Who said what: 4 powerful Parkinson’s quotes we loved this week

Perspectives

Author: Parkinson's Life editorsPublished: 14 May 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

A weekly roundup of our favourite Parkinson’s related quotes, as selected by the Parkinson’s Life editorial team:

“The rope is representative of that battle, the need to hold on, to be fighting every day”

– Michael McCastle, US Navy officer who is rope-climbing the height of Everest after losing his father to Parkinson’s

“I will meet this challenge with the same determination and unwavering intensity that I have displayed in all of my endeavours in life”

– Kirk Gibson, former baseball player on his diagnosis

*“With Parkinson’s, sometimes you wake up and think: ‘Why the f*** did they pick me?’ But, you know, that’s part of life”*

– Freddie Roach, trainer of boxer Manny Paquiao

“The amount of new knowledge in the field of Parkinson’s disease gained in the past five years exceeds everything we knew from the previous 200 years”

– John Jurenko, healthcare research philanthropist who recently passed away after living with Parkinson’s

Add your favourite quotes in the comments below

Share this story

Comments

Tonya’s trends: fashioning Parkinson’s fundraisers out of designer clothes

‘Art of Fashion’ benefit raises $7,000 for Parkinson’s causes

World Parkinson’s Congress 2016: travel grant applications now open

Financial support available for attendees travelling to WPC 2016

Aspiring Parkinson’s nurses urged to apply for “hands-on” summer school in Portugal

A unique opportunity to bring Parkinson’s nurses together

Could a sea sponge support the search for Parkinson’s disease treatments?

How could a molecule in a sea sponge help treat Parkinson’s and similar conditions? Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in the US, recently explored this question. Their findings were published in the journal ‘Science’. The team examined a molecule known as lissodendoric acid A, which appears to counteract other molecules that damage DNA, proteins and whole cells – and was recently discovered in a sea sponge. The research team used an oft-neglected compound called a cyclic allene to control a step in the chain of chemical reactions, which enabled them to create a version of the molecule in a lab. Scientists believe that the ability to synthetically produce lissodendoric acid A will help them assess whether it can inform future therapies for conditions like Parkinson’s. UCLA’s Professor Neil Garg, the corresponding author of the study, said: “We hope others will also be able to use cyclic…

Study finds just six minutes of daily exercise might delay onset of Parkinson’s disease

Regular exercise is a common therapeutic strategy for people with Parkinson’s. Now, a study from New Zealand has suggested that daily physical activity might even delay the onset of this condition. Published in ‘The Physiological Society’, the study focused on a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) – which has previously been shown to boost cognitive performance. The researchers assessed the impact of fasting and physical activity on BDNF production in 12 people aged 18 to 56. The tests involved fasting and completing exercises of varying intensity, such as cycling for six minutes, as well as combinations of both fasting and physical activity. The results showed that brief, intense exercise was the best option for increasing the production of BDNF – with the protein increasing by a factor of four to five times compared to light exercise or fasting. Because BDNF can protect the brain from cognitive decline, the findings could…

Machine learning may help predict risk of freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease

Difficulty taking steps forward, often referred to as the freezing of gait (FOG), is a common symptom experienced by people with Parkinson’s and one that can be difficult to predict. China-based researchers suggest that machine learning – artificial intelligence (AI) that uses algorithms to analyse data – could help predict the risk of freezing of gait developing in the early stages of the condition. Their study, published in ‘npj Parkinson’s Disease’, gave laboratory and clinical data to a machine learning model brain. This information was collected from 158 adults with untreated early-stage Parkinson’s and 73 healthy adults over a five-year period. They found that the risk of FOG could be predicted with an accuracy rate of up to 78%. The study authors suggested that machine learning methods “have the potential to help predict future FOG in patients with early Parkinson’s at an individual level”.

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
Email
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Who said what: 4 powerful Parkinson’s quotes we loved this week

Perspectives

Author: Parkinson's Life editorsPublished: 14 May 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

“The rope is representative of that battle, the need to hold on, to be fighting every day”

“I will meet this challenge with the same determination and unwavering intensity that I have displayed in all of my endeavours in life”

*“With Parkinson’s, sometimes you wake up and think: ‘Why the f*** did they pick me?’ But, you know, that’s part of life”*

“The amount of new knowledge in the field of Parkinson’s disease gained in the past five years exceeds everything we knew from the previous 200 years”

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Perspectives

Tonya’s trends: fashioning Parkinson’s fundraisers out of designer clothes

Global update

World Parkinson’s Congress 2016: travel grant applications now open

PD in Practice

Aspiring Parkinson’s nurses urged to apply for “hands-on” summer school in Portugal

Could a sea sponge support the search for Parkinson’s disease treatments?

Study finds just six minutes of daily exercise might delay onset of Parkinson’s disease

Machine learning may help predict risk of freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease

{title}

Subscribe

Who said what: 4 powerful Parkinson’s quotes we loved this week

Perspectives

Author: Parkinson's Life editorsPublished: 14 May 2015

“The rope is representative of that battle, the need to hold on, to be fighting every day”

“I will meet this challenge with the same determination and unwavering intensity that I have displayed in all of my endeavours in life”

“With Parkinson’s, sometimes you wake up and think: ‘Why the f*** did they pick me?’ But, you know, that’s part of life”

“The amount of new knowledge in the field of Parkinson’s disease gained in the past five years exceeds everything we knew from the previous 200 years”

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Perspectives

Tonya’s trends: fashioning Parkinson’s fundraisers out of designer clothes

Global update

World Parkinson’s Congress 2016: travel grant applications now open

PD in Practice

Aspiring Parkinson’s nurses urged to apply for “hands-on” summer school in Portugal

Could a sea sponge support the search for Parkinson’s disease treatments?

Study finds just six minutes of daily exercise might delay onset of Parkinson’s disease

Machine learning may help predict risk of freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease

{title}

Subscribe

Sign in

*“With Parkinson’s, sometimes you wake up and think: ‘Why the f*** did they pick me?’ But, you know, that’s part of life”*