Escalator ‘freeze’ video: do people help or just push past?

Europe

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 20 August 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Find out what happened when a man with Parkinson’s struggles up an escalator. A hidden camera filmed the public’s reaction

The Norwegian Parkinson’s disease association, Norges Parkinsonforbund, conducted three social experiments and uploaded the footage to YouTube where they have amassed almost 20,000 views.

The videos show how challenging everyday life can be for people with Parkinson’s.

In the first video, a man is shown to be struggling to get off at the top of an escalator. He appears to suddenly experience a common symptom known as ‘freezing’, blocking the path of those behind him.

See for yourself how the public reacted:

In Norway alone, 8,000 people are living with Parkinson’s. The videos were well received in Norway, and were even covered by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.

The second episode shows how difficult something like pulling a pint can be, and the public’s reaction:

The third video shows the difficulty of getting into a car, something many of us take for granted:

Last Month

Next Month

Go Back

Share this story

Comments

Isabella Fava

I think we should translate in several languages and make some posters as well. I’m ready to collaborate . isabella fava Associazione Parkinson Valtellina Italy plmy contact is isabellafava@tiscali.it
+393384278108

Advances

EU approval for Medtronic DBS systems improves access to full-body MRI scans

Patients receiving DBS therapy have the option of full-body MRI scans

Helping others with Parkinson’s ‘filled the gap in my life’

We talk to the founder of Parkinson’s EQUIP

Now there’s an app to remind your loved ones to take their Parkinson’s meds

Introducing the voice reminder service for Parkinson’s carers

Musical therapy study to receive $20 million in funding

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is donating US $20 million to a medical trial researching the effects of musical therapy on brain conditions, including Parkinson’s. The trial will be carried out by the Sound Health initiative, a joint partnership between the NIH and The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The initiative was created to expand current knowledge of how listening, performing and creating music could be harnessed for health and wellness. Francis S. Collins, director of the NIH, said: “We know that the beat of a metronome can steady the gait of someone with Parkinson’s disease, for example, but we don’t fully understand how that happens. “If we can pinpoint in the brain how music therapy works through the use of imaging and biomarkers, the hope is that we can improve its effectiveness and apply it more broadly to improve the lives of millions of people.”

Researchers develop automated system to diagnose Parkinson’s

In an international study, researchers from the US, Germany and Austria have used a non-invasive MRI method to develop an automated system that can diagnose Parkinson’s. As part of the study – published in medical journal ‘The Lancet Digital Health’ – researchers worked with 1,002 patients and used an imaging method that measures how water molecules diffuse in the brain. This helped them to identify where neurodegeneration is occurring. Researchers hope this will help improve the accuracy of early Parkinson’s diagnoses – which they estimate to be around 58%. Dr David Vaillancourt, who led the study, said: “Our method may help to reduce the number of misdiagnosed cases in the future. Since these diseases require unique treatment plans and different medications, and clinical trials testing new medications require the correct diagnosis, getting it right is important for patient care.”

MJFF announces $10 million competition for Parkinson’s

The Michael J Fox Foundation has launched the ‘Ken Griffin Alpha-synuclein Imaging Competition’ – a US $10 million programme aiming to develop a game-changing tool for Parkinson’s research. As part of the competition, participating teams will compete in a scientific race to build a device that is able to identify alpha-synuclein – a protein closely associated with Parkinson’s. Although almost everyone diagnosed with Parkinson’s has clumps of alpha-synuclein in the brain, these are currently only visible when analysing tissue during autopsies. The competition is named after Ken Griffin, CEO of US investment firm Citadel who has given US $7.5 million funding to the programme. Griffin – whose father has Parkinson’s – said: “If we have the imaging capability to observe the pathology that arises from protein-misfolding in real time, and understand how drugs are impacting people in real time, that would be a major advance.”

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.

Escalator ‘freeze’ video: do people help or just push past?

Europe

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 20 August 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

sponsored article

Advances

EU approval for Medtronic DBS systems improves access to full-body MRI scans

Interviews

Helping others with Parkinson’s ‘filled the gap in my life’

Carers' Corner

Now there’s an app to remind your loved ones to take their Parkinson’s meds

Musical therapy study to receive $20 million in funding

Researchers develop automated system to diagnose Parkinson’s

MJFF announces $10 million competition for Parkinson’s

{title}

Subscribe

Escalator ‘freeze’ video: do people help or just push past?

Europe

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 20 August 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

sponsored article

Advances

EU approval for Medtronic DBS systems improves access to full-body MRI scans

Interviews

Helping others with Parkinson’s ‘filled the gap in my life’

Carers' Corner

Now there’s an app to remind your loved ones to take their Parkinson’s meds

Musical therapy study to receive $20 million in funding

Researchers develop automated system to diagnose Parkinson’s

MJFF announces $10 million competition for Parkinson’s

{title}

Subscribe

Sign in