Science of Advanced Age as a Risk Factor for Parkinson’s

“Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.” Yoko Ono “Embrace aging.” Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie Précis: The great majority of individuals with Parkinson's reveal no genetic mutations, no past history of head injury, …

Gender Differences as a Factor in Parkinson’s

"Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.” George Carlin “You can either be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It all depends on how you view your life.” Paulo Coelho Précis: ~10% of Parkinson's cases are linked to familial genetic mutations; whereas the vast majority …

Poetry to Parkinson’s

“The greatest wisdom is in simplicity. Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It's not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It's encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart, and you will find your way.” Carlos Barrios, Mayan elder and …

Happiness and Parkinson’s: 10 Simple Suggestions to Make Your Life Happier

“Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them.” Steve Maraboli “No medicine cures what happiness cannot.” Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez Introduction: Happiness, being positive, and remaining hopeful are “life-elements” important to us all. To give you an idea as to how important it is for us to achieve happiness, a …

Life-Stories and Updates on Parkinson’s Science

“E.E Cummings wrote, "To be nobody-but-yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody but yourself - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight- and never stop fighting.” Brené Brown Teaching, and more teaching: I spent most of June and July getting ready …

Parkinson’s and Dementia: Remembering Robin Williams (1951-2014)

“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” Robin Williams Hiding behind the initial diagnosis: When I was diagnosed with Parkinson's 18 months ago, I told my immediate family, a few close friends, and some key people in my research group.  Receiving news that you have a progressive neurodegenerative disorder strikes …

10 Life Lessons With Parkinson’s Disease

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” Oscar Wilde  “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” Eleanor Roosevelt Life lessons.  Life is a series of lessons we gather …

The Song of the Journey Ahead is About Living Authentically in the Presence of Parkinson’s

“Choosing one path means abandoning others – if you try to follow every possible path you will end up following none.” Paulo Coelho "An awareness of one's mortality can lead you to wake up and live an authentic, meaningful life." Bernie Siegel A beginning: ~7 people/hour are diagnosed with Parkinson's in the USA; resulting in …

Golf And Parkinson’s: A Game For Life

"One of the most fascinating things about golf is how it reflects the cycle of life. No matter what you shoot - the next day you have to go back to the first tee and begin all over again and make yourself into something." Peter Jacobsen Précis: The goals are to describe the overall benefits …

City Maps: Anticipated Life Span Compared by Zip Codes

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” Albert Einstein “Just when you think it can't get any worse, it can. And just when you think it can't get any better, it can.” Nicholas Sparks And Now for Something Completely Different (Monty Python's Flying Circus): City Maps is a …