Parkinson's Disease News
Physicians Who Treat PD Patients Need Your Help!
As Health Reform proceeds in the Senate, neurologists, who treat a majority of Parkinson’s patients, need your help! In the present version of health reform legislation, neurologists are the only specialty NOT eligible for an incentive bonus for serving as a primary care "home" for patients. Excluding neurologists would discourage them from becoming the medical home to many Parkinson’s patients—an important role in the coordination of care. Please Contact your Senator and let them know that it is important to Parkinson’s patients that neurologists be eligible to receive these incentive payments!
Joyce Oberdorf
President and CEO
National Parkinson Foundation
traducción del inglés al español
Los médicos que tratan pacientes con el Mal de Parkinson necesita su ayuda!
Como producto de Reforma de la Salud en el Senado, los neurólogos, que tratan a la mayoría de los pacientes de Parkinson, necesito tu ayuda! En la versión actual de la legislación de reforma de la salud, los neurólogos son los únicos elegibles no la especialidad para un bono de incentivo para la calidad de la atención primaria "hogar" para los pacientes. Excluyendo los neurólogos les disuadiría de convertirse en la casa médica a los pacientes de Parkinson de muchas, un papel importante en la coordinación de la atención. Póngase en contacto con el senador y hacerles saber que es importante para los pacientes de Parkinson que los neurólogos ser elegible para recibir estos pagos de incentivo!
Joyce Oberdorf
Presidente y CEO
National Parkinson Foundation
PDF Press Releases and Statements
PDF Announces Financial Assistance Program for People with Parkinson's
New York, NY - Jul 21 2009
The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF) is pleased to announce a new financial assistance program for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), developed in partnership with the Melvin Weinstein Parkinson’s Foundation (MWPF).
The program, to be known as the Helen M. Lynch Direct Aid Fund of the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and the Melvin Weinstein Parkinson’s Foundation, was established in 2008 with the help of a private gift. It addresses a problem faced by many people with PD: handling the continuing and often overwhelming costs of vital home adjustments and medical equipment. For individuals who meet certain eligibility requirements, the new fund offers assistance to cover, temporarily, such costs as home healthcare and the purchase of medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, walkers and canes.
Marsha Anthony, co-director of MWPF with Traci Corcoran, says the two “are frequently in contact with people living with Parkinson’s whose lives could truly be made easier by items such as durable medical equipment or a home health aide. We have seen first-hand the difference that assistance, no matter how big or small, can make in keeping that person more independent and safe. That is why this collaboration between MWPF and PDF is so vital.”
PDF’s Executive Director, Robin Elliott, said of the new program, “PDF frequently hears from our helpline callers that financial matters are of great concern. It is crucial that all people with Parkinson’s have access to the equipment and services they need to manage their disease most effectively. We hope that this program can help, in some small way, to address this need.”
To find out if you are eligible for support to cover the costs of PD-related care or equipment, please contact the Melvin Weinstein Parkinson’s Foundation at help@mwpf.org or (757) 313-9729.
WOMAN CYCLING ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO RAISE MONEY FOR PARKINSON'S RESEARCH, STOPS IN LAFAYETTE APRIL 12
A New York City woman is on her way across the country by bicycle with a mission: raising $20,000 to fight Parkinson's Disease, and raising awareness along the way.
Marci Silverman begins her 58-day, 3,100-mile odyssey in San Diego on March 6, 2009, and expects to finish in St. Augustine, Florida, on April 30. In that time she will ride across California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
She decided to make the trip less than two weeks before, and to fund-raise for Parkinson's, a neurological illness that affects movement and muscle control, to honor friends and family members who have the disease.
"For months, we've seen one bad-news headline after another: the mortgage crisis, banks imploding, unemployment skyrocketing," she said. "I thought it was time to do something positive, something constructive, and in a big way."
Silverman's ride is completely self-funded: 100 percent of the money she raises benefits the Davis Phinney Foundation. Phinney is a former pro cyclist living with the disease.
"Our foundation's mission is to help improve the lives of people living with Parkinson's disease today through research and programs related to quality of life therapies," said Amy Howard, Executive Director of the foundation. "Marci's ride across the United States is a wonderful way to raise both awareness and funding for Parkinson's disease research. We are thrilled to be the beneficiary of such a great event."
Visit Silverman's website, http://www.3100miles.com, to follow her progress daily and to sponsor her ride.
Keep your brain sharp and dementia at bay
04:15 PM CST on Tuesday, January 15, 2008
By LESLIE GARCIA / The Dallas Morning News
lgarcia@dallasnews.com
AP
Einstein's brain weighted 1,230 grams; an average adult male brain weighs about 1,400.
Two pounds lost could elate; two gained could discourage. Two pounds is a fetus at seven months, five Jonamac apples, six Roma tomatoes.
Two pounds is eight sticks of butter or a history textbook.
Yet, today, we bring you even more – by far the most amazing, versatile, clever, compact, intricate and absolutely best use of 32, give or take a few, ounces:
The brain.
Between 2 and 3 pounds of wonder, it controls everything we say, do or think.
Who we are and what we care about. The way we walk or laugh or figure out things. What we like and the talents we possess. How we see and talk and run and jump and process our food.
The brain uses 20 percent of our body's oxygen and 20 percent of its blood.
Somewhere within its protein, fat, 100,000 miles of blood vessels and 100 billion nerve cells, it helps us remember where we put our gym shoes. Regulates our temperature so we don't succumb to the heat or cold. Speeds us up or slows us down. Helps us choose between peaches or peach cobbler a la mode.
Its intricacies are stunning – far beyond anything most of us can imagine. To keep this work of art as polished as possible, we need to eat right. To exercise. To keep mentally stimulated.
Exercise stimulates a hormone in our brain that aids memory. Good nutrition helps brain cells communicate with each other. Mental stimulation keeps you sharp even as you age.
"It's very important that we change people so they're being physically active, mentally active," says neurologist Malcolm Stewart, medical director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. "The pathology of aging is going on, but you're able to reduce the damage; you're able to keep the function up."
He cites the Nun Study, in which research is being done on nuns well into their 80s, 90s and even 100s. The women eat nutritionally and don't smoke or drink. They keep physically active and mentally alert by praying, knitting, listening to music, walking, working in their gardens. Upon their deaths, their brains are autopsied.
"They're riddled with Alzheimer's, but the nuns didn't show it in life," Dr. Stewart says.
"They kept active. All this stuff doesn't prevent the pathology, but it allows you to keep your function. You can't give that as medicine or as a pill. You have to generate this yourself by what you do or how you are, physically or mentally."
EXERCISE
•Exercise increases the activity in the frontal lobe of the brain, Dr. Stewart says. "You get the runner's high; that's endorphins, your own narcotics in your body. People get addicted; it's the body's reward system for exercise."
•Additionally, the motor system sends a signal that increases the amount of a hormone called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. "It's like brain fertilizer, or Miracle-Gro, for memory cells," Dr. Stewart says.
•"Research is being done – it has been documented in rats and will soon be in people – that shows physical exercise may be important in helping prevent Parkinson's disease dementia as well as Alzheimer's," says Dr. Stewart, who works with patients with both diseases. "I tell everybody they need to become a jock."
SO YOU SHOULD: Do a combination of stretching, aerobic and muscle-strengthening routines. One suggestion: Mix it up. Alternate cardio- and strength-training days for a full-body workout.
NUTRITION
•The hypothalamus, at the base of the brain, regulates appetite.
•The frontal lobe, which neurologist Malcolm Stewart calls "the boss," helps you make choices. Fried rice or steamed? Small milkshake or large?
•Eating poorly contributes to the development of vascular disease, which can have a negative impact on longevity and cognitive functioning, says Dion Graybeal, a neurologist on the medical staff of Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. These in turn supply oxygen and energy to brain cells.
•The brain's limbic system, which controls emotions, also is involved. This is why someone under stress tends to overeat.
SO YOU SHOULD: Avoid fast food. Drink alcohol in moderation. Dr. Stewart recommends the Mediterranean diet (www.americanheart.org). "The old adage is: For breakfast, eat like a king, for lunch like a queen and for supper like a pauper."
MENTAL GAMES
•Staying mentally active and alert, which can keep your brain fit, uses multiple parts of the brain: association areas; higher reasoning and processing regions; visuospatial areas.
•The part of the brain affected by enrichment activities may vary.
•For language-based activities such as reading, the left side ( frontal temporal) is primarily involved.
•For number games such as Sudoku, the right side (parietal area ) is involved.
•Listening to music can involve both sides.
SO YOU SHOULD: Get six to eight hours of sleep every night, Dr. Stewart says. Try to have a sense of hope about the future. Reduce stress by exercising, meditating or praying. Do puzzles. Listen to music. Reach out to others to make their lives better. THE SERIES
PUZZLES
•25% of people who open The New York Times Sunday Magazine look at the crossword puzzle first
•An estimated 50 million Americans work some sort of crossword puzzle.
FITNESS
Percent of U.S. adults who exercise regularly; that is, vigorous activity at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes, or light-to-moderate exercise for at least a half-hour at least five times a week:
Yes: 30%
No: 70%
FOOD
Percent of U.S. adults who eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.
Some of the brain-health foods that doctors recommend are: cold-water fish; certain nuts; vegetables such as spinach or broccoli; and fruits such as strawberries, blueberries or red grapes.
Fruits:
Yes: 33%
No: 67%
Veggies:
Yes: 27%
No: 73%
Some of the brain-health foods that doctors recommend are: Fish; nuts; vegetables such as spinach or broccoli; fruits such as blueberries or red grapes.
5 ways to strengthen your brain
12:50 PM CDT on Tuesday, May 1, 2007
You're lifting those barbells for strong muscles. You're walking around the block or running marathons or doing 1,000 jumping jacks every day for a stronger heart.
Hurray! What're you doing for your mind? Research shows we need to keep our brains stimulated as we age. If not – well, we're not going to tell you because you probably won't remember anyway.
Instead, we of the problem-solving, nip-potential-problems- in-the-bud brigade, are going to help you along with five ways to keep your brain stimulated.
1 Don't be so predictable. When we get into a routine (a.k.a. rut), aarp.org tells us, our brains adjust and aren't as stimulated. To offset that, try taking a different route to work.
2 Pretend it's 'opposite day.' Brush your teeth with your left hand if you're right-handed. Southpaws, use your right hand to move your computer mouse. Of course, there's a reason for this. It's um ...
3 Learn a new word every day. Practice using it without saying, "I think this is the right word" and giggling. Get it e-mailed to you from www.m-w.com.
4 En Español tambien! No, we're not talking about learning what pollo or queso mean on your favorite menu. Branch out; try www.studyspanish.com instead.
5 Make time to play. Do a crossword puzzle. Play Sudoku or click on www.prevention.com/braingames for fun ways to stimulate your cerebellum, cerebrum, cellophane, whatever that thingie in your head is called.
Leslie Garcia
Wireless Chips: a Threat to Hospital Patients?
Certain Tags on Medical Supplies May Interfere With Pacemakers, Other Medical Devices
By AUDREY GRAYSON
June 24, 2008
A type of device commonly used on tracking tags for medical supplies could cause potentially dangerous interference with critical care medical devices — including pacemakers — new research suggests.
New research suggests certain microchips used for tracking of medical supplies could interfere with hospital and medical equipment.
(ABC News Photo Illustration)A study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, which are often used to track medical supplies and devices, may interfere with the functioning of some medical devices and could potentially cause serious harm to a patient utilizing a critical care device.
This study highlights the dangers that can be associated with otherwise beneficial technological developments, says study author Dr. Donald Berwick, professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Harvard University's School of Public Health.
"The study highlights the fact that we really need our healthcare system to understand technologies are always double-edged," Berwick explained. "They can bring benefit but usually also have concurrent hazards, so we need to be sophisticated and wise about these technologies and how we use them."
The RFID tags used to track medical supplies are similar to the security tags attached to clothing in stores, or those used for security access cards. The tags generate signals with radio frequencies to "communicate" with one another.
Researchers at Vrije University in Amsterdam tested 41 critical care medical devices, including pacemakers, ventilators, IV pumps and anesthesia machines, among others. They moved three types of RFID tags from two different manufacturers around each device at different distances to detect the point at which the machine malfunctioned, if at all.
Out of 123 tests, they detected 34 instances in which interference had occurred. After an interference issue was detected, the researchers asked five intensive care doctors to qualify the interferences as minor, moderate, or severely hazardous to a patient who might be using the machine.
Of the 34 interference issues identified, the independent panel of intensive care doctors classified 22 of the interferences as hazardous.
Berwick added that although this research has identified a serious potential hazard with this technology in the healthcare setting, he would not recommend that the use of RFID tags in hospitals be discontinued.
"This was studied in an ICU room with no patients, so I think there should be immediate further study to see if the kind of interference they detected is replicable and if it could it hurt patient outcomes," Berwick said. "I think it would be overreacting to turn off the [RFID tags] or remove them from Intensive Care Units."
A Ubiquitous Threat?
Indeed, the looming question mark left by this research is how damaging the RFID tag's interference with medical devices can be to a patient, and whether patients utilizing these medical devices should be wary of coming too close to the nearly unavoidable RFID tags.
Although the most common use of RFID tags is to improve the tracking of inventory for a business or manufacturer, the tags seem to have crept into almost every imaginable place in our society: from our passports, to our tollbooths, to our library books and our bus passes, the RFID tags surround our day-to-to lives.
But what if a heart patient who has an implanted defibrillator tries on a t-shirt in a clothing store that has an RFID security tag attached to it? Would the radio waves emitting from the tag cause enough interference to make the implanted device would malfunction?
These are questions that most experts say we just don't have the answers to yet.
"It really depends on the power generated by the device causing the interference," said Dr. John Halamka, chief information officer of Harvard Medical School and of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. "And unfortunately, in some cases with certain devices, we don't really know what kind of interference they could cause to a machine being used by a patient."
However, experts say it is important to distinguish between passive RFID tags and active RFID tags.
Passive tags are more commonly used in hospital settings, and because they have no internal power supply, they are less likely to interfere with many devices. These RFID tags require a "reader" device to detect their radio wave emissions, such as when an RFID wristband on a hospital patient is scanned by a "reader" machine.
Active tags, however, do contain internal power supplies and constantly broadcast their signal to a reader. These types of RFID tags are more likely to emit radio waves that can interfere with medical devices.
Today, RFID tags are used to track medications, medical equipment, and sometimes even patients within a hospital.
For instance, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center uses passive RFID tags to track babies in the neonatal intensive care unit by way of RFID wristbands. Each baby's RFID wristband corresponds to an RFID tag on the container his or her mother's milk. This way, the RFID scanner is used to ensure that the infant receives the right milk, and even leaves a traceable audit trail.
But because the use of RFID tags in the hospital setting has gone from "hardly at all" to "couldn't survive without them" in a relatively short period of time, many experts are wondering what concurrent risks might be associated with the widespread use of the technology.
Some Hospitals Taking Steps
In order for the RFID-dependent healthcare system to work, Halamka says the proper precautions must always be taken.
In 2001, the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center instituted a policy requiring that all hospital workers are trained on the potential interferences caused by RFID devices. Moreover, they require that all devices generating electromagnetic interference be kept at least three feet away from patients.
Halamka added that certain critical care devices are even shielded so as to avoid any potential interference by a device emitting radio or electromagnetic waves. Moreover, hospital workers in the Clinical Engineering Group at Beth Israel are constantly testing any new device that enters into the hospital to make sure that it doesn't interfere with existing equipment used for patient care.
However, the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center seems to be far ahead of the curve when it comes to preemptive precautions against any interference to medical devices caused by RFID tags; very few other medical centers have instituted any policies to protect from interference caused by these tags.
Dr. Richard O'Brien, an emergency physician at Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton, Penn., and the spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians, believes that the policies at Beth Israel should be the standard for medical centers around the country.
"I believe the message is … that in the critical care environment, we have to have on site testing and follow international standards," O'Brien said