Journey with Parkinson’s: During an Intermission

“Hope is a function of struggle.” Brené Brown “What we know matters but who we are matters more.” Brené Brown Why do we learn? “The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in …

Building Empathy for Parkinson’s

“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”  Ernest Hemingway “To perceive is to suffer.”  Aristotle Introduction: The loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the mid-brain leads to Parkinson's disease, which usually presents with motor dysfunction of different degrees of progression from person-to-person.  This post explores the differences between empathy and sympathy, and describes a …

Sleep Disturbances in Parkinson’s and the Eagles Best Song Lyrics

“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.” Homer, The Odyssey “Man is a genius when he is dreaming.” Akira Kurosawa Précis: There are many manifestations associated with Parkinson's; one of the more frustrating aspects is the alteration of sleep patterns.  Herein is a brief overview of sleep …

Purple Haze of Parkinson’s: How Dopamine Works

"Life has many ways of testing a person's will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.”  Paulo Coelho Précis: To briefly describe the biochemistry of dopamine and dopamine receptors, dopamine physiology, and therapeutic strategies for replacing dopamine in Parkinson's.  But first, some "Purple Haze" by the Jimi …

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