Parkinson's Today Blog

The way dopamine is released and how it influences other cells (called neurotransmission) is a critical factor in understanding how Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects the brain. The influence of dopamine is also critical for motor and reward, or reinforced, learning.

Thanks to the passionate people who help us raise funds, we make life better for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), together. The strength and success of our 2021 community fundraisers translated to expansions in programs and resources that will keep the entire PD community connected and empowered in 2022 and beyond.

For Lynda Nwabuobi, MD, a movement disorder specialist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Institute, patient care is as much an art as a science.

Our sensory perceptions help us navigate through the world. Changes to senses, such as vision, can sometimes progress alongside Parkinson’s disease (PD). In some cases, a reduced sense of smell can even precede a PD diagnosis by several years. Identifying and addressing vision changes early can foster continued independence and can also prevent injuries and falls.

In the first few years of treatment following a diagnosis, your loved one’s Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms probably improved. Medications most likely helped your loved one go about their life, continue their hobbies and social activities as they did before PD.

You have decided to look for a mental health counselor. Where do you begin? What type of counseling is right for you? Are there counselors who understand Parkinson’s disease (PD)? The following six tips may help you feel more informed as you start your search and begin counseling.

1. Some counselors will be a better fit for you than others.

It has long been suspected by scientists that the flu (influenza) might play a role in developing Parkinson’s disease (PD) later in life. The first and possibly most famous example of this connection was the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak. People born during the Spanish flu had a two- to three-fold-increased risk of later developing PD compared to those born before 1888 or after 1924 — suggesting that early-life exposure to the flu boosted PD risk.

Did you know that Parkinson’s disease (PD) cases in the U.S. are expected to surpass 1.2 million by the year 2030? In our latest Neuro Talk, Parkinson's Foundation Chief Scientific Officer James Beck, PhD, outlines key statistics related to PD.

While our podcast series, Substantial Matters: Life and Science of Parkinson’s, offers listeners an opportunity to tune into a variety of Parkinson’s disease (PD) topics in English and Spanish, we recognize some may prefer reading over listening.

Early in his career, funding from the Parkinson’s Foundation set researcher Jean-Christophe Rochet, PhD, on a path to understanding the role of alpha synuclein, a key protein in the brain linked to Parkinson’s disease (PD). The death of neurons in the brain (known as neuronal loss) is a defining trait of Parkinson’s and is thought to involve oxidative stress and the clustering of alpha synuclein.