Jenna Dietz, M.S., a 5th year graduate student in neuropsychology, was awarded the 2012 Walter G. McMillen Memorial Award for Parkinson Disease Research by the American Psychological Association. This award is intended to stimulate the interest of students in Parkinson disease research. Jenna received a plaque as well as a…
Tips and suggestions for encouraging success for persons with Parkinson’s Disease Dementia (PDD). Prevent overstimulation Keep the environment simple and quiet Ensure that background noises are kept at a minimal level (TVs, talking, dishwasher, etc.) Keep frequently used rooms free of clutter and with minimal distracting photos Use simple words-do…
July 4th of this year not only marked the nation’s birthday, but also a victory in the continued battle we are fighting against Parkinson ’s disease. James Hulbert, an accomplished writer, is a patient of our clinic who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2008. I…
Time to Consider GPi DBS for Parkinson’s Disease: A Shift in the Practice of Patient Selection for DBS Michael S. Okun, M.D. Read Dr. Okun’s What’s Hot in Parkinson’s disease blog each month at www.parkinson.org A huge question facing Parkinson’s disease patients and clinicians has been, what is the best…
Avoiding falls and preventing secondary injuries are an important goal for both Occupational and Physical therapy. The risk of a fall is increased and has the possibility of more severe injuries in the bathroom. Therefore, it is important to take precautions while showering/bathing to ensure safety. Some recommendations include: 1) …
This was an interesting study by Dr. Wang in Dennis Steindler’s laboratory at the UF McKnight Brain Institute. This group was able to harvest stem-like cells from post-mortem brains (after-death brains donated by Parkinson’s disease patients), and also stem-like cells from discarded DBS leads. They were also able to place…
Dr. Michael Okun, Co-Director of the UF Center for Movement Disorders & Neurorestoration and the Medical Director for the National Parkinson Foundation, talked with Dr. Craig Wax on the Your Health Matters podcast about Parkinson disease, the NPF “Aware in Care” initiative and much more. Listen here: Your Health…
Why is it that a decline in energy is common with the diagnosis of Parkinson’s? There are a variety of factors that can lead to an increase in fatigue with Parkinson’s, including: stress, muscle stiffness, impaired sleep, depression and even certain medications. Parkinson’s symptoms create a decrease in efficiency…
Are your tremors making it difficult to control the computer mouse? Hand, arm or trunk tremors can interfere with fine motor precision. It can become difficult to position the pointer on the icon in which you are trying to click. Most computers will allow you to slow the speed of the mouse, therefore…
Should I be worried about an increased risk for osteoporosis and osteopenia with Parkinson’s Disease? There are now over a dozen published studies in the Parkinson’s disease literature and all point to an increased risk of osteopenia (thin bones), and to an increased risk of osteoporosis (brittle and fragile bones). A…
