Partners in Parkinson's, a new initiative from the Michael J. Fox Foundation, offers on online tool to help patients locate a movement-disorder specialist, in collaboration with the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society, whose members include medical specialists. With funding from pharmaceutical company AbbVie Inc., which has a Parkinson's drug in development, the Fox foundation is holding patient and family events where specialists from local clinics demonstrate a comprehensive evaluation.
Dennis Ploszaj, 65, exercises and volunteers to help patients
at the University of Toledo's Gardner-McMaster Parkinson Center.
Dennis Ploszjad
Patients visiting the University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, in Gainesville, are screened for depression, which can be caused by changes in the brain as well as by sadness about the disease's effects, said Michael Okun, the center's co-director and author of the book "Parkinson's Treatment: 10 Secrets to a Happier Life." Patients receive a neurologist's evaluation of motor function, including their gait and balance, as well as their lung function.
Dr. Okun says the aim is to prevent falls, fractures and a respiratory ailment called aspiration pneumonia, which are the leading causes of injury and death in Parkinson's patients. They can see several specialists in a single day, including mental-health and speech and communication therapists, who can help with issues like swallowing.
A study led by Peter Schmidt, vice president of research at the National Parkinson Foundation, estimates that neurologist care prevents more than 4,500 deaths a year in Parkinson's patients. The foundation trains medical teams and is conducting a large study at 20 clinics in its Centers of Excellence network to identify factors that result in longer and more active lives for Parkinson's patients.
Dennis Ploszaj, 65, of Findlay, Ohio, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2005 at age 56, after experiencing shakiness and balance issues while volunteering as a high-school sports referee. He says his doctor told him he might have a decade or so to live and provided little information about lifestyle changes that could help.
"Movement disorder specialist wasn't in my vocabulary," Mr. Ploszaj says. A year later, he attended a seminar held by Lawrence Elmer, director of the University of Toledo's Gardner-McMaster Parkinson Center, and signed on as a new patient.
"There is so much more to offer patients now than just, 'Here, take a pill,' " says Dr. Elmer. He told Mr. Ploszaj that it would be possible for him to delay the disease's progression and lead a good life. Dr. Elmer advised regular exercise.
Mr. Ploszaj signed up for clinical drug trials and hearing and speech therapy. With his disease under control, Mr. Ploszaj now volunteers to help other patients. "A lot of people come in very down and don't yet understand the disease, so I try to pick up their spirits." he says.
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