Parkinsons

Researchers at the University of Florida discovered a way to use diffusion MRIs as a biomarker for Parkinson's disease progression.

“Free water” may sound like what happens when you drink too much water. It is actually “fluid unconstrained by brain tissue, likely because of disease-related degeneration” that turns out to be a biomarker than can be used to track Parkinson’s disease progression in a non-invasive way, thanks to a…

Dr. Michael Okun, co-director of our Center and Medical Director of the National Parkinson Foundation, discussed Parkinson’s Disease on the Vital Living Forum program on Orange TV which airs in Orange County, Florida. He discussed with host Katie Dagenais several aspects of the book “Parkinson’s Treatment: 10 Secrets to a…

By: Meredith DeFranco, DPT and David Yon UFCMDNR patient Editors Note: The quoted & italicized text is from Mr. Yon who helped Dr. DeFranco write this post. “After more than 30 years of running, the Boston Marathon continues to be one of the most special…

Lizabeth Jordan and Drs. Bowers, Okun and Zahodne recently published their research into apathy in Parkinson’s disease. Over time many individuals with Parkinson disease seem to lose their “get up and go” and become increasingly apathetic.  Some have wondered whether this apathy is related to an inability to “experience” pleasure. …

In a study just published from the University of Chicago and Mayo clinic, lower levels of alpha-synuclein (the protein deposited in the brain of Parkinson’s disease patients) seemed to be associated with more disability in Parkinson’s disease.  Though there are potential methodological issues with the study, it raises the question…

Read about this important topic that broke in the news yesterday online in Neurology. Dr. Okun reviews the paper and give some practical tips on Cholesterol therapy and Parkinson’s disease, and also wrote a free review for the New…

Two medical students at the University of Florida Center for movement disorders and neurorestoration write about the demise of two Harvard neurologist’s theory that Parkinson’s disease would disappear as all the flu (influenza) epidemic survivors died off.  Read their great paper in this months journal article…

The neurospsychology team led by Dr. Dawn Bowers published a report on patients with Parkinson Disease & apathy in the Movement Disorders journal. Hedonic and behavioral deficits associated with apathy in Parkinson’s disease: Potential treatment implications. Jordan LL, Zahodne LB, Okun MS, Bowers D. Mov Disord. 2013 May 27. doi: 10.1002/mds.25496. [Epub ahead of print]…

University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration researcher Dr. David Vaillancourt was featured on the front page of the Gainesville Sun for his recent publication on a new technique to diagnose Parkinson’s disease and parkinsonisms  earlier in the course of the disease. An excerpt from the article: Although the patients…