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Saturday, April 8, 2017

Parkinson’s UK Crewe & District branch to stage Information Event

April 8, 2017


Parkinson’s UK Crewe & District branch is to stage an Information Event in Nantwich.
It will be held on Wednesday April 12 from 12.30pm to 3.30pm at Nantwich Civic Hall as part of Parkinson’s UK Awareness Week (April 10-16).
The branch has a week of activities including a branch lunch and information stands at Ashfields Primary Care Centre, Crewe and Winsford Libraries and Santander, in Crewe.
The event is free for anyone affected by Parkinson’s or is interested in learning more about the condition.
There will be information and advice on topics including a chance to talk to the Parkinson’s Specialist Nurse and the Local Advisor for Parkinson’s UK.
Displays will be from organisations like CTC Physiotherapy, Therapy services, Cheshire and Warrington Carers, Wishing Well group, Watts Mortgage and Wealth Management Limited, Wiltshire Farm Foods, Home Instead, Poole Alcock Solicitors, Fairerpower, Right at Home South Cheshire and Cheshire Community Agents.
Parkinson’s is a degenerative neurological condition and there is currently no cure.
Crewe & District branch offers information, friendship and support to local people with Parkinson’s, their families and carers.
Geoffrey Sheridan, chair of Crewe & District Branch, said: “We aim to publicise the activities of the branch to ensure people living in this area affected by Parkinson’s are receiving the support and information they need.
“This event is a great opportunity to visit your local branch of Parkinson’s UK, and find out what support is available locally.
“You can join us in making sure that no one has to face Parkinson’s alone.”
Further details on www.crewe-parkinsons.org
For information and support, call Parkinson’s UK free helpline 0808 800 0303 or visit parkinsons.org.uk

http://thenantwichnews.co.uk/2017/04/08/parkinsons-uk-crewe-district-branch-to-stage-information-event/

Parkinson's sufferer plans record-breaking ocean row to reveal clues for treatment

April 8, 2017   
Parkinson's sufferer Robin Buttery will take part in a world record attempt to row across the Pacific to raise awareness. CREDIT: ADRIAN SCARBROUGH 

When Robin Buttery gets tired, or cold, or wet the shaking produced by the Parkinson's disease he suffers gets worse. So one has to wonder why he is about to undertake a 10-week test of endurance that will make him tired, cold and wet, most of the time.

The answer lies in the work of scientists at Oxford Brookes University who will closely monitor the response of Mr Buttery’s body as he rows 3,600 nautical miles across the Indian Ocean.

Their observations could lead to a significant breakthrough in the way Parkinson’s is assessed and treated.

It is that thought that will keep Mr Buttery motivated as he sets off from the coast of Western Australia in June with three other rowers, in an attempt to beat the current world speed for the crossing to Mauritius, which stands at 71 days. “I don’t tend to wobble about that much normally,” said the 45-year-old father of one, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s two years ago.

“But humidity, strenuous exercise and fear can all bring it on - in fact exactly the sort of situation I will find myself in. “It will allow researchers to examine how my body reacts when things get ugly.”


Robin Buttery will be joined on his journey by skipper Billy Taylor and fellow rowers Barry Hayes and James Plumley.  CREDIT: ADRIAN SCARBROUGH

Mr Buttery will be joined on his journey, which marks 200-years since the publication of James Parkinson’s essay on the disease, by skipper Billy Taylor and fellow rowers Barry Hayes and James Plumley.

Mr Taylor, 44, said: “Rowing the Indian Ocean is no easy feat at the best of times - the physical and mental challenge will be enormous for all of us.For Robin, the row will be that much harder. He’s already a winner in my books.”Scientists will use an on-board camera to monitor in minute detail Mr Buttery’s reaction to conditions around him and the effort he will make during the ocean crossing.

They will compare this to the results of a detailed medical examination of the crew set off and after they arrive, in order to understand whether Parkinson’s is metabolic as well as a neurological disorder, Professor Helen Dawes, who leads the Movement Science Group at the Oxford Brookes, said: “Anyone involved in sport will know that motor skills and fitness improve with practice and that your movement is affected when you are tired.

“We will monitor motor skill changes, alongside physiological and emotional responses.  It’s an important piece of research that will help us better understand how the metabolic, cardiovascular and neuro-muscular systems cope and adapt to prolonged endurance activity.”

Less than 20 crews have successfully completed the crossing and there have been many more failed attempts.

The men - who are also aiming to raise £100,000 for young onset Parkinson’s research - will have no support team and will take it it in turns to row two hours on, two hours off, day and night.
On board will be a three-month supply of freeze-dried food packages and a desalinator to turn seawater into drinking water. The boat will also be fitted with a tracker so the crew’s progress can be followed online.

It will also be live-streamed to schools around the UK, allowing children to chat to them on subjects such as geography, oceanography and marine conservation.

Mr Buttery, a technical assistant at De Montfort University, helping students realise product, furniture and architectural designs, said: “I want to inspire others and let them know that no matter what life throws at them, nothing should hold them back.”

He knows that he may not himself benefit from any medical breakthrough that comes out of his efforts, but that will not stop him.
“I think I have a duty to try and improve things through research to help us all,” he said. “Even if it doesn’t come in time to help me.”



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/08/parkinsons-sufferer-plans-record-breaking-ocean-row-reveal-clues/

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Plotting the demise of Alzheimer's: New study is major test for power of early action

April 8, 2017 by Alvin Powell

Credit: Harvard University


Catch it early. Those are watchwords in the battle against a host of illnesses, from heart disease to cancer to Type 2 diabetes. Early detection gives physicians a chance to minimize damage, to insert a stent and keep blood flowing to the heart, to remove a tumor before one becomes many, to urge crucial lifestyle changes: lose weight, eat better, exercise.

But can the strategy work for Alzheimer's disease? Scientists are starting to think it might.The Harvard Aging Brain Study, a National Institute on Aging-backed project now in its seventh year, has shown that amyloid beta, the protein thought to cause Alzheimer's, accumulates in the brain a decade or more before symptoms occur.
That finding has given new hope to researchers struggling to move beyond a rash of high-profile Alzheimer's failures in clinical drug trials. In February, just three months after Eli Lilly & Co. announced a trial failure, drug maker Merck & Co. halted a study. Several additional drugs are still in trials, but researchers are reconsidering their approach and wondering whether the problem is in trying to reverse, rather than prevent, dementia
"I think we've failed in 11 phase 3 trials, which is not a good track record," said Reisa Sperling, a neurology professor at Harvard Medical School, a physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and co-director of the Harvard Aging Brain Study at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). "From a clinical point of view, it's a dismal failure."
Now, the "catch it early" idea is being put to the test in a new study called A4, or Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease, led by Sperling and the University of Southern California's Paul Aisen. Researchers will try an anti-amyloid drug on people who show no signs of cognitive decline, but who do have abnormally high levels of amyloid beta in their brains.
"I think this is a tremendously important trial," said Aisen. "It's the first trial in a population we refer to as 'preclinical Alzheimer's disease.' We believe this is identifying an early stage of the disease, not just 'at risk' [patients].... If we wait for people to have symptoms, there's already substantial neuro-degeneration."
Alzheimer's is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, killing about 94,000 people annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An estimated 5 million Americans are living with the disease, a figure expected to climb to 13.5 million by 2050, according to a report by the Alzheimer's Association. Costs of care are projected to rise from $226 billion in 2015 to $1.1 trillion by 2050, with Medicare and Medicaid paying 70 percent. Developing a treatment to delay Alzheimer's onset by just five years by 2025 could save an estimated $935 billion over the following 10 years, the report says.
In recent decades, researchers have worked out what many believe is the step-by-step process through which Alzheimer's does its work. Amyloid beta, a naturally occurring protein whose normal function in the brain remains unclear, builds to unhealthy levels. The amyloid beta forms plaques, which in turn lead to tangles of a protein called tau inside nerve cells, killing them. This triggers inflammation, a natural infection-fighting response, which in this case makes things worse.
A4 is screening 5,000 cognitively normal candidates, age 65 to 85, with the goal of enrolling about 1,150 who have elevated amyloid beta levels. The trial will test Eli Lilly's solanezumab, an anti-amyloid antibody that was proved safe, though judged ineffective, in patients with mild dementia due to Alzheimer's. The antibody targets soluble forms of the protein, not the plaques themselves.
Though solanezumab has been tried in Alzheimer's patients without success, the data from that trial held indications of positive trends, said Sperling.
The A4 study—being conducted at 67 sites in the U.S., Canada, Japan, and Australia—has already enrolled 875 people and is funded by the National Institutes of Health, Eli Lilly, and several philanthropic organizations. Much of the launch work—signing up participants and managing data—is being conducted by the Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute at USC's Keck School of Medicine.
The A4 study rests on a foundation laid by the Harvard Aging Brain Study, which began in 2009 and is headed by Sperling and Keith Johnson, a professor of radiology at HMS and MGH. The study, which has funding to run through 2019, images the brains of 60- to 90-year-olds to follow changes over time.
By early 2013, it was clear that patients who started out with higher amyloid levels—even those who were cognitively normal—had a much faster rate of decline in cognitive ability, four to five times that of patients with normal levels of the protein, Sperling said.
Those findings pointed to a far earlier beginning of the disease than scientists had grasped and led to the "catch it early" approach of A4. Sperling worries, however, that even the A4 design might be intervening too late, and that, though subjects are cognitively normal, their high amyloid levels mark a cascade ending in dementia a drug won't halt.
And that isn't her only worry. Though the amyloid-tau-inflammation scenario has gained wide support, skeptics remain. In fact, there are enough exceptions in the Harvard Aging Brain Study to give Sperling pause: cases of people with high levels of amyloid beta who don't experience cognitive decline and others with lower levels who nonetheless progress rapidly.
"I think there's still a lot of questions," she said. "We can still only account for 50 percent—on a good day—of the variance of what happens to people cognitively. I do worry, what if we're completely on the wrong track? What if it's all circumstantial? What if there's some giant X-factor we've missed?"
Dorene Rentz, an associate professor of neurology at HMS and the Brigham and co-director, with Sperling, of the hospital's Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, is also working on the A4 study. For Rentz open questions in Alzheimer's include the relative roles of amyloid beta and tau. Though removing  has been a major thrust of drug development, it could be that tau, which forms the tangles within neurons, has to be removed to see a clinical effect. And no tau-removing compounds have been developed.
Credit: Graphic by Judy Blomquist/Harvard Staff


"But the argument in the community is we have to start somewhere," Rentz said. "All we've done is fail."
The inflammation associated with the disease—part of the process of clearing amyloid and tau proteins from the brain, but itself destructive to tissue—amounts to another unanswered question, Sperling said. It's possible that inflammation has to be reduced or avoided entirely to avoid cognitive damage. Another possibility is that Alzheimer's is part of an underlying problem, an inability to handle waste proteins and, as Sperling put it, "empty the body's protein garbage can." Potentially pointing to a broader problem is the fact that other neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's, are also related to abnormal protein accumulation.
Despite these questions, Sperling, Aisen, and Rentz agree that there's a sense of hope in the Alzheimer's community, a feeling that progress in several areas has put science on the verge of a breakthrough.
"I am very hopeful about the field in general," Aisen said. "There's a number of promising therapies. I believe we're going to be successful and I believe dramatically successful. This is an enormous world health problem and a major problem in this country's health."
Should A4 fail, Sperling has a plan for trying to catch the disease earlier still. While A4 is targeting cognitively normal patients with high amyloid levels, she's designing A3, which would test interventions on people age 60—or even 50—who are cognitively normal and whose amyloid levels have yet to rise.
"A3 is trying to get closer to primary prevention, pushing the envelope," Sperling said.
For Sperling and Rentz, Alzheimer's is not just a clinical problem, but also a personal one. Rentz's husband has the disease and is currently participating in a drug trial, and Sperling's career sprang from her grandfather's Alzheimer's, which became apparent when she was applying to medical school. Her father, who was a chemistry professor at Lehigh University, was diagnosed with the disease six years ago and died last year.
"I naively thought I could do something before it affected other members of my family," Sperling said. "I hope my kids don't have to take care of me that way and, hopefully, my grandchildren won't even know what Alzheimer's is."
Provided by: Harvard University
Video: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-04-plotting-demise-alzheimer-major-power.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-04-plotting-demise-alzheimer-major-power.html

World-renowned Parkinson's researcher speaks at UTSA on slowing disease progression April 10

April 7, 2017

D. James Surmeier is the director of Northwestern University's Parkinson's Disease research center.



The UTSA Neurosciences Institute will host a distinguished public lecture, "A Strategy for Slowing the Progression of Parkinson's Disease," by D. James Surmeier, director of Northwestern University's Morris K. Udall Center for Excellence in Parkinson's Disease Research, at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 10, in the H-E-B University Center Ballroom (1.104) on the UTSA Main Campus. A half-hour reception will precede the lecture. Both are free and open to the public.
Parkinson's Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the U.S. It affects up to one million people in the country, and thousands of new cases are diagnosed each year. At present, there are no proven strategies for preventing or slowing its progression.
Surmeier is a researcher of the mechanisms underlying Parkinson's Disease and schizophrenia. His lecture will explore a new treatment strategy on the horizon—outlining the rational for a large phase 3 clinical neuroprotection trial for early stage Parkinson's Disease patients sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.
The drug therapy trial—which uses the calcium channel blocker Isradipine—is based on the core idea that some neurons in the brain act as "look-outs," watching for events that can help or hurt patients, and that this constant vigilance causes them to wear out as humans age. The goal of the new therapy is to remodel the neurons in a way that allows them to rest without threatening their ability to do their job.
Surmeier is the Nathan Smith Davis Professor and Chair of Physiology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. Born in Glendale, Calif., he is a graduate of the University of Washington, where he received his doctorate degree in physiology-psychology in 1983. He was awarded his Master of Science in mathematics from the University of Oregon in 1976, and his Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics and psychology from the University of Idaho in 1975. He received post-graduate training at the Marine Biomedical Institute and the Department of Anatomy at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and later with the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Tennessee. As director of the Morris K. Udall Center for Excellence in Parkinson's Disease Research, he oversees one of nine elite centers funded by the National Institutes of Health focusing on causes and cures for Parkinson's Disease.
Surmeier is a member of the Center for Rare and Neurological Diseases, the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and the Northwestern University Institute of Neuroscience. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has received countless academic honors for his decades of scientific research and accomplishments, including the Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Each year, the UTSA Neurosciences Institute's Distinguished Public Lecture series brings an internationally recognized neuroscientist to UTSA to engage and educate a wide and varied audience from across the San Antonio region to discuss current research findings on neuroscience topics that offer a fundamental understanding of the human experience.
The UTSA Neurosciences Institute is a top-tier multidisciplinary research organization for integrated brain studies. The institute's mission is to foster a collaborative community of scientists committed to studying the biological basis of human experience and behavior, and the origin and treatment of nervous system diseases. It is one of five centers—which includes the San Antonio Cellular Therapeutics Institute, the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, the Center for Innovative Drug Discovery and the Institute for Health Disparities Research—across UTSA conducting groundbreaking brain health research.
Parking for the lecture is available in the Ximenes Ave. Garage at a rate of $2 per hour. Click here to see a UTSA Main Campus map.
UTSA is ranked among the top 400 universities in the world and among the top 100 in the nation, according to Times Higher Education.
http://health.einnews.com/article/374980226/CLLUqzkre0yUtwlG?lcf=Hzf-KE6h-Xmcpvzwcdl3CuzbRmZ8XaTUdg3y3lN96pg%3D

Friday, April 7, 2017

Parkinson’s – 200 Years and Five Great Men

April 6, 2017



Dr James Parkinson (1755 – 1824)

After whom the condition is named, published the 66 page Essay on the Shaking Palsy in 1817.
At that time the value and accuracy were not widely recognised by the medical fraternity. It was a descriptive piece of work resulting from the observation of six people affected by the symptoms we now recognise as the cardinal signs of Parkinson’s. This was not the first description of tremor but it was the first which combined the signs and symptoms and related them to a progressive neurological condition. Parkinson’s interests and talents were not confined to this condition as he was a dedicated political reformer and a nature lover.
There are no photos of Dr James Parkinson but he was described as:
‘rather below middle stature with an energetic, intelligent with a pleasing expression. He had mild and courteous manners- readily imparting information either on his favourite science or on professional subjects.’

Jean- Martin Charcot (1825-1893)


The value of Dr Parkinson’s publication was highlighted by the French neurologist Jean- Martin Charcot (1825-1893) who worked at Salpetriere Hospital, Paris. This renowned hospital specialised in neurological conditions with over 3,000 neurology patients which lead to Charcot’s interest in James Parkinson’s epistle. It was Charcot who noticed that not all people with Parkinson’s had tremor and this added to his argument that this condition should not be called The Shaking Palsy and he proposed the name Parkinson ’s disease. This ensured that James Parkinson lived on in history.

Dr Oliver Sacks (1933-2015)



Over the next century there were few advances until the emergence of a great British neurologist and man of words, Dr Oliver Sacks (1933-2015). He described the patients in Beth Abraham Hospital New York, who had been left with severe neurological problems after surviving an outbreak of encephalitis lethargia in the 1920’s. This resembled Parkinson’s and he described the symptoms and their response to a trial of massive doses of the newly discovered drug- levodopa. This famous book Awakenings was subsequently made into a memorable film of the same name.

Muhammed Ali (1942-2016)



The next memorable Parkinson’s personality was not a writer or a doctor but he ‘moved like a butterfly and stung like a bee’. Who can forget the sight of Muhammed Ali (1942- 2016) lighting the Olympic flame in Atlanta. His legacy is the publicity he gave to the condition and the founding of many Ali Parkinson’s centres worldwide.

Michael J Fox (1961-present)



Michael J Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991, aged just 29.  He has become an advocate and activist for Parkinson’s, establishing the Michael J Fox Foundation and has invested over $650 million in Parkinson’s research.  Fox also regularly shares candid stories of his experience with Parkinson’s, including ‘why Parkinson’s makes him laugh – and why Muhammad Ali made him cry’ and how he is ‘still smiling after 26 years with Parkinson’s.’

There are many other personalities associated with Parkinson’s, recommended reading is Brain Storms by Jon Palfreman
11 April 2017 marks the two hundred year anniversary of the publication ‘An Essay on the Shaking Palsy’ written by the English physician and chemist James Parkinson who was born in 1755.
This pioneering work established the foundations to enable an understanding of the symptoms related to the condition of tremors, rigidity and slowness of movement. After his death in 1824, and in recognition of his contribution, the condition became known as ‘Parkinson’s Disease’.
This article was written by Senior Parkinson’s Nurse Specialist Janet McLeod and is a snapshot of the Seminar: A History of Parkinson’s Janet is presenting at on Saturday 8 April in Nedlands for further details visit the event page at:
https://www.parkinsonswa.org.au/product/200years/

https://www.parkinsonswa.org.au/latest-news/parkinsons-200-years-five-great-men/

Research to fight Parkinsons’ in urgent need of more funding

April 7, 2017   JOHN VON RADOWITZ



Without greater progress, patients with the progressive shaking disease face a bleak future. Picture: AFP/Getty Images


Research into new treatments for Parkinson’s disease is falling behind and in urgent need of extra funding, a charity has warned. Without greater progress, patients with the progressive shaking disease face a bleak future, according to Parkinson’s UK. The charity has launched its first public fundraising campaign as it marks 200 years since the disease was first identified by London-based physician James Parkinson. Although some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s are treatable, currently there is nothing available that can halt or reverse the condition. 

The disease, suffered by around 127,000 people in the UK, has a range of physical effects including tremors, slowness of movement and rigidity that can impact on almost every area of a person’s life. It is also associated with “hidden” symptoms such as poor sleep, depression and dementia. Speaking at the start of the “We Won’t Wait” campaign, Parkinson’s UK chief executive Steve Ford said: “In the past 200 years we have made many strides forward, but people with Parkinson’s are still waiting for a treatment that can tackle the condition head on. “Parkinson’s can leave people struggling to walk, talk and sleep. 

Today, we say we won’t wait any longer. “That’s why Parkinson’s UK is spearheading, with the expertise of the research community and the support of those living with Parkinson’s, the step change needed to deliver better treatments and a cure faster.

“But we can’t do this alone. That’s why we’re urgently asking people to donate, in our first ever public fund-raising campaign, whatever they can to support our vital work. We won’t tolerate Parkinson’s treatments falling behind,” he added. The main drug prescribed to people with Parkinson’s, levodopa, has not changed in more than 50 years. A survey of 4,149 British adults commissioned by Parkinson’s UK revealed a “shocking” lack of awareness about the disease, said the charity. Almost half of those questioned were unsure whether the disease could b

Four in five (83 per cent) incorrectly thought there was no limit to the amount of time Parkinson’s drugs remained effective, or were unsure. Three in five (62 per cent) wrongly believed that Parkinson’s medication does more than mask or ease symptoms. The average age at which people are diagnosed with the disease is 62, but it can strike earlier. Mother-of-one Alison Ottaway, 50, from Guildford, Surrey, was diagnosed in 2006 the day before her 40th birthday. She said: “I take 15 tablets a day. Sometimes they work like clockwork, but I have had times when the medication stops working halfway between doses.

“That’s the thing with Parkinson’s, it varies day-to-day and people don’t understand that. Sometimes I can walk fine but other times I’ll be crawling along the floor.”


http://www.scotsman.com/news/research-to-fight-parkinsons-in-urgent-need-of-more-funding-1-4414885

JIGS 'N' HEALS Irish dancing could be an effective treatment for people with Parkinson’s disease

Michael Flatley performs during Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games
IRISH dancing could be an unlikely new treatment for thousands of people who suffer form Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers found regular ‘set’ dance sessions involving Irish jigs and reels can help those with the condition.
rish set dancing pairs typically make up groups of four or six, which move around each other on the floor, often following instructions from a caller.
A study by the University of Limerick showed 90 minutes a week of dancing for ten weeks boosted patients’ quality of life. As well as helping their psychological well-being, it made them fitter.
Recruits performed better than non-dancers on a test designed to see how far and fast they could walk in six minutes.
Parkinson’s is an incurable condition affecting 12,000 in Ireland.
It develops when certain brain cells stop producing enough of the chemical dopamine, so everyday activities are very difficult.
Comedian Billy Connolly was diagnosed with the illness in 2013, while other famous sufferers include boxing great Muhammad Ali, who died last year.
Studies have shown other types of dancing such as the tango can also help Parkinson’s patients.
Irish dancing has enjoyed renewed popularity in recent years, largely due to the success of such stage shows as Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance.
In a report in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, researchers said: “For people with mild to moderately severe Parkinson’s disease, Irish set dancing is feasible and enjoyable and may improve quality of life.”

https://www.thesun.ie/living/837953/irish-dancing-could-be-an-effective-treatment-for-people-with-parkinsons-disease/

Local artist overcomes Parkinson’s disease to find success

April 7, 2017    BY 










INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- A local artist is turning a life changing disease into success.
Wendell Lowe was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2009. Eventually, the disease progressed to the point where he lost the ability to use a paint brush.
Instead of giving up his passion, Lowe transformed his craft. Instead of brush tips, he now uses his own fingertips.
“It’s frustrating, because there’s so much you need to do as an artist that’s taken away from you with Parkinson’s. I’ve had to adapt the way I do art as the Parkinson’s progresses,” he said.
With his version of finger-painting, Lowe creates works of art that he says “speaks to his soul”.
He says many of his pieces document his struggle with Parkinson’s. In some of his works, he incorporates items like pill containers or PET scans of the brain of someone who has Parkinson’s
“I mean there’s something to this idea of when you have Parkinson’s and parts of your brain is slowly degenerating. But at the same time, I’m tapping into parts of the brain that I’ve never gone to before,” he said.
Lowe’s unique art is set to go on display Friday at the Indiana Landmarks Center.

“When I heard this story I said yes, we have to do this,” Director of Special Events Mark Szobody said.
Lowe’s work will be on display for most of the month of April. He says he plans on donating most of the proceeds to the Rock Steady for Parkinson’s Boxing Club.
For more information about Wendell Lowe, you can visit: http://www.wendelllowe.com/
Video: http://fox59.com/2017/04/07/local-artist-overcomes-parkinsons-to-find-success/

Senior Living Community Opens Boxing Studio To Help Patients With Parkinson’s Disease







A senior living community in Sioux Falls is the first and only facility in South Dakota to feature a program aimed at helping patients with Parkinson’s Disease.

The Inn on Westport opened a studio specifically for the program called ‘Rock Steady Boxing’. The nonprofit organization was started in 2006 by a patient in Indianapolis with early onset of the disease. Scott Newman, who was told not to exercise because of his disease, actually found success through boxing. His symptoms subsided and with the help of a boxing champion started boxing classes. Rock Steady Boxing Program Director Lisa Howard says there are now 330 Rock Steady gyms across the nation in 46 states.

Howard said, “They have balance and footwork drills. They’re using hand eye coordination. They’re working on their agility speed of movement, their mental focus. These are all the same thins that Parkinson’s patients have issue with.”

The Inn of Westport decided to open the studio because many people in their community suffer from Parkinson’s. However, the program is for anyone who has been diagnosed with the disease. They are starting to do assessments now before they start bringing people through the program.

http://www.kdlt.com/2017/04/06/senior-living-community-opens-boxing-studio-aimed-helping-patients-parkinsons-disease/