Changes in memory, attention, and problem-solving are common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s that can affect daily life, relationships, and independence. In this webinar, we’ll explore how Parkinson’s impacts cognitive function and what veterans and care partners can do to recognize, manage, and adapt to these changes. We'll also discuss when to seek additional support, how the VA addresses cognitive health, and which tools and therapies may help maintain brain function and quality of life.
Speakers
Anita Sim, PhD
Neuropsychologist, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
Christy Becker, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
Konner Kielman, OTD, OTR/L, LSVT BIG Certified
PD/MD Staff Occupational Therapist, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
The Parkinson's Foundation is proud to partner with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for veterans with PD.
One of the key missions of the Parkinson’s Foundation is to increase access to high-quality care for everyone living with and affected by Parkinson’s disease (PD). As more people are diagnosed with PD each year, the availability of PD specialists remains limited. During a recent visit to Washington, DC, the Foundation led a National Roundtable on Parkinson’s Care and Innovation with the goal of convening a multidisciplinary group of experts to provide input and help shape the future of PD care. This multi-pronged approach recognizes the importance of having patient-centered care at the forefront of decision making, ensuring that people with Parkinson’s and key community members are actively involved in the conversation.
While the Foundation continues to influence policy at the federal and state level, there are also meaningful steps individuals can take to improve their care. The Foundation encourages people with PD and members of their care team to take an active role in managing their care by being proactive before, during, and after a doctor’s visit.
In this episode, we invite Dr. Kathy Blake, a retired cardiologist and person living with Parkinson’s, and Dr. Sneha Mantri, a movement disorders neurologist and the Chief Medical Officer at the Foundation. Together, they highlight the resources available to help prepare for a doctor’s visit and talk about the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to influence PD care nationwide. They emphasize the importance of self-advocacy and raising awareness about Parkinson’s.
Released: December 9, 2025
Dr. Kathleen Blake is a retired cardiologist and senior health policy advisor, formerly serving as Vice President for Healthcare Quality at the American Medical Association (AMA) until 2021. Her AMA work spanned quality measurement, health equity, medical device policy, AI, cybersecurity, and value-based care. She was co-chair of the Health IT Policy Committee for the Office of the National Coordinator and helped lead the National Evaluation System for Health Technology (NEST). Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017, Dr. Blake is a passionate advocate for Parkinson's patients, serving as vice-chair of the Parkinson’s Patient Advisory Council. She promotes research funding, patient safety, and engagement in hospital care. Dr. Blake earned her medical degree from the University of Chicago and completed her training at Stanford University and Johns Hopkins. She practiced cardiology in New Mexico for over two decades, and is currently a part-time faculty member at Johns Hopkins.
Sneha Mantri, MD, MS, FAAN, is a movement disorders neurologist and Chief Medical Officer of the Parkinson's Foundation. She completed her medical education at Columbia University, residency at the University of Virginia, and movement disorders fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia VA Medical Center.
A nationally-recognized clinician-educator, Dr. Mantri's work has centered on interprofessional education and care initiatives, outreach to underserved communities, and narrative medicine to improve patient-clinician communication. She has published extensively in both medical and lay journals and has been recognized as a Macy Faculty Scholar and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. At the Foundation, she leads national and international efforts to improve access to care for all people with Parkinson's disease, no matter where they live or how long they've had the disease.
This article highlights our top eight Science News articles, which highlight some of the most impactful Parkinson’s studies of the year. It discusses:
Studies that made headlines including the relationship between golf courses and Parkinson’s risk.
Studies that cover hospital safety, GLP1’s and brain inflammation.
What these studies mean for people living with the disease.
Even though Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the U.S. and globally, it remains an underfunded field of research. However, every day, scientists are dedicated to unraveling how Parkinson’s works so that we can have new treatments and ultimately, a cure. Through funding research year-round, we know a breakthrough in Parkinson’s research can happen in any lab, from any researcher.
As one of our most popular blog article series, our Science News articles highlight some of the most impactful Parkinson’s studies and what they mean for people living with the disease. Explore our top Science News articles of 2025 below to learn more about the latest advances in PD research.
A Lancetstudy found that the diabetes drug exenatide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, did not improve Parkinson’s symptoms compared to a placebo over two years. Researchers also found no changes in dopamine activity in the brain, suggesting that current GLP-1 drugs are not effective as Parkinson’s treatments.
Living near golf courses may increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s, according to a new study using 25 years of medical data from southeastern Minnesota. Researchers found that people who lived within one mile of a golf course were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with PD compared to those living six or more miles away.
These findings suggest that pesticides and herbicides used on golf courses could leach into drinking water and contribute to Parkinson’s risk. This study highlights how environmental exposures may play a role in PD. Understanding these risks could help individuals and regulators take steps to reduce exposure and protect brain health.
Two new studies suggest that stem cell-based therapies may safely boost dopamine production in people with Parkinson’s. Researchers in Japan, the U.S., and Canada transplanted early-stage dopamine-producing cells — derived from induced pluripotent (iPS) and human embryonic stem (hES) cells — into the brains of 19 participants. After up to two years, no serious side effects or tumors were reported, and brain scans showed increased dopamine activity. Many also showed improvements in movement symptoms.
While these early results don’t prove stem cell therapy can reverse Parkinson’s, they highlight a safe and promising new direction for developing future PD treatments.
People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s, but the reason why has remained unclear. A new study compared the gut microbiomes of people with Parkinson’s, IBD, and healthy individuals, revealing striking similarities between the first two groups. Both showed reduced levels of certain bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are important for gut and brain health.
These findings suggest that the loss of SCFA-producing bacteria may link IBD and Parkinson’s by disrupting gut and brain communication, known as the gut-brain axis. This could make some people with IBD more susceptible to developing Parkinson’s later in life.
Sleep problems are common even in the early stages of Parkinson’s. Among 162 people recently diagnosed with PD, 71% experienced at least one sleep disorder, and nearly half had more than one. The most frequent issues included insomnia (41%), REM sleep behavior disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness (each 25%), as well as restless legs syndrome (16%).
Researchers found that these sleep problems were more strongly linked to physical changes caused by PD than to emotional factors like anxiety or depression. The findings suggest that sleep disturbances may appear early in the disease and have a major impact on quality of life.
Parkinson’s can lead to dementia, affecting nearly half of people within 10 years of diagnosis. A new study explored early brain changes to understand why some people develop dementia while others don’t, focusing on two factors: brain inflammation and buildup of the protein tau.
Researchers found that people with Parkinson’s who were at higher risk for dementia showed more brain inflammation and performed worse on cognitive tests. These results suggest that brain inflammation may be an early driver of cognitive decline in Parkinson’s and could help identify those at greater risk.
Levodopa is a key treatment for the movement symptoms of Parkinson’s, but its effectiveness can diminish over time, a phenomenon known as “wearing off.” A study found that nearly 65% of women had symptom fluctuations between doses, compared to about 53% of men. Women were also more likely to develop dyskinesia (involuntary movements caused by levodopa).
The study concluded that female gender was the strongest predictor of wearing-off effects and dyskinesia. These findings highlight that men and women may respond differently to levodopa, suggesting the need for more personalized, gender-informed treatment plans for people with Parkinson’s.
People with Parkinson’s are more likely to be hospitalized, face complications and experience longer stays than those without PD. A new study shows that staying active during a hospital stay — moving safely in and out of bed at least three times a day — can greatly improve outcomes for patients with PD.
The study found that hospitalized patients with PD who stayed active had shorter stays, were more likely to be discharged home rather than to a care facility and had lower odds of dying within 30 to 90 days after release. These results highlight the importance of inpatient mobility programs and support the Parkinson’s Foundation’s recommendations for regular movement during hospitalizations to help improve recovery.
A study of 56.5 million Americans found that living in areas with higher air pollution may increase the risk of developing Lewy body dementia (LBD) — a finding with significant implications for the Parkinson's disease (PD) community, as approximately 70% of people with Parkinson's eventually develop LBD. Researchers linked long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) — tiny particles from vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, and wildfire smoke — to higher rates of LBD hospitalizations.
The findings suggest air pollution may trigger harmful brain changes similar to those seen in human LBD, highlighting the need for cleaner air and stronger environmental protections to support brain health.
Ready to participate in Parkinson’s research?
Visit our Join A Study page to learn more
Educational Events
Mind, Mood, and Motion
11:00 am to 2:30 pm EST
FREE
In-person check-in starts at 11:00 a.m.
Exercise is a powerful tool for managing Parkinson’s disease symptoms at every stage. This program explains how staying active supports movement, mood, and thinking- and may even slow disease progression. Participants will learn practical ways to build exercise into daily life for better mobility and overall well-being.
Speakers
Maggie Black, Psy.D
Licensed Psychologist/OWNER, Shore Neurocognitive & Behavioral Health
Leah Zinnert PT, DPT, CPT, CSCS, LSVT BIG
Justin Martello, MD, FAAN
Chief of Neurology, MedStar Baltimore
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends and the community.
Exercise is a powerful tool for managing Parkinson’s disease symptoms at every stage. This program explains how staying active supports movement, mood, and thinking- and may even slow disease progression. Participants will learn practical ways to build exercise into daily life for better mobility and overall well-being.
Speakers
Anindita Deb, MD, FAAN
UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester Wissam Deeb, MD
Umass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester Leah Halloran
Certified Exercise Physiologist
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends and the community.
From pesticides to air quality, growing evidence points to environmental factors as significant contributors to Parkinson’s disease risk and progression. In this session, we will examine what is known—and what remains uncertain—about environmental exposures, genetic vulnerability, and protective factors. The discussion will highlight ongoing research efforts and opportunities for prevention and advocacy for cleaner, safer communities.
The Foundation's Expert Briefing series is intended to offer firsthand access to the latest research and updates from experts in the field. Expert Briefing webinars will include more scientific terms and concepts.
Speaker
Coming Soon!
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
Scientists are learning that what happens in the gut may have an impact on the brain — including in Parkinson’s disease. In this session, we’ll explore how gut health and digestion are connected to Parkinson’s symptoms and overall well-being. You’ll hear about current research on the “gut–brain connection,” what it could mean for understanding Parkinson’s, and how caring for your gut may play a role in managing symptoms and improving quality of life.
The Foundation's Expert Briefing series is intended to offer firsthand access to the latest research and updates from experts in the field. Expert Briefing webinars will include more scientific terms and concepts.
Speaker
Coming Soon!
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
Now, more studies than ever are exploring disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that could truly change the future of Parkinson’s. While today’s treatments can help with symptoms, we cannot yet alter the disease progression. Researchers are working on DMTs that aim to slow, stop, or reverse the brain changes in Parkinson’s. This session will provide an overview of where the field stands—exploring breakthroughs in cell replacement therapies, disease-modifying trials, and ethical considerations. Attendees will learn how researchers are working toward interventions that could slow, stop, or reverse the disease process.
The Foundation's Expert Briefing series is intended to offer firsthand access to the latest research and updates from experts in the field. Expert Briefing webinars will include more scientific terms and concepts.
Speaker
Coming Soon!
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
Each Mindfulness Monday invites participants to slow down, reflect, and declutter their minds. Through guided breathwork and visualization, you will be encouraged to step into the present by releasing thoughtful roadblocks and opening your mind to new opportunities and experiences that can assist in managing Parkinson’s disease.
Speaker
Danielle R. Carns, PsyD
Clinical Neuropsychologist & Assistant Professor
Department of Neurology, Emory University
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
Each month, Dr. Rush invites you to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with yourself and your Parkinson’s community through a guided mindfulness practice. Together, we’ll explore simple ways to ground the body, calm the mind, and cultivate compassion and clarity that you can carry into your week.
Whether you’re new to mindfulness or a returning participant, these sessions are designed to be inclusive, supportive, and accessible for everyone. Find a comfortable place to sit, settle in, and experience how mindfulness can bring steadiness and space, even in the midst of change.
A brief time for questions and reflections will follow each practice.
Speaker
Taylor Rush, PhD
Health Psychologist, Director of Behavioral Services and Interdisciplinary Programs, Center for Neurological Restoration, Cleveland Clinic
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
