Janet Reno “showed the world that Parkinson’s does not have to define you”

Perspectives

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 8 November 2016

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Campaigners celebrate the life of Janet Reno, former US Attorney General, who died after living with Parkinson’s for more than 20 years

Janet Reno, former US Attorney General under President Bill Clinton, died on Monday at the age of 78 after complications with Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s campaigners paid tribute to her as a “legend” for her contribution the Parkinson’s community. She was honorary chair of Moving Day Miami, the National Parkinson Foundation’s fundraising walk, from 2012-2015, and a prominent advocate of Parkinson’s research and awareness.

As the first female Attorney General of the US, Reno served in the Clinton administration from 1993 to 2001. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1995 after noticing a tremor in her left hand, but continued in her government role.

John Kozyak, chairman of the Parkinson’s Foundation, praised the example she set for others living with the condition: “She set an example for people living with Parkinson’s and she set an example for so many more to live life to the fullest, to be humble and to do the right thing. I will never forget how Janet comforted me when my parents were diagnosed with Parkinson’s. She is a legend to me and many.”

Dr Michael Okun, national medical director of the Parkinson’s Foundation and professor and chairman of neurology at the University of Florida, paid tribute to Reno’s determination to not let the disease define her.

“Janet Reno lived two decades with Parkinson’s and was an amazing example to everyone suffering with this disease, showing that it is possible to live a happy life. She showed the world that Parkinson’s does not have to define you,” said Dr Okun.

Janet Reno at the National Parkinson Foundation event, Moving Day Miami

Image credit: National Parkinson Foundation

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rempat

While Parkinson’s doesn’t define us, we cannot ignore it either. I’m glad that Reno sought to comfort others about it, as illustrated in this article. I look at it as an opportunity to gain further experience with it that I can use together with my other skills to help others.
Mary Spremulli,MA,CCC-SLP

When to share the diagnosis has been a topic of discussion with my LOUD Crowd members lately. Saying the PD word out loud let’s the steam out for some people, and others keep it private for longer. Treating PD like a chronic disease, much the way we think of diabetes, can keep it in perspective. Something to be managed, but also only one aspect of all that you are.

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The European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA) has launched a survey for young Europeans who are living with brain conditions. The survey, which was launched in Brain Awareness Week from 12 to 18 March, aims to gain a better understanding of the issues affecting those with neurological conditions. The research is open to anyone living with such a condition, aged between 18–35 and lives in Europe. The findings from the survey will be announced on World Brain Day 2018 on 22 July – with the information being used to raise awareness among the general public, health professionals and policymakers. Participants are encouraged to share the survey across their networks via email, newsletters and social media. The survey is open until 21 May – to take the survey click here.

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Researchers from Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea believe they are closer to finding a cure for Parkinson’s through their research into protein DJ-1. The research, which will be published in US journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’, has found evidence to suggest the protein impairs nerve cells within the body which relate to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. Although the protein had previously been linked to the development of Parkinson’s, its exact role remained unknown. Professor Sung Hyun Kim, who led the study, said: “We will research the relationship between synapse function and the expressive actions of animals with Parkinson’s, and establish the related network. If the study goes well, we will be able to infer the cause of Parkinson’s.”

Excess calcium in brain could cause Parkinson’s

Researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK, have discovered that excess levels of calcium in brain cells may lead to the formation of the toxic clusters that signify Parkinson’s disease. The findings, reported in the journal ‘Nature Communications’, show that calcium can influence the interaction between small membranous structures inside nerve endings, which are important for neuronal signaling in the brain, and alpha-synuclein – the protein associated with Parkinson’s disease. Dr Janin Lautenschläger, the paper’s first author, said: “This is the first time we’ve seen that calcium influences the way alpha-synuclein interacts with synaptic vesicles. We think that alpha-synuclein is almost like a calcium sensor. In the presence of calcium, it changes its structure and how it interacts with its environment, which is likely very important for its normal function.”

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Janet Reno “showed the world that Parkinson’s does not have to define you”

Perspectives

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 8 November 2016

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Janet Reno “showed the world that Parkinson’s does not have to define you”

Perspectives

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 8 November 2016

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