Parkinsonism is a term used to describe a collection of movement symptoms associated with several conditions including Parkinson’s disease. Learn about the types of Parkinsonisms and how they are diagnosed and treated.
Speaker
Jerome Lisk, MD, FAAN
Fellowship Trained in Movement Disorders
Board Certified National Board of Physicians and Surgeons; Board Certified American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Clinical Assistant Professor at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
Board of Directors, Texas Health Services Authority
MD Neurology Director of Movement Disorders Denton/Flower Mound, TX.
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required.
Expert Briefing: Research Update: Working to Halt PD
April 10, 2024
There is still a lot we don’t know about Parkinson’s disease (PD), and through research, efforts are being made to close the gaps in our knowledge and understanding. In addition to the development of new therapies for symptom management, research also seeks to find ways to stop progression and ultimately end PD. During this Expert Briefing, we will learn about current research that is taking various approaches to develop a treatment that may significantly slow PD’s progression.
Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Associate Professor
Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto
Toronto Western Research Institute
Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease
Fundraising Events
Community Walk Circleville
9:00 am to 12:00 pm CDT
FREE
Get out and move with your community! Every dollar raised supports the Parkinson’s Foundation mission to make life better for people affected by Parkinson’s disease (PD). At Moving Day Community Walks across the country, we’re fighting Parkinson’s and celebrating movement — proven to help manage Parkinson’s symptoms — and we’re doing it together. The Moving Day Community Walk Program is a complement to the Parkinson’s Foundation Moving Day, A Walk for Parkinson’s. These walks are family-friendly and help the Foundation make life better for people with PD.
The Community Walk program offers volunteers an opportunity to organize a walk in their own community that does not have a Moving Day event. The program leverages the personal experiences and community leadership of passionate volunteers to promote Parkinson’s awareness and raise funds for the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Join the Parkinson's Foundation and Erlanger for the Tennessee Parkinson's Symposium. Hear about ongoing research, current treatments, and resources available to help you live your best life with Parkinson's.
Check-in and Resource Fair start at 9 a.m. Lunch will be served.
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their families, friends, and the community.
Featured Presenters:
Ellen Valadez, MD Erlanger Neurology
Cherry Yu, MD
Vanderbilt Neurology
Trembling Troubadours
Movement Breaks Provided By:
Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga
YMCA of Chattanooga
A collaboration with Erlanger and the Parkinson's Foundation Tennessee & Kentucky Chapter
COVID SAFETY: The health and safety of our participants, sponsors, volunteers and staff are our top priority. We continue to monitor CDC recommendations and will adhere to state and local COVID guidelines in place on the event day. Adjustments will be made if necessary.
Flamin’ Ohs - The Parkinson’s Foundation Fundraiser
7:00 pm to 10:00 pm CDT
Twin Cities rock legends Flamin’ Oh's return to The Hook & Ladder Theater for an outdoor evening of rockin’ fun to support the Parkinson’s Foundation Minnesota and Dakotas Chapter fundraiser, Under The Canopy!
The Oh's soared to the upper echelon of Minnesota bands with their lively shows and exciting brand of straightforward rock & roll. They became one of the earliest bands to make music videos. Chuck Statler(music video pioneer who directed videos for DEVO, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and El Vez) directed two videos for the band. The videos aired on a new television network dedicated to music, MTV.
“Hard edged Stones-like rock’n’roll. East Coast street anthems coupled with Midwestern optimism and enthusiasm.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Tickets to the event and donations made at the event are tax deductible. The Parkinson's Foundation utilizes money raised through events like this to fund research to find a cure for the disease, as well as to provide ongoing support to the Parkinson's community.
Parkinson's Awareness Day Twins vs. Rays at Target Field
12:10 pm to 4:30 pm CDT
Join us for the 4th Parkinson's Awareness Day at Target Field. Cheer on the Minnesota Twins as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday June 20th at 12:10PM. Discounted tickets are available through the link above.
A portion of each ticket purchased through this special offer will go back to your choice of: American Parkinson's Disease Association Minnesota Chapter
Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
Parkinson's Foundation of Minnesota and Dakotas Chapter
Struthers Parkinson's Center
University of Minnesota Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research or Veterans Affairs.
Parkinson's Awareness Day ticket purchasers are also be invited to take part in a pregame parade around the warning track of the field (~1/5 of a mile around) about an hour before the start of the game (more details will be sent out closer to the game).
Tickets will be delivered electronically through the MLB Ballpark app.
Meet a Researcher Working to Link Parkinson’s, Genetics and the Immune System
For decades, we have known that inflammatory changes occur in the brain of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). But in the last few years, inflammation has been studied as a possible cause of the progressive nature of the disease and not just a result of it.
Catherine (Chi) Weindel, PhD, is studying this connection, specifically focusing on how one variant or mutation of the Parkinson’s disease-linked gene LRRK2 impacts immune health. She hopes this research will pave the way for a deeper understanding of how Parkinson’s starts and progresses, along with avenues for potential new therapies.
LRRK2 and PD
The LRRK2 gene plays a role in about 1% of all people with PD and 5% of those with a family history. LRRK2 variants are autosomal dominant — this means that inheriting only a single mutated copy of a gene from one parent can potentially lead to disease. Mutations in LRRK2 can result in the enzyme becoming overly active in the brain, leading to cell death in ways we do not yet fully understand.
“My research involves the study of the immune system. What I am interested in is determining how the immune system might be different in people with Parkinson’s genetic mutations, which would cause a difference during an infection or in response to an environmental toxin,” said Dr. Weindel. “I am studying how alterations or modulations in an immune response could build up over time, piece by piece, and might predispose someone to develop Parkinson’s later in life.”
When Dr. Weindel first began investigating Parkinson’s, she suspected that immune system inflammation, triggered by illnesses and loss of dopamine neurons outside the
brain, could ultimately lead to the development of the disease. This line of thinking led to her Parkinson’s Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, where she designed a study to explore how a LRRK2 G2019S mutation may impact mitochondria, which provide energy for a cell, when immune cells have been stressed by infection.
She discovered that during an infection, when immune cells with LRRK2 mutations die, they uniquely increase inflammation that promotes the spread of bacteria throughout the body. This cell death seems similar to what researchers find in brains of people and mice with PD.
Now, as a 2022 Parkinson’s Foundation Launch Award recipient, Dr. Weindel is taking her research a step further to gain a deeper understanding of how LRRK2 gene mutations cause cell death in immune cells in the brain. This will lead to the identification of new targets for Parkinson’s therapy that may better control inflammation, for instance. Her research will also help design improved genetic tests to give families with a history of Parkinson’s better insight into their risk for developing PD.
According to Dr. Weindel, genetics research is vital to understanding the connection between Parkinson’s disease and the immune system’s response because even when family members have the same PD mutation, the disease may present itself differently in each person. By looking at complex genetic interactions, we can see alternative pathways impacting specific individuals, which can dictate better clinical trials or potential therapies.
“My goal is to develop therapeutics that will allow for a more personalized medical approach,” Dr. Weindel said. “Because Parkinson’s is such a diverse disease, a cure-all is very unlikely. Ideally, a particular therapeutic can one day be designed for an individual based on the genetic makeup of their Parkinson’s.”
Episode 168: Celebrating Our Parkinson’s Foundation Volunteers
This month, we are honoring and celebrating our Parkinson’s Foundation volunteers. Every volunteer helps make a difference in the everyday lives of people living with Parkinson’s disease, whether it’s by helping organize a local community walk, serving as a research advocate providing feedback and collaborating with scientists on research studies, or speaking at a panel for a community education program. There are many opportunities to get involved with the Foundation.
In this episode, we highlight two volunteers, Tonia Smith, a public service advocate, member of the Parkinson’s Foundation People with Parkinson’s Advisory Council, and caregiver to her mother living with Parkinson’s disease, and Steve Sain, a retired engineer and a person living with Parkinson’s. They share their stories about how they became involved with the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Released: April 2, 2024
Member, People with Parkinson’s Advisory Council, Parkinson’s Foundation
Tonia Smith serves as care partner for her mother, Joanne, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018. She is a member of the People with Parkinson's Advisory Council (PPAC), which is comprised of people with Parkinson’s disease and care partners who serve as advisors to the Parkinson’s Foundation. A 26+ year public servant with the City of Cincinnati, Tonia currently serves as Chief Advocacy Officer for Aging and Accessibility in the Office of the City Manager. Previously, her work has focused on health promotion and education, health equity, coalition building, policy and system change, and environmental health and safety. Tonia is a Registered Dietitian, Master Certified Health Education Specialist, and Registered Yoga Teacher. She enjoys teaching yoga and dance fitness classes throughout the Greater Cincinnati region.
President, Gulf Coast Chapter Board of Advisors, Parkinson’s Foundation
Steve Sain was born & raised in Tennessee, marrying his college sweetheart, and now lovely wife for 46 years. He’s blessed with two wonderful daughters & two 100-lb canine best friends. Steve has lived most of his adult life in Alabama, retiring to a peaceful landscape on Lake Martin. He enjoys SCUBA diving, virtually all sports & adventurous travel.
In 2018, Steve was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and his life changed. He retired, sold his company, and immersed himself in Parkinson’s related activities by volunteering in multiple ways. Steve co-facilitates a nearby support group and has found this to be profoundly educational; so much so that he founded another support group serving his immediate area of Lake Martin. Steve has served on multiple PD expert panels and has also participated in clinical trials.
The primary focus of Steve’s volunteerism has been through the Parkinson’s Foundation. He currently serves as President of the Parkinson’s Foundation Gulf Coast Region, has reviewed grant applications throughout the Southeastern U.S. for the Community Grant Program, assisted with educational events, fundraisers, and provided general counsel to regional staff as part of the Gulf Coast Board of Advisors.
Exploraremos la evolución de la enfermedad de Parkinson y su impacto en el estado de ánimo, la personalidad y el comportamiento. Descubriremos cómo los cambios asociados a esta enfermedad pueden influir en aspectos fundamentales de la vida cotidiana y discutiremos estrategias para abordar estos desafíos.
Únete a nosotros para obtener información valiosa sobre cómo controlar y comprender mejor los cambios en el comportamiento en la enfermedad de Parkinson.
Presentadora
Lilian Salinas, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neuropsychology
Columbia University Medical Center, a Parkinson's Foundation Center of Excellence
The Neurological Institute of New York
Join the Parkinson’s Foundation, in-person or online, for the Great Lakes Parkinson’s Symposium. Hear about ongoing research, current treatments, and resources available to help you live your best life with Parkinson’s.
Speakers
David A. Hinkle, MD, PhD, ABPN
OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital
Reversa Joseph, MS, MD
Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center
Amy Larocca, MA, CCC-SLP
Polaris Speech
For in-person attendees: In-person check-in starts at 10 a.m.
For virtual attendees, via Zoom: The live stream starts at 11 a.m.
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.
Registered program attendees are welcome to come early or stay after the program to tour the Pro-Football Hall of Fame at no cost.
