In a remarkable collaboration, PARKINSonLINE, a nationwide online self-help group, and the Parkinson Association have joined forces to make the knowledge and experiences of people living with Parkinson's disease accessible to a broader public. This cooperation aims to prepare the topics discussed in PARKINSonLINE forums and to disseminate the empirical knowledge contained therein via the ParkiPedia platform.
When a person with Parkinson's or a relative wants to find out about a possible disease, accompanying symptoms play a crucial role. These can affect different parts of the body, including skin, skeleton, sensory organs and psyche. The severity and occurrence of these symptoms vary from person to person, and it is important to note that some symptoms may have other causes.
Welcome to the new year! The new year offers us the perfect opportunity to try out new things and discover new potential within ourselves. Let's revive the desire for movement together, awaken curiosity for the unknown and develop calmness for things that are beyond our control.
Inspired by this thought, in this article I look at the fascinating connections between exercise and the brain.
Right now, the Parkinson's community across Europe has a crucial opportunity to ban the use of the controversial pesticide glyphosate, which has been linked to public health risks such as cancer, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Loneliness and Parkinson's: A possible connection
The idea that loneliness and Parkinson's may be linked is intriguing and sheds new light on the complex causes of this neurodegenerative disease. According to the report in Health, it was found that social isolation and lack of social support could increase the risk of Parkinson's disease. It is thought that the stress and psychological strain associated with loneliness may affect the nervous system and therefore contribute to the development of Parkinson's disease.
The increased risk of melanoma in Parkinson's patients has been documented in numerous scientific studies. A first comprehensive meta-analysis was published by Liu and colleagues in the journal Neurology in 2011 and found that people with Parkinson's had more than double the risk of being diagnosed with melanoma. An important study on this topic was also published in 2010 by John Bertoni and colleagues in the Archives of Neurology (later renamed JAMA Neurology). The Bertoni study used data from the North American Parkinson's and Melanoma Survey Group and found that the incidence of malignant melanoma was 2,24 times higher in the Parkinson's cohort compared to the general population.
The sense of balance, also called the vestibular system, is an important part of the human body. It ensures that we control our posture and movements and orientate ourselves in space. The vestibular system works closely with other sensory organs, such as the eyes and brain, to form a complex network of information that enables us to move safely in our environment.
Why is it so important to stick to mealtimes in people with Parkinson's disease?
1. Drug Interaction:
Many Parkinson's patients take levodopa, which works best on an empty stomach. Protein-rich foods can compete with the absorption of levodopa in the gut, which can lead to a reduced effect of the drug. Therefore, it is often recommended that levodopa be taken at least 30 minutes before a meal or at least 60 minutes after a meal
The therapy of movement disorders in the advanced stage of idiopathic parkinsonian syndrome represents a challenge, as optimizing dopamine treatment does not always bring the expected results. It is therefore crucial to consider more intensive treatment approaches in a timely manner. As soon as signs of an advanced stage become apparent, physicians should immediately provide information about suitable therapy options and familiarize patients with possible treatment options.
In the circle of the authors and with many acquaintances and friends, whether affected by Parkinson's or not, I discussed for a long time whether we should integrate ChatGPT as a bot into our Parkinsonal Journal.
Last but not least, we asked the "Parkinson-Bot" itself about the usefulness and it is amazing how much it reflects the different opinions from the group mentioned above.
In the following you can read my discussion with the artificial intelligence and form your own opinion. The chat is reproduced here one to one, without any editing