Exploring the Variations of Carbidopa/Levodopa: The Mainstay of Parkinson’s Disease Treatment

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

How carbidopa/levodopa is used to treat Parkinson’s disease symptoms Loss of neurons in the brain that use dopamine to...see more communicate is one of the hallmark features of Parkinson’s disease (PD), causing slowness, stiffness, tremor, and balance problems. Replacing the brain’s dopamine is therefore one of the key treatment strategies to help improve the motor symptoms […]

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How many people in the US have Parkinson’s disease?

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

How many people have Parkinson’s disease? You may have heard the statistic that there are approximately one million people...see more with Parkinson’s disease (PD) living in the US. That means approximately 1 out of every 336 people are living with PD. That number has increased in past decades and will continue to increase.  With a new […]

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Making Hope Possible: American Parkinson Disease Association Supports Researchers With $2.6 Million in New Funding

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

Exciting New Parkinson’s Disease Research is Underway On September 5, 2024, APDA announced 20 new Parkinson’s disease (PD) research...see more grants, for a total of $ 2.6 million in funding for the year ahead. Our grant recipients are working tirelessly to understand the complexities of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and to develop new treatments and eventually, a […]

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The Heart of The Matter: Cardiovascular Effects of Parkinson’s Disease

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

It has long been understood that Parkinson’s disease (PD) does not just cause movement, or motor, symptoms, but also...see more causes a litany of non-motor symptoms with effects throughout the body. One of the organ systems that is affected is the cardiac system, encompassing the heart, as well as the major and minor blood vessels.

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What is a DaTscan and should I get one?

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

DaTscan: A test to help in the diagnosis of Parkinson’s What is a DaTscan and how is it performed?...see more In 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an imaging test to help diagnose Parkinson’s disease (PD) called DaTscan (dopamine transporter scan). In this test, a radioactive tracer, Ioflupane (123I), also known as DaTscan, is injected […]

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Gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

What is gene therapy and can it help people with Parkinson’s? You may have read about efforts to use...see more gene therapy as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD). It’s an exciting prospect and studies are underway, with some positive results so far. Understanding these studies and therapies requires some background information about what genes are […]

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Lewy Bodies, Dementia, and Parkinson’s – What Does it all Mean?

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

Understanding Cognitive Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease: PDD vs. DLB Cognitive challenges are a very common non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s...see more disease (PD). When the cognitive challenges are severe enough to interfere with daily activity, they are known as Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD). You may have heard of another condition called Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). Although […]

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What Worsens Parkinson’s Disease’s Motor Symptoms?

Posted on by Rebecca Gilbert, MD, Ph.D.

Understanding what factors may worsen Parkinson’s symptoms Many people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience variation in their motor symptoms...see more (e.g. tremor, stiffness, slowness, trouble walking, balance difficulties) throughout the day and from one day and the next. This variability is often related to medication dosing, and you and your doctor may focus on adjusting the […]

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