Women and Parkinson's Archives

Women and Parkinson's

Cathy Molohan on the “balancing act” of work and Parkinson’s disease
READ MORE
Women and Parkinson's

Richelle Flanagan on connecting with the Parkinson’s disease community
READ MORE
Women and Parkinson's

Teresa Borque on diagnosis, identity and learning to say ‘me first’
READ MORE

“It’s essential to create a workplace where chronic illness is not taboo”

Cathy Molohan on the “balancing act” of work and Parkinson’s disease

“We do ourselves an injustice by just suffering through it”

Richelle Flanagan on connecting with the Parkinson’s disease community

An illustration of a woman looking in a mirror.

“Parkinson’s disease feels like an ally of sexism”

Teresa Borque on diagnosis, identity and learning to say ‘me first’

7 famous women with Parkinson’s

Can you name a well-known woman with Parkinson’s disease?

“Look at us – we are here”

To mark International Women’s Day, we share our campaign highlights

An illustration of a woman on her laptop, with bubbles of people floating above it

“Helping women with Parkinson’s know they are not alone”

Francisca Ruiz González on making women with Parkinson’s visible

“Finding information about being a woman with Parkinson’s was challenging”

Kathleen Reardon on diagnosis and being heard by doctors

“Life isn’t easy”: how coronavirus is affecting women with Parkinson’s

Four women with Parkinson’s share their experience of lockdown

The women blazing the trail in Parkinson’s tech and innovation

Have you heard about these Parkinson’s technology inventions?

“Incompetence, racism and prejudice delayed my diagnosis”

Manon Day on being a young black woman with Parkinson’s

“Recognising gender difference is essential for Parkinson’s research”

The research gap, revealed by neurologist Marina Picillo

“We need to be having more conversations about menopause”

One woman’s story about the approach of menopause

Women and Parkinson’s: menstruation, medication and motherhood

Our podcast shines a light on how women experience the condition

Women and Parkinson’s: “Being pregnant was scary”

One woman’s poignant account of pregnancy and Parkinson’s

Women and Parkinson’s: “My medication only works three weeks out of four”

An honest account of menstruation, medication and symptoms

“We are not just variants of men”

Our new campaign centres the experiences of women with Parkinson’s

New insights on immune cell process and Parkinson’s disease

Insoluble clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein, which can cause damage to brain cells, have been previously linked to Parkinson’s. Now, scientists in Germany, France and the US have uncovered new details on how brain cells respond to these clusters. The researchers discovered that the brain’s immune cells may be able to join together to break down the protein clumps. According to a press release, this was previously unknown. They also found that these neighbouring cells share mitochondria – structures that generate energy for chemical reactions – to help one another. In certain mutations associated with Parkinson’s, this process may be impaired. The researchers hope this insight could inform the development of new therapies. “We have opened the door to a field that will certainly engage researchers for many years to come,” said Professor Dr Michael Heneka, director of the Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry at the University Hospital…

Could analysing skin oil help diagnose Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s disease patients tend to have high levels of oil, known as sebum, on their skin’s surface. Now, a study has suggested that analysing this substance may help when diagnosing the condition. The study revealed that sebum contains significant amounts of genetic material, specifically the molecule ribonucleic acid (RNA). Analysis of RNA contained in sebum – that is, skin surface lipids RNA, or SSL-RNA – could offer insights into a person’s health. Researchers in Japan examined SSL-RNA in men and women with and without Parkinson’s. The results suggested that the SSL-RNA profiles of those with Parkinson’s had “different characteristics” than those without. The researchers then tested whether examining these profiles with machine learning could reveal those who had Parkinson’s – and who didn’t. The team’s algorithm indicated a “relatively robust discriminatory ability,” supporting the further use of SSL-RNA as part of a future “non-invasive” method for diagnosis.

‘Sonic hedgehog’ protein could impact Parkinson’s disease dyskinesia

Dyskinesia is often caused by extended use of the common Parkinson’s medication levodopa – and can be debilitating for those with the condition. Now, researchers in the US may have found a way to suppress these involuntary movements through a protein called ‘sonic hedgehog’. To conduct their study, the team administered levodopa and sonic hedgehog agonists to rodent and non-human primate models of the condition. The results revealed that dopamine neurons use the protein to communicate with other neurons thought to play a role in levodopa-induced dyskinesia. Increased signalling of sonic hedgehog pathways was found to reduce this dyskinesia – providing “novel insight” into its formation and a “potential therapeutic solution”. “What we find,” wrote corresponding study author Professor Andreas Kottmann, “is that in several animal models, by replacing … dopamine together with agonists that mimic the effects of sonic hedgehog, these dyskinesias can be very much suppressed.”

All fields required

First name*
Last name*
Email address*
Enter Email Confirm Email
Country of residence*
About me*
- I have Parkinson's disease
- I am a partner / carer / family / friend of someone who has Parkinson's
- I am a healthcare professional with an interest in Parkinson's
- I work for a Parkinson's disease organisation
- Other
CAPTCHA
*
- By proceeding you agree to our
Comments
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“It’s essential to create a workplace where chronic illness is not taboo”

“We do ourselves an injustice by just suffering through it”

“Parkinson’s disease feels like an ally of sexism”