Milestones in Parkinson’s Disease Research and Discovery

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." Marcel Proust "The process of scientific discovery is, in effect, a continual flight from wonder." Albert Einstein Preface:  Happy birthday to James Parkinson (neurologist, geologist, scientist, activist),  born April 11, 1755 and died December 21, 1824.  World Parkinson's Day …

“Go the Distance” With MAO-B Inhibitors: Potential Long-term Benefits in Parkinson’s

"Life is 10 percent what you make it, and 90 percent how you take it." Irving Berlin "My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength." Michael Jordan Précis:  (1) A brief review of the major classes of …

Evidence that Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are Not Transmitted by Blood Transfusion

"I owe my life to blood donors. I'm forever grateful to people who donate." Niki Taylor "We are linked by blood, and blood is memory without language." Joyce Carol Oates Synopsis: Could either Parkinson's or Alzheimer's be communicable diseases from human blood products? A recent study shows there is no evidence for these neurodegenerative disorders …

Part 2: Journey to Parkinson’s and Magnetic Resonance Imaging

"The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time." Abraham Lincoln "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." Ralph Waldo Emerson Along the way to the diagnosis of Parkinson’s, you may have to undergo several different kinds …

2016: The Year in Parkinson’s

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” Albert Einstein “Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.” Isaac Asimov Summary: (Part 1) …

Help with the Parkinson’s Tremor

"The starting point of all achievement is desire." Napoleon Hill "We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone." Ronald Reagan The Journey With Parkinson's returns:  The past 2 months have just consumed every waking moment of my time/life, and then some.  I have a back-log of >20 blog posts in some finished-form-or-another. Starting this …

2016 Whitehead Lecture: Advice, Life Stories and the Journey with Parkinson’s

"In giving advice I advise you, be short." Horace "The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination." Dan Millman Introduction: Last month, I presented the Whitehead Lecture to the UNC School of Medicine (SOM).  Here is what that means: "The annual Whitehead Lecture serves as an unofficial convocation for the School of Medicine. …

The Evolving Portrait of Parkinson’s

“Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” Betty Friedane  “If we own the story then we can write the ending.” Brené Brown Précis:  To showcase the amazing art/photography/videography of Anders M. Leines who lives in Norway, which gives me the opportunity to voice an opinion about the emerging picture/image …

Déjà Vu and Neuroplasticity in Parkinson’s

“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.” Winston S. Churchill “...remember that what has once been done may be done again.” Alexandre Dumas Introducing the terms: Déjà vu: "A feeling of having already experienced the present situation." (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/) Neuroplasticity: "The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming …

Importance of Model Systems in Parkinson’s Research

“Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.” Will Duran “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'” Isaac Asimov Introduction:  The goal of this post is to highlight several experimental model systems that have effectively been used in Parkinson's research.  We  have …