Most people with Parkinson’s disease will experience changes in speech, voice and swallowing at some point during the course of the disease. Learn tools and exercises to help you better understand and manage speech, swallowing and communication problems in PD.
Speaker
Carrie McBreen, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Lake City Speech & Voice Therapy, PLLC
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required.
Parkinson’s brings ongoing change—not just physically, but emotionally and relationally. This session invites participants to explore how mindfulness can support us in being with what’s present.
Living with Parkinson’s can be challenging, but there are many things you can do to maintain and improve your quality of life. This program will provide you with information to help you find the balance between a proactive approach and wondering what lies ahead. Learn about how Parkinson's can impact thinking and mood.
Speakers:
Laura Pesántez Pacheco, MD, University of Utah
Patty Shang, PT, DPT, NCS, Intermountain Health
Parkinson’s brings ongoing change—not just physically, but emotionally and relationally. This session invites participants to explore how mindfulness can support us in being with what’s present.
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Participants will learn how research helps shape treatments and identify new care strategies for managing Parkinson’s symptoms. This program will also provide information on current research in Parkinson’s.
*This program may include moderately scientific terms and concepts.
Parkinson’s brings ongoing change—not just physically, but emotionally and relationally. This session invites participants to explore how mindfulness can support us in being with what’s present.
Emotional and social health is an important part of living well with Parkinson’s disease. Many symptoms of Parkinson’s can affect emotional and social wellness. Learn how various clinical and creative therapies can support not only symptom management but the overall well-being of the person living with PD.
Speakers
Rebecca Lalchan, DO
NYU Langone Health, a Parkinson's Foundation Center of Excellence
Aleksandra Rayska, Ph.D.
Supervising Psychologist
Therapists of New York
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.
NOTE: Please be aware that filming will be taking place during our educational event for a Parkinson's Foundation volunteer recruitment PSA. You may appear in the video as an attendee at this event. If you have any concerns about being filmed, please let us know upon arrival.
Check in, Resource Fair and Lunch: 11:00 am-12:00 pm
Presentations 12:00 pm-3:00 pm
Parkinson’s brings ongoing change—not just physically, but emotionally and relationally. This session invites participants to explore how mindfulness can support us in being with what’s present.
Join the Parkinson’s Foundation for an unforgettable evening of excitement, camaraderie, and Bingo!
Enjoy complimentary desserts and coffee and a chance to win prizes! Each prize package for Bingo is worth $100 or more. For some prizes, you must be 21+ to win.
Bingo boards will be available for $5 a board. We will be playing up to 8 games of Bingo. There is a $5 entrance fee if not playing Bingo.
Parkinson’s brings ongoing change—not just physically, but emotionally and relationally. This session invites participants to explore how mindfulness can support us in being with what’s present.
Join the Parkinson’s Foundation on Thursday, July 25 via Zoom for a Parkinson’s 101 program highlighting important resources, such as online exercises, hospital safety, our toll-free Helpline, and more.
There is no need to register! Simply click the 'Join Program' button below on Thursday, July 25 at 5 p.m. Mountain Time. JOIN PROGRAM
This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends and the community.
Parkinson’s brings ongoing change—not just physically, but emotionally and relationally. This session invites participants to explore how mindfulness can support us in being with what’s present.
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In-person check-in, Lunch, and Vendor Expo start at 12 p.m.
Exercise is an essential part of overall Parkinson’s management. In addition to helping with movement symptoms, exercise can have a positive impact on non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s. This program focuses on how exercise supports brain health and can lead to improved emotional and cognitive well-being.
Expert Speakers
Aspen Balthazor, DPT
Joy of Movement Physical Therapy and Wellness, LLC
Shana Gatschet, OT
Club Parkinson's
Parking: Parking is available in the parking garage adjacent to the hotel, with parking fees waived for the event. Note: A circle drive for convenient drop-off is available at the entry off W. Waterman St. See Map for parking options and building access. For driving directions, click here.
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, medical providers, and the community.
Parkinson’s brings ongoing change—not just physically, but emotionally and relationally. This session invites participants to explore how mindfulness can support us in being with what’s present.
A hospital stay can be a stressful situation for everyone, whether you are the person receiving care or the support person providing comfort. People with Parkinson’s (PD) are at a higher risk of hospitalizations, so it is crucial to be prepared ahead of time for when the situation arises. The Parkinson’s Foundation recently created the Hospital Safety Guide, which is the updated and improved version of the former Aware in Care kit. The Guide incorporates information from the kit, but now highlights the “Five Parkinson’s Care Needs”, which is a tool for communicating your needs and priorities with hospital staff. It also includes a Hospital Planner checklist with step-by-step instructions on how to create a hospital “go bag” for emergencies. The Guide provides infographics and real-life examples from people with Parkinson’s and loved ones who have solved common problems relating to their PD when in the hospital.
In this episode, Annie Brooks, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Parkinson’s Foundation, discusses features of the new Hospital Safety Guide and how best to use it.
Released: July 9, 2024
Annie Brooks, MSW serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Parkinson’s Foundation. In this role, Annie provides leadership and day to day management of Foundation priority programs including the Newly Diagnosed initiative and the Hospital Care Initiative. Since 2018, Annie has helped to lead the expansion of the Parkinson’s Foundation Hospital Care initiative including the publishing of the Foundation’s seminal report, Making Hospital Safer for People with Parkinson’s Diseaseand theParkinson’s Foundation Hospital Care Recommendations.
Her current portfolio of work includes coordinating research collaborations related to improving hospital care and launching and directing the first Parkinson’s Foundation Hospital Care Learning Collaborative. She works closely with colleagues across the foundation to support community programs and resources including the Newly Diagnosed Guide and the Hospital Safety Guide.
Annie completed her Master of Social Work with a focus in Community and Social Justice from The Ohio State University and her Bachelor of Social Work from Florida State University. She is passionate about empowering diverse communities to achieve their best health and social outcomes.
A Protein that Protects Against Brain Cell Degeneration Associated with Parkinson’s
Guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C) is protective against dopamine neuron degeneration, a hallmark of Parkinson’s, by helping the cell’s powerhouse.
A new study is the first to identify a brain receptor called GUCY2C as a potential way to fight dopamine loss.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is caused by the death of neurons that produce dopamine — a feel-good chemical related to movement, mood and more — in the brain. Dopamine neurons are involved in movement and the loss of these neurons disrupts the brain's ability to regulate movement, leading to hallmark PD symptoms, such as tremors, rigidity and slowness.
One of the reasons that dopamine neurons die is due to dysfunction of mitochondria, the small oxygen-consuming and energy-producing powerhouses inside cells. Recent research has found a receptor on the surfaces of those Parkinson’s-associated dopamine neurons that may provide therapeutic ways to protect the mitochondria and prevent the progression of the disease.
The receptor, called guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C), was first discovered on the surfaces of cells in the intestine, but was recently found in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). This area of the brain is affected in PD.
A new study led by Scott Waldman, MD, PhD, and funded by the Parkinson’s Foundation 2023 Impact Award, gives a clearer picture of how GUCY2C signaling can provide protection against mitochondrial dysregulation and dopamine neuron degeneration that leads to PD. According to the study, in people with Parkinson’s, dopamine neurons make extra GUCY2C receptors.
About the Study & Results
Dr. Waldman and his team studied mice with and without the GUCY2C receptor. They found that loss of GUCY2C led to mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and cell death within the part of the brain impacted by PD, suggesting a protective nature of GUCY2C.
When the researchers gave the two groups of mice a toxin that induces PD symptoms by targeting mitochondria in dopamine neurons, only mice that did not have GUCY2C receptors had higher rates of dopamine neuron death. In contrast, mice with GUCY2C increased their production of the protein upon treatment with the toxin, further indicating a protective role.
The researchers also found that cyclic GMP (cGMP), a byproduct of GUCY2C activation, protected dopamine neurons from oxidative stress. In neurons grown in a petri dish, adding a molecule that increases cGMP protected dopamine neurons from oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction when they added the PD-inducing toxin.
These results indicate that in Parkinson’s disease, the increase in GUCY2C might be the body's attempt to protect dopamine neurons from damage. It may be possible to develop a molecule that targets GUCY2C or use existing drugs that increase cGMP to protect dopamine neurons from damage.
Highlights
Loss of the receptor GUCY2C led to dopamine neuron degeneration in mice — in other words, not having the GUCY2C receptor led to neuronal dysfunction in brain regions implicated in PD.
A molecule that increases cGMP (a byproduct of GUCY2C activation) protected neurons grown in a petri dish from mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death when the researchers added a toxin that induces neurodegeneration.
Because GUCY2C is increased in people with Parkinson’s, the study results suggest that the increase in GUCY2C may be the body's attempt to protect dopamine neurons from damage.
What does this mean?
This study is the first to identify the receptor GUCY2C as a possible defense mechanism against dopamine loss. This research marks the beginning of what can be a new way to significantly slow down the progression of Parkinson’s.
Since GUCY2C appears to protect dopamine neurons in the brain, researchers could explore the possibility of stimulating GUCY2C as a treatment for PD. They could also try increasing cGMP, a byproduct of GUCY2C activation. This could potentially prevent the degeneration of dopamine neurons, a hallmark of the disease.
The study also found that people with PD have high levels of GUCY2C, which may also serve as an early indicator of Parkinson’s.
What do these findings mean to the people with PD right now?
With more research, GUCY2C could be a potential biomarker doctors can use to detect PD earlier. Having access to early biomarkers are critical for early therapeutic interventions for people with PD.
In addition, GUCY2C is a promising therapeutic target to prevent or treat PD. While developing a treatment that targets GUCY2C or its byproducts could take time, it remains important for researchers to identify as many potential treatments as possible. People who are currently experiencing Parkinson’s symptoms should talk to a healthcare provider.
Learn More
The Parkinson’s Foundation believes in empowering the Parkinson’s community through education. Learn more about PD and the topics in this article through our below resources, or by calling our free Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636) for answers to your Parkinson’s questions.
Moving Day is an inspiring and empowering annual fundraising walk event that unites people around the country living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), their care partners and loved ones to help beat PD. Moving Day is more than just a walk. It’s a celebration of movement – proven to help manage Parkinson’s symptoms.
Leading up to the event, participants and teams fundraise to help the Parkinson’s Foundation provide vital resources and deliver quality care to more than 364,000 people living with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders, while improving Parkinson’s treatments through research.
Moving Day proceeds help bring quality care to more people with Parkinson’s, further Parkinson’s research, education and outreach initiatives. Moving Day raises awareness of Parkinson’s both nationally and in the local community.
Parkinson’s brings ongoing change—not just physically, but emotionally and relationally. This session invites participants to explore how mindfulness can support us in being with what’s present.
