PD

“You’re superhuman up there”: Parkinson’s in space

July 1, 2020 Life

Journeying into space is an incredible feat – it’s even more impressive when you’ve been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

Michael ‘Rich’ Clifford found out he had the condition in 1994. Two years later he undertook his third journey into space on the US Atlantis shuttle.

In webcast conversation with Dr Ray Dorsey, co-author of Ending Parkinson’s Disease: A Prescription for Action, the former astronaut outlined his experience working with US space agency NASA, spoke about his exposure to pesticides – and shared what his symptoms were like in space.

“It was an easy decision to fly”
“When I got diagnosed with Parkinson’s I thought it was over and NASA asked me what I wanted to do,” Clifford told Dorsey. “I said, ‘You mean it’s up to me?’ and they said, ‘Yeah, we consider you still qualified for flight.’ I said, ‘Well, I’ll go fly again.’ And it was as easy as that.”

“It was special, because I’d done a lot of preparatory work on that – all the EVA [Extra-Vehicular Activity] simulations and validation of the positions and equipment we were going to use – so it was an easy decision to fly.”

Asked if he noticed his Parkinson’s symptoms during the seven-day period in space, Clifford said: “I felt my right-hand tremor one time, but it was very mild… I think it showed more in space. I could feel it more. When we re-entered for landing, I noticed with the pull of g-forces, my hands would go down, and it was much easier to work with.”

Lifting heavy equipment, weighing over 150 pounds, was significantly easier: “I could have just dragged it along with my fingernails – it was neat. You’re superhuman up there.”

Parkinson’s and pesticides
Growing up in Utah, US, Clifford had no family history of Parkinson’s. However, he told Dorsey, he was exposed to pesticides through a high-school job cutting grass and while working as a private pilot: “I didn’t know it was dangerous. I didn’t like the way it smelled, but it was just a job.”

Then, working as a gas station attendant Clifford encountered trichloroethylene (TCE) – another substance that has been linked with Parkinson’s.

“In the shop we would get grease spills all the way and would clean it up. I didn’t realise there was a nasty chemical in it, but it was efficient for cleaning up the grease. I did that for about three years.”

“We should be getting rid of these chemicals,” he told Dorsey, who has written about the impact of pesticides in his book. “It’s going to take somebody pushing it, like you are, to get this done.”

“Just because you have Parkinson’s, you don’t have to give up”
When he was first diagnosed, Clifford didn’t tell the rest of his crew that he had the condition. However, he decided to announce it publicly in 2011 – 17 years after his diagnosis – to “get the issue out on the table”.

“I thought it was time to reveal it. I felt it was a good thing for the community for me to announce I had Parkinson’s,” he said.

He was then encouraged by his doctor, whose son was a film producer, to share his story in a movie. ‘The Astronaut’s Secret’, a documentary released in 2014, covers Rich’s experience working with NASA while living with the condition.

Rich hopes his story inspires others with the condition: “Just because you have Parkinson’s, you don’t have to give up.”

Article from Parkinsonslife.EU.

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How to Deal with Cabin Fever

June 1, 2020 Awareness, Caregivers, Life, Support Groups

Cabin fever is often associated with being cooped up on a rainy weekend or stuck inside during a winter blizzard.

In reality, though, it can actually occur anytime you feel isolated or disconnected from the outside world.

Indeed, cabin fever is a series of emotions or symptoms people experience when they’re confined to their homes for extended periods of time. This may be due to a variety of circumstances, such as a natural disaster, lack of transportation, or even social distancing for pandemics like COVID-19.

Recognizing the symptoms of cabin fever and finding ways to cope may help make the isolation easier to deal with. Keep reading to learn more about how to do this.

What is cabin fever?

In popular expressions, cabin fever is used to explain feeling bored or listless because you’ve been stuck inside for a few hours or days. But that’s not the reality of the symptoms.

Instead, cabin fever is a series of negative emotions and distressing sensations people may face if they’re isolated or feeling cut off from the world.

These feelings of isolation and loneliness are more likely in times of social distancing, self-quarantining during a pandemic, or sheltering in place because of severe weather.

Indeed, cabin fever can lead to a series of symptoms that can be difficult to manage without proper coping techniques.

Cabin fever isn’t a recognized psychological disorder, but that doesn’t mean the feelings aren’t real. The distress is very real. It can make fulfilling the requirements of everyday life difficult.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of cabin fever go far beyond feeling bored or “stuck” at home. They’re rooted in an intense feeling of isolation and may include:

  • restlessness
  • decreased motivation
  • irritability
  • hopelessness
  • difficulty concentrating
  • irregular sleep patterns, including sleepiness or sleeplessness
  • difficulty waking up
  • lethargy
  • distrust of people around you
  • lack of patience
  • persistent sadness or depression

Your personality and natural temperament will go a long way toward determining how cabin fever affects you.

Some people can weather the feelings more easily; they may take on projects or dive into creative outlets to pass the time and ward off the symptoms.

But others may face great difficulty with managing day-to-day life until these feelings pass.

What can help you cope with cabin fever?

Because cabin fever isn’t a recognized psychological condition, there’s no standard “treatment.” However, mental health professionals do recognize that the symptoms are very real.

The coping mechanism that works best for you will have a lot to do with your personal situation and the reason you’re secluded in the first place.

Finding meaningful ways to engage your brain and occupy your time can help alleviate the distress and irritability that cabin fever brings.

The following ideas are a good place to start.

Spend time outdoors

Research shows that time spent in nature is time well spent for mental health.

Not only does spending time outdoors boost your cognitive function, it may also help:

Depending on your reason for isolating, be sure to check all local regulations and avoid any spaces that are closed for safety or health reasons.

If getting outdoors isn’t an option, you could try:

  • opening up your windows to let the outdoor breeze in
  • adding a bird feeder outside your window to bring birds closer to your living space
  • ordering or buying fragrant, fresh-cut flowers and placing them where you can see and smell them throughout the day
  • growing herbs or small plants on a windowsill, patio, or balcony

Give yourself a routine

You may not have a 9-to-5 job to report to while you’re isolated, but a lack of routine can cause disruptions in eating, sleeping, and activity.

To keep a sense of structure, try to create a daily routine that consists of work or house projects, mealtimes, workout time, and even downtime.

Having an outline for your day helps you keep track of the trajectory of your hours and gives you mini “goals” to hit throughout the day.

Maintain a social life

So you can’t go to the movies or meet your friends for dinner. But you can still “meet up” with them — just in a different way.

Use real-time video streaming services, like FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype, to chat with your friends, colleagues, and loved ones. Face-to-face chat time can keep you in contact with the “outside world” and make even your small home feel a whole lot bigger.

Connecting with others who are in a similar situation can also help you feel that you’re not alone. Sharing your thoughts, emotions, and challenges with others can help you realize that what you’re feeling is normal.

Connecting with others may even help you find creative solutions to an issue you’re grappling with.

Express your creative side

Did you play a band instrument in high school? Were you once interested in painting? Do you have stacks of vacation photos you once promised yourself you’d put in a scrapbook? Is there a recipe you’ve always wanted to try but never had the time?

Use your time in isolation to reconnect with creative activities that you’ve had to put on hold because life got too busy. Spending time on creative activities keeps your brain busy.

Keeping your mind occupied and engaged may help ward off feelings of boredom or restlessness and make the time pass more quickly.

Carve out some ‘me time’

If you live with others, feelings of cabin fever may be intensified by the nearness of other individuals.

Parents have responsibilities to children; partners have responsibilities to one another. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have any time on your own.

Give yourself time “away” from others to relax. Find a quiet place to read a book, meditate, or pop in some earbuds for an engaging podcast.

If you’re feeling stressed, you may even want to tune in to a podcast on mental health or anxiety.

Break a sweat

Research has shown that people who exercise regularly are less prone to anxiety than people who don’t exercise. That’s because physical activity lowers your body’s stress hormones, such as cortisol.

At the same time, exercise causes your brain to release endorphins. These neurochemicals can boost your mood and overall feeling of well-being.

If you can’t get outside, you can do a strength training workout at home using just your body weight or simple equipment, like dumbbells or resistance bands.

Or you can put together your own routine by focusing on a few basic but effective exercises, such as:

  • pushups
  • squats
  • burpees
  • lunges
  • planks

If you need a more structured program, there are plenty of online exercise options on YouTube and through various exercise apps.

Chill out

Not every minute of every day you spend at home has to be planned. Give yourself some time to rest. Look for constructive ways to relax.

Mindfulness, deep breathing, and relaxation exercises may help you maintain your emotional health and balance feelings of isolation or frustration.

When to Get Help

Cabin fever is often a fleeting feeling. You may feel irritable or frustrated for a few hours, but having a virtual chat with a friend or finding a task to distract your mind may help erase the frustrations you felt earlier.

Sometimes, however, the feelings may grow stronger, and no coping mechanisms may be able to successfully help you eliminate your feelings of isolation, sadness, or depression.

What’s more, if your time indoors is prolonged by outside forces, like weather or extended shelter-in-place orders from your local government, feelings of anxiety and fear are valid.

In fact, anxiety may be at the root of some cabin fever symptoms. This may make symptoms worse.

If you feel that your symptoms are getting worse, consider reaching out to a mental health professional who can help you understand what you’re experiencing. Together, you can identify ways to overcome the feelings and anxiety.

Of course, if you’re in isolation or practicing social distancing, you’ll need to look for alternative means for seeing a mental health expert.

Telehealth options may be available to connect you with your therapist if you already have one. If you don’t, reach out to your doctor for recommendations about mental health specialists who can connect with you online.

If you don’t want to talk to a therapist, smartphone apps for depression may provide a complementary option for addressing your cabin fever symptoms.

The Bottom Line

Isolation isn’t a natural state for many people. We are, for the most part, social animals. We enjoy each other’s company. That’s what can make staying at home for extended periods of time difficult.

However, whether you’re sheltering at home to avoid dangerous weather conditions or heeding the guidelines to help minimize the spread of a disease, staying at home is often an important thing we must do for ourselves and our communities.

If and when it’s necessary, finding ways to engage your brain and occupy your time may help bat back cabin fever and the feelings of isolation and restlessness that often accompany it.

Article from Healthline.com

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May 2020 Activity Calendar

April 22, 2020 Community Outreach, Exercise, Life

Check out this activity calendar to keep yourself active and engaged in May!

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Therapy Fights Depression for People with PD

April 1, 2020 Life, Research

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy that increases awareness of negative thinking and teaches coping skills.

About 50% of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease will experience depression, and up to 40% have an anxiety disorder.

“The psychological complications of Parkinson’s disease have a greater impact on the quality of life and overall functioning than the motor symptoms of the disease,” says lead author Roseanne Dobkin, a professor of psychiatry at Rutgers University’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

“Untreated, depression can accelerate physical and cognitive decline, compromise independence, and make it more difficult for individuals to proactively manage their health, like taking medication, exercising, and visiting the physical therapist.”

Depression in Parkinson’s patients is under-recognized and often goes untreated. Among those who receive treatment, antidepressant medication is the most common approach, though many patients continue to struggle with depressive symptoms.

The researchers investigated how adding cognitive behavioral therapy to the care individuals already received would affect their depression.

Cognitive behavioral therapy sessions helped patients re-examine their usual ways of coping with the daily challenges of Parkinson’s. Researchers individually tailored therapy, targeting negative thoughts—such as “I have no control”—and behaviors including social withdrawal or excessive worrying. Treatment also emphasized strategies for managing the disease, such as exercise, medication adherence, and setting realistic daily goals.

The researchers enrolled 72 people diagnosed with both Parkinson’s and depression. All participants continued their standard treatment. In addition, half the participants (37 people) also received cognitive behavioral therapy over the telephone weekly for three months, then monthly for six months.

By the end of treatment, individuals receiving only standard care showed no change in their mental health status, whereas 40% of the patients receiving cognitive behavioral therapy showed their depression, anxiety, and quality of life to be “much improved.”

The convenience of phone treatment reduced barriers to care, allowing patients access to personalized, evidence-based mental health treatment, without having to leave their homes, Dobkin says.

“A notable proportion of people with Parkinson’s do not receive the much needed mental health treatment to facilitate proactive coping with the daily challenges superimposed by their medical condition,” she says.

“This study suggests that the effects of the cognitive behavioral therapy last long beyond when the treatment stopped and can be used alongside standard neurological care to improve global Parkinson’s disease outcomes.”

The study appears in Neurology. Source: Rutgers University. Original Study

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Phlegm-busting Drug Ambroxol Shows Promise in Parkinson’s

March 1, 2020 Research

One of the major genetic risk factors believed to contribute to the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is having a mutation in the gene called GBA1 (glucocerebrosidase). Unable to do its job correctly, this damaged gene leads to the build-up of unhealthy, misfolded clumps of alpha-synuclein in the brain. These clumps, called Lewy bodies, impact dopamine production and are the hallmark of PD. What if there was a way to prevent the build-up of Lewy bodies in the first place?

A 2020 study published in JAMA Neurology, titled, “Ambroxol for the Treatment of Patients with Parkinson Disease with and Without Glucocerebrosidase Gene Mutations: A Nonrandomized, Noncontrolled Trial” (Mullin et al., 2020), investigated whether an over-the-counter cough syrup, called Ambroxol, may be the key. The cough syrup, specifically, an expectorant, is used to break up phlegm.

This 186-day clinical trial of 17 people with PD ― with and without the GBA1 mutation ― involved participants taking progressively increasing doses of Ambroxol in the form of an oral tablet. Baseline measurements included physical and neurological examination, an electrocardiogram, blood sampling and spinal fluid examination obtained by lumbar puncture. Three additional in-person clinical visits were held on day 11, day 93, and day 186. Of note, at baseline, Ambroxol was undetectable in both the blood serum and spinal fluid. All study participants continued their normal L-dopa therapy throughout the trial.

Results
In study participants both with and without the gene mutation:

  • Ambroxol successfully crossed the blood-brain barrier.
  • Ambroxol was safe and well-tolerated at the administered dose.
  • Ambroxol successfully bound to the mutated genes’ protein, which physically helped the protein function properly.
  • Healthy levels of alpha-synuclein increased in the spinal fluid.

What Does This Mean?
This study showed that Ambroxol is safe to use as a treatment in people with Parkinson’s. Ambroxol may slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. How? Taking Ambroxol as a medication can prevent the negative effects of the GBA mutation ― including possibly reducing the formation Lewy bodies at the source. Ambroxol shows promise, and warrants further investigation ― including conducting larger, placebo-controlled trials.

Of note, while Ambroxol has been used as a safe and effective over the counter expectorant for adults and children in more than 50 countries for 30-plus years, the administered dose in this trial was approximately 10 times the specified dosage. Additionally, Ambroxol is currently not approved for prescription or over the counter use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any indication, at this time.

Article from Parkinson.org.

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Study: People skip Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s meds as prices rise

March 1, 2020 Life, Research

Rising drug costs are hampering the care of patients with debilitating neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, a new study finds.

Patients are less likely to fill necessary prescriptions as out-of-pocket costs increase, said senior researcher Dr. Brian Callaghan, a neurologist with the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor.

“It’s a pretty predictable 5 percent to 10 percent drop for every $50 increase in cost,” Callaghan said.

For patients with Parkinson’s disease, not taking medications as prescribed can severely impact their quality of life, he noted.

“The Parkinson’s medicines are supposed to help make their tremors better, help them walk faster better. Theoretically, it could prevent falls and hospitalizations,” Callaghan said. “It’s not really preventing people from dying. It’s enabling people to live better and have better symptom control.”

Previous studies have shown that out-of-pocket drug costs are rising for neurologic medications, Callaghan said.

To see how these higher prices affect patient care, Callaghan and his colleagues singled out three neurologic diseases for which there are effective drugs available at a wide variety of prices:

  • Parkinson’s disease, where the drug pramipexole cost $35.90 for a 30-day supply in 2016, compared to $12.40 for the drug ropinirole.
  • Alzheimer’s disease, where a month’s supply of rivastigmine was $79.30, compared to $3.10 for the drug donepezil.
  • Peripheral neuropathy, where pregabalin cost $65.70 for a month compared to $8.40 for gabapentin.

The researchers used a private insurance claims database to track more than 80,000 patients’ prescriptions during a 15-year period, comparing how often they filled prescriptions with their out-of-pocket costs.

In 2015, the Alzheimer’s drug donepezil cost about $3 for a 30-day supply, and researchers found that people filled their prescriptions about 70 percent of the time. On the other hand, the drug rivastigmine cost about $100, and people filled those prescriptions only 45 percent of the time.

A $50 increase in out-of-pocket costs was associated with an overall 12 percent decrease in a patient’s access to Alzheimer’s medications, the researchers found.

The same pattern held for Parkinson’s patients and people with peripheral neuropathy, which causes numbness and pain, usually in the hands and feet.

“I am not surprised,” James Beck, chief scientific officer for the Parkinson’s Foundation, said of the study results. “The free Parkinson’s Foundation Helpline team hears similar stories from people with Parkinson’s disease every day. The cost of medications is a key factor in their budgets and everyday lives.”

The medication regimen for people with Parkinson’s is especially complex, “and the timing of multiple pills a day often taking into account meals is incredibly arduous,” Beck said. “Therefore, missing doses of medications will have the effect of a reduction in quality of life. People may not be able to move as well, sleep as well, or do the activities they enjoy as a result of missing their medications.”

Callaghan pointed out that medication adherence is probably even worse for patients with disorders like multiple sclerosis, where there are only a handful of medicines available and all are expensive.

Callaghan and Beck recommended that patients talk with their doctor and pharmacist if they’re struggling to pay for their medications. There could be cheaper drugs available that would work as effectively.

“For Parkinson’s disease, there are three types of medications that people often take as their first medication. The evidence suggests that starting with any of these medications leads to similar positive outcomes,” Beck said. “Therefore, people with Parkinson’s disease and their providers can work together to identify what might be the most affordable medication to start with in treating their Parkinson’s disease symptoms.”

The study was published online Feb. 19 in the journal Neurology.

Article from UPI.

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Pingpong May Help Reduce Some Parkinson’s Symptoms

March 1, 2020 Life, Research

The game of pingpong, or table tennis, may hold promise as a form of physical therapy for Parkinson’s disease, according to a preliminary study presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 72nd Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada.

The findings show that 12 Parkinson’s patients who participated in a pingpong exercise program once a week for six months experienced improvements in several symptoms, including facial expressions, posture and rigidity. They were also better at getting dressed and getting out of bed.

Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder in which the brain chemical dopamine gradually declines. This process results in slowly worsening symptoms that include tremor, stiff limbs, slowed movements, impaired posture, walking problems, poor balance and speech changes.

“Pingpong, which is also called table tennis, is a form of aerobic exercise that has been shown in the general population to improve hand-eye coordination, sharpen reflexes, and stimulate the brain,” said study author Ken-ichi Inoue, M.D., of Fukuoka University in Fukuoka, Japan.

“We wanted to examine if people with Parkinson’s disease would see similar benefits that may in turn reduce some of their symptoms.”

The research involved 12 individuals with an average age of 73 with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease. The participants had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s for an average of seven years. They were tested at the start of the study to see which symptoms they had and how severe the symptoms were.

The patients then played pingpong once a week for six months. During each weekly five-hour session, they performed stretching exercises followed by table tennis exercises with instruction from an experienced table tennis player.

The program was developed specifically for Parkinson’s disease patients by experienced players from the department of Sports Science of Fukuoka University.

Parkinson’s symptoms were evaluated again after three months and at the end of the study.

The results show that at both three months and six months, study participants experienced significant improvements in speech, handwriting, getting dressed, getting out of bed and walking. For example, at the beginning of the study, it took participants an average of more than two attempts to get out of bed. At the end of the study, it took an average of one attempt to get out of bed.

Study participants also experienced significant improvements in facial expression, posture, rigidity, slowness of movement and hand tremors. For example, for neck muscle rigidity, researchers assessed symptoms and scored each participant on a scale of 0 to 4 with a score of 1 representing minimal rigidity, 2 representing mild rigidity, 3 representing moderate rigidity and 4 representing severe rigidity. The average score for all participants at the start of the study was 3 compared to an average score of 2 at the end of the study.

Two participants experienced side effects; one person developed a backache and another person fell down.

“While this study is small, the results are encouraging because they show pingpong, a relatively inexpensive form of therapy, may improve some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease,” said Inoue. “A much larger study is now being planned to confirm these findings.”

The main limitation of the study was that participants were not compared to a control group of people with Parkinson’s disease who did not play pingpong. Another limitation was that a single specialist assessed the patients.

Article from Psychcentral.com.

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Estrogen Therapy for Men? Maybe.

February 1, 2020 Research

Men are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease (PD) than women, and the onset of PD in men happens at a younger age. However, women with PD have a higher mortality rate, and once they have Parkinson’s, progression is faster. Research suggests that women get the disease at later in life when compared to men, at least in part, due to the natural protection estrogen provides. There are studies that have demonstrated that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can provide dopaminergic neuroprotection in both young and menopausal female mice.

Could the female sex hormone, estrogen, be a therapeutic approach for delaying or reducing PD symptoms for men?

Recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience, a study titled, “Female Sex and Brain-Selective Estrogen Benefit α-Synuclein Tetramerization and the PD-like Motor Syndrome in 3K Transgenic Mice” (Rajsombath, Nam, Ericsson, & Nuber, 2019) investigated this possible therapeutic neuroprotective effect.

Using mice called 3K that show motor and neural changes associated with PD, researchers injected male mice under the skin with the hormone therapy DHED. What makes DHED so special is that it was designed to only activate estrogen in the brain. This matters because estrogen therapy has been associated with an increase in cancer in other parts of the human body.

The motor performance and brain health of the 3K male and female mice were compared along with whether DHED affects the progression of PD-like symptoms in males. The motor evaluations included their ability to clasp, climb down a pole, gait (walk) and balance on an accelerating rotarod, which is a lot like lumberjack logrolling. There were also highly sophisticated tests to determine possible changes in the build-up or clearing of protein clumping in the brain, along with the decline or increase in the health of dopamine neurons.

Results

Like the sex differences found in people with PD, 3K male mice developed PD-like symptoms faster than female mice. Furthermore, male mice treated with DHED had:

  • Improved clasping abilities
  • Improved downclimbing
  • Improved gait
  • Improved balance
  • Better clearing of risky alpha-synuclein (protein clumps in the brain)
  • Healthier dopamine neurons

What Does This Mean?

This study focused on the 3K male mice and how they responded to the estrogen therapy, DHED. When the male mice were treated with the DHED, they showed improvements in all the motor functions tested. They also showed significant improvements in the brain, including healthier dopamine neurons and lower amounts of alpha-synuclein at risk for clumping. Remember, clumped alpha-synuclein becomes Lewy Bodies ― a hallmark of PD.

It is also important to note that the successful development of the 3K model itself – which duplicates many differences in male and female PD at motor, cellular and molecular levels – is a significant step forward in closing the gender gap in PD research. Having a model that helps unravel how the pathology differently affects the two sexes informs new avenues of research that could lead to the development of tailored medications and interventions to meet the distinct needs of men and women with PD.

Read the study HERE. This article from parkinson.org.

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Parkinson’s & Driving Safety

February 1, 2020 Change, Life

The topic of driving can be a sensitive subject for folks with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and their care partners. Fortunately, just because one has a PD diagnosis does NOT necessarily mean that the freedom to drive needs to be taken away. There are many people with PD who continue to drive safely, years after they have been diagnosed.

However, we know that PD progresses over time. Symptoms change. Medications may be added and others stopped. Side effects from medications can change. New health problems may arise that make controlling PD more difficult. Because of these things, driving safety is an issue that requires re-evaluation from time to time. Independence and safety are priorities that should both be honored, while recognizing that sometimes modifications may need to be considered.

Things to consider when deciding whether to drive
Driving plays an important role in an individual’s sense of independence, personal control, and self-reliance, so giving up driving can be very difficult. People living with PD should consider the following questions when deciding whether or not to drive:

  • How is my vision? Can I see well at night? Can I distinguish colors, such as in traffic lights?
  • Would I be putting my passenger (friend or loved one) at risk?
  • How fast is my reaction time? Could I safely avoid a surprise obstacle in the road?
  • Has anyone (friend or family member) commented negatively on my ability to drive?
  • Can I handle multiple activities at the same time (whether driving or not)?
  • Can I effectively and quickly turn the wheel or step on the brake with enough strength?
  • Do my medications for PD (or other conditions) cause side effects like sleepiness, dizziness, blurred vision, or confusion?

These are understandable and important questions to be considered, but often people struggle with how to discuss the issue with loved ones or care partners. Sharing concerns or observations with a trusted friend or family member might be a good place to start.

In some cases, speaking with a doctor or professional, such as an occupational therapist, might be helpful. The American Occupational Therapy Association maintains a searchable database to help locate a Driving Rehabilitation Specialist so you or a family member may receive an assessment (https://www.aota.org/Practice/ Productive-Aging/Driving/driving-specialistsdirectory-search.aspx).

Driver Rehabilitation Specialists work with people of all ages and abilities, evaluating, training, and exploring alternative transportation solutions. Another tool for rating driving ability is offered by AAA at https://seniordriving.aaa.com/evaluate-yourdriving-ability/self-rating-tool/. Local rehabilitation hospitals also sometimes offer assistance in driver evaluation and training.

When the time comes that a person with PD needs to give up driving, it is important to remember that there are options. Public transportation can be an option. Friends and family members are often happy to help, and it is important not to be afraid to ask. Also, look into special shuttle services through local organizations and community centers.

Socialization and staying active help manage Parkinson’s symptoms. You don’t have to stay home once you are no longer driving.

 

Article from February 2020 issue of Dallas Area Parkinsonism Society newsletter.

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Doctors Prescribing Music Therapy

January 1, 2020 Caregivers, Life, Research

Music has proven time and again to be an important component of human culture. From its ceremonial origin to modern medical usage for personal motivation, concentration, and shifting mood, music is a powerful balm for the human soul. Though traditional “music therapy” encompasses a specific set of practices, the broader use of music as a therapeutic tool can be seen nowadays as doctors are found recommending music for a wide variety of conditions.

1. Music Helps Control Blood Pressure and Heart-Related Disorders

According to The Cardiovascular Society of Great Britain, listening to certain music with a repetitive rhythm for least ten seconds can lead to a decrease in blood pressure and a reduced heart rate. Certain classical compositions, if matched with human body’s rhythm, can be therapeutically used to keep the heart under control. The Oxford University study states, “listening to music with a repeated 10-second rhythm coincided with a fall in blood pressure, reducing the heart rate” and thus can be used for overcoming hypertension.

2. Listening and Playing Music Helps Treat Stress and Depression

When it comes to the human brain, music is one of the best medicines. A study at McGill University in Canada revealed that listening to agreeable music encourages the production of beneficial brain chemicals, specifically the “feel good” hormone known as dopamine. Dopamine happens to be an integral part of brain’s pleasure-enhancing system. As a result, music leads to great feeling of joy and bliss.

It’s not only listening to music that has a positive effect on stress and depression. The Namm Foundation has compiled a comprehensive list of benefits of playing music, which includes reducing stress on both the emotional level and the molecular level. Additionally, studies have shown that adults who play music produce higher levels of Human Growth Hormone (HgH), which according to Web MD, is a necessary hormone for regulating body composition, body fluids, muscle and bone growth, sugar and fat metabolism, and possibly heart function.

For more on how music can be composed to benefit the brain, read about States of Consciousness and Brainwave Entrainment.

3. Music Therapy Helps Treat Alzheimer’s Disease

Music therapy has worked wonders on patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. With Alzheimer’s, people lose their capacity to have interactions and carry on with interactive communications. According to studies done in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, “When used appropriately, music can shift mood, manage stress-induced agitation, stimulate positive interactions, facilitate cognitive function, and coordinate motor movements.”

4. Studying Music Boosts Academic Achievement in High Schoolers

Early exposure to music increases the plasticity of brain helping to motivate the human brain’s capacity in such a way that it responds readily to learning, changing and growing. “UCLA professor James S. Catterall analyzed the academic achievement of 6,500 low-income students. He found that, by the time these students were in the 10th grade, 41.4% of those who had taken arts courses scored in the top half on standardized tests, contrasted with only 25% of those who had minimal arts experience. The arts students also were better readers and watched less television.” This goes to show that in the formative stages of life, kids who study music do much better in school.

5. Playing Guitar (and Other Instruments) Aids in Treating PTSD

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shared a study in which veterans experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) experienced relief by learning to play guitar. The organization responsible for providing guitars, Guitars For Vets “enhances the lives of ailing and injured military Veterans by providing them free guitars and music instruction.” Playing music for recovery from PTSD resembles traditional music therapy, in which patients are encouraged to make music as part of their healing process. Guitar is not the only instrument that can help PTSD. In fact, Operation We Are Here has an extensive list of Therapeutic Music Opportunities For Military Veterans.

6. Studying Music Boosts Brain Development in Young Children

A research-based study undertaken at the University of Liverpool in the field of neuroscience has light to shed on the beneficial effects of early exposure to music. According to the findings, even half an hour of musical training is sufficient to increase the flow of blood in the brain’s left hemisphere, resulting in higher levels of early childhood development.

The Portland Chamber Orchestra shares, “Playing a musical instrument involves multiple components of the central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral (nerves outside the brain and spinal cord) nervous systems.  As a musician plays an instrument, motor systems in the brain control both gross and fine movements needed to produce sound.  The sound is processed by auditory circuitry, which in turn can adjust signaling by the motor control centers.  In addition, sensory information from the fingers, hands and arms is sent to the brain for processing.  If the musician is reading music, visual information is sent to the brain for processing and interpreting commands for the motor centers.  And of course, the brain processes emotional responses to the music as well!”

7. Music Education Helps Children Improve Reading Skills

Journal Psychology of Music reports that “Children exposed to a multi-year program of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers.” In the initial stages of learning and development, music arouses auditory, emotional, cognitive and visual responses in a child. Music also aids a child’s kinesthetic development. According to the research-supported evidence, a song facilitates language learning far more effectively than speech.

8. Listening To Music Helps Improve Sleep

According to The Center for Cardiovascular Disease in China, listening to music before and during sleep greatly aids people who suffer from chronic sleep disorders. This “music-assisted relaxation” can be used to treat both acute and chronic sleep disorders which include everything from stress and anxiety to insomnia.

9. Playing Didgeridoo Helps Treat Sleep Apnea

 

A study published in the British Medical Journal shows that people suffering from sleep apnea can find relief by practicing the Australian wind-instrument known as the didgeridoo. Patients who played the didgeridoo for an average of 30-minutes per day, 6 days per week, saw significant increases in their quality of sleep and decreases in daytime tiredness after a minimum period of 3-months of practice. Dr. Jordan Stern of BlueSleep says, “The treatment of sleep apnea is quite challenging because there is not a single treatment that works well for every patient. The didgeridoo has been used to treat sleep apnea and it has been shown to be effective in part because of strengthening of the pharyngeal muscles, which means the muscles of the throat, as well as the muscles of the tongue.”

Article from DidgeProject.com.

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