Parkinson’s podcast: stopping disease progression

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Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 9 July 2015

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In the second episode of the Portland Countdown podcast series, Dr Patrik Brundin and Dr Kimberley Gannon discuss how to stop ‘bad’ proteins attacking brain cells

Stopping disease progression: alpha synuclein

Special Guests: Patrik Brundin, MD, PhD and Kimberley Gannon, PhD

Basic researchers are hard at work trying to understand the pathology of Parkinson’s and discover new drug targets. One likely bad actor is a protein called alpha-synuclein.

Hosted by Dave Iverson and Jon Palfreman, Emmy award-winning journalists living with Parkinson’s disease, this episode looks into what we know about how alpha-synuclein kills brain cells and what might be done to stop it, with Dr Patrik Brundin and Dr Kimberley Gannon on hand to offer their expert opinions.

The aim of the Portland Countdown series is to give listeners new perspectives on the latest advances in Parkinson’s research and treatment.

The shows, developed by the World Parkinson Coalition, are aired online on the first Tuesday of every month from June 2015 to September 2016 – when the 4th World Parkinson Congress takes place in Portland, Oregon, USA. The entire series of podcasts will also be downloadable for free.

The full schedule of show topics and guest speaker profiles is available here

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Take part in The Parkinson Tulip Project

This April, The World Parkinson Coalition is launching The Parkinson Tulip Project – a global collaborative photography campaign to raise awareness of the world’s fastest growing neurological disease. As part of the campaign, which is supported by Supernus Pharmaceuticals, members of the Parkinson’s community are invited to share a photo of themselves with tulips – the official symbol of Parkinson’s disease. The project will run until April 2022, and all images shared by the community will be displayed at the sixth World Parkinson Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Additionally, every photo submitted will be entered into The Parkinson Tulip Project raffle. The World Parkinson Coalition hopes that the project will “give a face and name to those impacted by Parkinson’s” and “inspire the community, reminding people touched by Parkinson’s disease that they are not alone”.

Looking after dental health with Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease symptoms and medications can cause dental health problems – including difficulty cleaning teeth and increased tooth decay. Now, a study from researchers in Brazil has offered dental care recommendations to help people living with the condition. Analysing data from 14 studies, the scientists highlighted people with Parkinson’s can have “reduced quality of oral health and hygiene”. Their advice included routine teeth-brushing, as well as regular trips to a dentist. They also suggested brushing teeth with both hands, as symptoms like tremor and rigidity could mean using one hand is more difficult. The researchers wrote: “Although oral diseases are largely preventable, they are among the most prevalent diseases globally, thus creating a public health problem. “Despite the relatively low level of evidence in studies on oral health among patients with Parkinson’s disease, the data retrieved for this systematic review allowed us to create a set of simple guidelines.”

Why Parkinson’s disease research can’t ignore sex differences

Researchers at the University of Maryland, US, have highlighted the growing body of research that suggests male and female patients are affected differently by Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is caused by the death of cells in the brain and nervous system. These cellular changes are associated with the collapse of the blood-brain barrier – a border of cells that protects the brain from damaging molecules. In the article – published in scientific journal ‘APL Bioengineering’ – the researchers observed that this barrier behaves differently in male and female patients. The fact that some research suggests women tend to have a stronger blood-brain barrier, for example, could explain why Parkinson’s disease is more common in men. Dr Alisa Morss Clyne, one of the article’s authors, says this research has been an “awakening”. She adds: “You cannot ignore sex differences. My goal is to inspire people to include sex differences in their research.”

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Parkinson’s podcast: stopping disease progression

Resources & Tools

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 9 July 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

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PD in Practice

WEBINAR: Get expert advice on managing Parkinson’s pain and fatigue

Perspectives

Alexander Reed: “people with Parkinson’s are not sick”

Interviews

“People are capable of so much more than they think”

Take part in The Parkinson Tulip Project

Looking after dental health with Parkinson’s disease

Why Parkinson’s disease research can’t ignore sex differences

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Parkinson’s podcast: stopping disease progression

Resources & Tools

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 9 July 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

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PD in Practice

WEBINAR: Get expert advice on managing Parkinson’s pain and fatigue

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Alexander Reed: “people with Parkinson’s are not sick”

Interviews

“People are capable of so much more than they think”

Take part in The Parkinson Tulip Project

Looking after dental health with Parkinson’s disease

Why Parkinson’s disease research can’t ignore sex differences

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