Parkinson’s Awareness Month: Greetings from North Carolina, USA

With Parkinson’s you have two choices: You can let it control you, or you can control it. And I’ve chosen to control it.” US Senator Isakson

“Perhaps I am stronger than I think.” Thomas Merton

Précis: A brief overview about Parkinson’s disease, highlights from our Moving Day NC Triangle Planning Committee during “Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month”, and some interesting points about the State of North Carolina.

Parkinson’s disease overview:

• Parkinson’s starts from the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain.  Lewy bodies are found in these cells; they are denatured aggregates of the protein named alpha-synuclein. Formation of Lewy bodies promote neuronal cell dysfunction and death. Parkinson’s presents mostly as a movement disorder (rigidity, slowness of movement, postural instability, and resting tremor).
• ~50,000-60,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease are diagnosed each year in the United States, adding to the one million people who currently have Parkinson’s.  It has been estimated that 7-10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s.
• Parkinson’s is the 2nd most common neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly population.  We have learned little about the cause (etiology) of Parkinson’s although we know much about its chapter/story (pathogenesis). Most cases of Parkinson’s occur sporadically and are usually of unknown cause (except the genetic mutations that typically lead to early-onset Parkinson’s). The complicated chapter/story of Parkinson’s (includes features of neuroinflammation, immune system, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and excitotoxicity). Furthermore, this implies a multi-pronged therapeutic (or intervention) strategy might be needed to halt or slow Parkinson’s progression.
• For further information see: NIH NINDS Parkinson’s Disease Information Page
• For further information also see: Understanding Parkinson’s.
• For further information from this blog, please start here: Milestones in Parkinson’s Disease Research and Discovery; Purple Haze of Parkinson’s: How Dopamine Works; A Comparison of Parkinson’s to Alzheimer’s; Dopamine: A Symbol of Hope; Of Mice And Men: Endogenous Alpha-Synuclein Contributes to Mitochondria Inhibition in Parkinson’s; Overview of Neurodegenerative Disorders; 9 Things to Know About Exercise-induced Neuroplasticity in Human Parkinson’s.
  
• For further information, I highly recommend the blog Science of Parkinson’s Disease.

“The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us but those who win battles we know nothing about.” Anonymous

Parkinson’s disease awareness month: Parkinson’s awareness month is exactly that.  You simply start by making people around you familiar with this disorder.  And you can help others learn more about this neurodegenerative disease. Blake Tedder, our Parkinson’s Foundation Community Development Manager, has been busy.  He has been requesting/receiving proclamations recognizing and acknowledging the impact of Parkinson’s.  We will be thanking Blake for the rest of the year in his tireless effort on Parkinson’s disease; from all of us on the Moving Day planning committee, thank you Blake!

“We aren’t victims, we are strong, amazing people who just happen to have a crummy disease, and we want a cure to that disease”  Kate Matheson

Partial list of events where we have received proclamations (click here for the complete list- 2017PAM_Proclamations_final):

• Town of Carrboro – Tuesday March 28^th 7:30pm – Carrboro Town Hall, Carrboro
  Attending: Blake Tedder, National Parkinson Foundation
  Frank Church, PhD, UNC School of Medicine, Moving Day Planning committee, PWP;
• Wake County – Monday April 3^rd– 5:00pm – Wake Justice Building, Raleigh
  Attending: David E. Malarkey, DVM/PhD, Councilor, People with Parkinson’s Advisory Council, Parkinson’s Foundation;
• Durham – Monday April 3^rd– 7:00pm – Wake Justice Building, Raleigh
  Attending: Blake Tedder, MSW, National Parkinson Foundation
  Jeaninne Wagner, Moving Day Planning committee, PWP;
• Orange County – Tuesday April 4^th– 7:00pm – Whitted Building, Hillsborough
  Attending: Blake Tedder, MSW, National Parkinson Foundation
  Susan Gerbeth-Jones, MS, Orange County Resident, PWP;
• Durham County – Tuesday April 11^th– 7:00pm – Durham County Building/Main St, Durham|
  Attending: Blake Tedder, MSW, National Parkinson Foundation;
• Town of Chapel Hill – Monday April 17^th7:00pm – Chapel Hill Town Hall, Chapel Hill
  Attending: Blake Tedder, MSW, National Parkinson Foundation
  Frank Church, PhD, UNC School of Medicine, Moving Day Planning committee, PWP
  Jessica Shurer, MSW, Social Worker/Coordinator UNC Department of Neurology Movement Disorders Clinic;
• Received via Mail or outside of a Formal Meeting:
  State of North Carolina – Governor Roy Cooper
  North Carolina Senate – Sen. Floyd McKissick
  Town of Cary –  Mayor Weinbrecht
  Town of Hillsborough – Mayor Tom Stevens
  City of Raleigh – Mayor Nancy MacFarlane