oxidative stress contributes to the development of many diseases such as diabetes, cancer and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Grief is part of the human experience and a natural response to loss we experience. We meet grief regularly throughout our lives as we lose or say goodbye to what we hold dear, be it the people we loved, the things and routines in our life that were important to us, or the plans or hopes we dreamed one day would come true.

How can care partners help their loved one with Parkinson’s disease (PD) manage the interplay between the Parkinson’s symptoms of sleep, cognition and mood?

Navigating Parkinson’s disease (PD) can feel like a never-ending learning curve. PD Conversations is a place to ask your Parkinson’s questions and connect with others living with the disease. In this blog series, we highlight a high-interest question answered by the Parkinson’s Foundation Helpline on PD Conversations. 

We are 100+ years since the publication of James Parkinson’s essay the Shaking Palsy describing his eponymous disease. Yet, aside from a small number of individuals who have clear genetic causes to their disease, we still do not know the reason why the majority of people develop Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Through its national study, PD GENEration: Mapping the Future of Parkinson’s Disease, the Parkinson’s Foundation is giving people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) insights into their PD and opportunities to take action, while accelerating PD treatments. Genetic counseling, offered in English and Spanish, is a critical and unique part of this study.

Restorative sleep is vital for optimal physical, mental and emotional health. Sleep disorders are one of the most disabling non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), affecting more than 75 percent of people with PD.