APDA’s Grassroots Network: APDA Information & Referral Centers Posted on March 16, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Get to know the programs we offer at our Information & Referral centers APDA is the largest grassroots network serving the Parkinson’s disease (PD) community. This network is comprised of APDA Chapters and APDA Information & Referral Centers across the country, through which we provide critical resources, programs and services to people living with PD […] Read More
The many variations of carbidopa/levodopa – the mainstay of Parkinson’s disease treatment Posted on March 9, 2021March 9, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert How carbidopa/levodopa is used to treat Parkinson’s disease symptoms Loss of neurons in the brain that use dopamine to 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 […] Read More
Where are they now? APDA’s research success continued Posted on March 2, 2021March 3, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Q & A with APDA research grant recipients Since 1961, APDA has been a funding partner in many major scientific breakthroughs and has awarded more than $51 million in research grants to date. APDA funds individual research grants and fellowships to scientists performing innovative Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. Grants are awarded through a competitive application […] Read More
Vocal Therapy & More — Let’s Talk About LSVT Posted on February 16, 2021February 16, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Improving Speech & Movement Through Lee Silverman Voice Treatment Programs for Parkinson’s Disease People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often find that they have difficulty with their speech and their ability to be properly understood in conversation. Their voice may not be as loud, or their articulation as clear as it once was. They may speak […] Read More
Use of Cannabidiol (CBD) for PD symptoms Posted on February 9, 2021February 10, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Understanding CBD People with PD are eager to find alternative methods to help their symptoms, leading many of these patients to look into whether other therapies, such as medical marijuana, also known as medical cannabis, can be useful. Previously, I wrote a blog on medical marijuana and PD which you may find interesting. More recently, I […] Read More
Neuroinflammation in Parkinson’s disease: An Interview with ADPA Researcher, Dr. Edward Griffin Posted on February 2, 2021February 1, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Dr. Edward Griffin researches the relationship between neuroinflammation and Parkinson’s disease Today we introduce you to Dr. Edward Griffin, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is the recipient of a 2019-2020 APDA Post-doctoral fellowship and is currently studying the role of inflammation in the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). We asked […] Read More
PD and the microbiome Posted on January 19, 2021January 19, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert What is the microbiome? The human gut harbors trillions of micro-organisms referred to collectively as the microbiome. Current understanding is that the microbiome provides a number of benefits to the human including help with digestion of food, help with warding off harmful microorganisms, aid in the absorption of particular nutrients, and creation of needed vitamins. […] Read More
Let’s Talk About Palliative Care and Parkinson’s disease Posted on January 12, 2021January 12, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and their care partners are always searching for ways to make their lives easier, healthier and fuller. Using the principles of palliative care to enhance PD-specific care is one way to do that. Palliative care is a medical approach for those with complex illnesses, in which the focus is on […] Read More
Planning for the What Ifs – Multiple System Atrophy Posted on January 5, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Advanced Parkinson’s and Multiple System Atrophy As part of our Planning for the What Ifs series, today we continue to expand the definition of advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) by discussing one of the atypical parkinsonian syndromes. In a past blog we explored two other atypical parkinsonian syndromes – Progressive supranuclear palsy and Corticobasal degeneration. Today we will […] Read More
A New Perspective on Being a PD Care Partner Posted on December 15, 2020May 11, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert An Inside Look at Parkinson’s Disease Care Partners Being a care partner for someone with Parkinson’s disease (PD) can be a difficult, but potentially very rewarding role. Making it even more challenging is the fact that the role is assigned without consent of the care partner, without any training and without the option of refusal. […] Read More
