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Friday, July 13, 2018

The secret sulfate code that lets the bad Tau in

13-Jul-2018 


Research uncovers details of how neurodegeneration-related proteins enter cells

        AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY


The figure shows that cellular tau fibril uptake requires 6-O-sulfation and N-sulfation of the HSPG side chains: The cell in the lower half expresses HSPGs with all the sulfate moieties and internalizes tau via macropinocytosis. The cell in the upper half is genetically modified and lacks N-sulfation (red circles) and 6-O-sulfation (yellow circles) and thus, tau fibril uptake is inhibited.

Vampires can turn humans into vampires, but to enter a human's house, they must be invited in. Researchers at the UT Southwestern Medical Center, writing in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, have uncovered details of how cells invite inside corrupted proteins that can turn normal proteins corrupt, leading to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Understanding the molecular details of how these proteins spread from cell to cell could lead to therapies to halt disease progression.
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are associated with particular proteins in the brain misfolding, aggregating, and inducing normal proteins to misfold and aggregate. Marc Diamond's group at UT Southwestern discovered in 2013 that to enter new cells and propagate misfolding, the disease-associated proteins tau, alpha-synuclein and amyloid-beta must bind to a type of sugar-protein molecule called heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) on the cell's surface. This binding triggers the cell to bring the corrupted protein inside. In the new study, the group sought to understand more about how this process worked. 
"The question was, how specific is this (process)? Or is it not specific at all?" asked Barbara Stopschinski, the physician and researcher in Diamond's lab who oversaw the new work. What were the details of the chemical communication between HSPG and tau that triggered tau's entry into the cells? And was this process different for alpha-synuclein (associated with Parkinson's disease), amyloid-beta and tau (both associated with Alzheimer's disease)?
HSPGs can be of different sizes and structures; they can be decorated with different patterns of sugars, and the sugars can themselves contain different patterns of sulfur-containing groups (sulfate moieties). Stopschinski systematically tested how different patterns of sulfate moieties affected the binding and uptake into cells of alpha-synuclein, amyloid-beta and tau.
She found that misfolded tau could enter cells through only a very specifically decorated and modified HSPG. Amyloid-beta and alpha-synuclein, on the other hand, were more flexible in the kinds of sulfate moieties that triggered their uptake. Furthermore, Stopschinski identified the enzymes in the cells that created particular sulfation patterns in HSPGs. When these enzymes were removed, misfolded tau was no longer taken up into cells, presumably because HSPG sugar decorations and sulfation patterns changed, meaning misfolded tau no longer knew the molecular password.
The team now wants to understand whether these processes work the same way in the brain as they do in cultures of brain cells. Diamond hopes that understanding how corrupted proteins move between brain cells will lead to ways of stopping them.
"There's something very remarkable about how efficiently a cell will take up these aggregates, bring them inside and use them to make more," Diamond said. "This knowledge has important implications for our understanding how neurodegenerative diseases get worse over time. Because we have identified specific enzymes that can be inhibited to block this process, this could lead to new therapies." 
###
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, RWTH Aachen University, the Carl and Florence E. King Foundation, Washington University St. Louis, University of Texas Southwestern, the Rainwater Charitable Foundation and the Cure Alzheimer's Fund.
About the Journal of Biological Chemistry
JBC is a weekly peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes research "motivated by biology, enabled by chemistry" across all areas of biochemistry and molecular biology. The read the latest research in JBC, visit http://www.jbc.org/
About the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The ASBMB is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Most members teach and conduct research at colleges and universities. Others conduct research in various government laboratories, at nonprofit research institutions and in industry. The Society's student members attend undergraduate or graduate institutions. For more information about ASBMB, visit http://www.asbmb.org.
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/asfb-tss071318.php

Join the world's first breakdance class for people with Parkinson's

 July 13, 2018  Written by Marissa Mireles Hinds

https://youtu.be/JmdABjGFt-Q




Popping for Parkinson's is a weekly dance class that uses classic breakdance styles to help fight the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.

Dancer and choreographer Simone Sistarelli has an unusual way of helping people fight the symptoms of degenerative disease Parkinson's – popping and locking.

His free classes, the only ones of their kind in the world, take place in Wimbledon, south London. "We started in 2016 with just an idea and no funding. I had an idea of having people who suffer from Parkinson's taking popping classes to fight off their symptoms and regain control," says Sistarelli.

There were no classes like this in the world.



Class founder Simone Sistarelli puts students through their paces


It made sense artistically because one of the effects that Parkinson’s has is shaking, the tremors," explains Sistarelli of his reasons for starting the class. "I really wanted to see how that involuntary contraction and release of the muscles could turn into something positive."

He realised that the controlled action required by popping could help people who suffer from tremors and so began developing classes and routines along these lines. "With this hip-hop influenced dance, I could teach my students to channel their shaking. I wanted to try and change the negative – the tremor – into something positive, artistic and expressive." 

https://www.redbull.com/int-en/breakdance-class-popping-for-parkinsons?linkId=54110743 

Parkinson support group plans symposium

 Jul 13, 2018



IRON MOUNTAIN — The Parkinson Society Support Group of Dickinson County Area is hosting the third annual U.P. Parkinson Disease Symposium on Friday, Aug. 17, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CST. The event will be held in Fornetti Hall and the lower commons area at Bay College West Campus in Iron Mountain, Michigan. This is a UP of Michigan and northern Wisconsin wide event focusing on Parkinson’s Disease. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the program at 9 a.m. CST

Coming back on a return visit is keynote speaker Jo Bidwell of Lubbock, Texas. She is director of support groups in the SW, covering northwestern Texas and southern New Mexico. She keeps abreast of new developments, research, medications, and treatments for Parkinson’s Disease and authors the quarterly publication “The Tulip Messenger. The title of her keynote speech is “I Have Parkinson’s Disease, Now What!”.

Bidwell has a bachelor’s degree in counseling and a masters in health education. She was the information and referral coordinator for the Lubbock office of American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) for 17 years, and has taught nutrition at a local college for over 30 years while doing the APDA job. She also was the neurology educator for Covenant Health System. While busy being a grandmother, she also continues to serve her Parkinson’s Disease family in Texas, New Mexico and here in the UP of Michigan.

Registration for the symposium can be done through the Michigan Parkinson Foundation at www.parkinsonsmi.org or phone 1-800-852-9781. 

There is a fee to be paid to Michigan Parkinson Foundation to help defray the cost. Beverages and donuts will be available in the morning and a box lunch at noon. Prizes will be given out throughout the day. Health care vendors will be set up for your browsing and interest. 

Come for a day of information, activities, and interaction. For more information call Pauline at 906-774-0332.

http://www.dailypress.net/news/community/2018/07/parkinson-support-group-plans-symposium/

Tiny Particles Prevent Neuronal Loss, Improve Motor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Mouse Study

July 13, 2018 by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD In News.


Tiny crystals known as quantum dots can block the formation of Parkinson’shallmark protein clumps, lowering nerve cell death and motor deficits, a mouse study has found.


Quantum dots are very small, engineered crystals with a diameter of as few as 10 to 100 atoms. They have electronic and fluorescent properties that have been used in research. The particles are found in some TV screens, LED lights and solar cells.

Because of their very small size, these particles, unlike most medicines, can bypass the blood-brain-barrier, a semipermeable membrane that protects the brain from outside circulation.

Parkinson’s patients typically have protein deposits in their nerve cells, called Lewy bodies. There are protein clumps composed mainly of misfolded alpha-synuclein protein that form long strands, or fibrils, and lead to the progressive loss of dopamine-producing neurons in an area of the brain called substantia nigra. This brain area is responsible for movement control, and its malfunction leads to Parkinson’s motor symptoms.

Despite increasing evidence implicating alpha-synuclein clumps in Parkinson’s development, anti-aggregation compounds have not been successful in clinical settings.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, and Seoul National University, South Korea, developed carbon-based, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) to evaluate if these tiny particles can inhibit the formation and break up existing alpha-synuclein fibrils in the brain.

In a laboratory dish, GQDs were able to stop the formation of new protein clumps and induce the disaggregation of mature fibrils.

Importantly, GQDs prevented neuronal death and loss of synapses (the junction between two nerve cells that allows them to communicate), reduced the formation of Lewy bodies, eased the dysfunction of mitochondria (cells’ energy power plants), and inhibited neuron-to-neuron transmission of alpha-synuclein fibrils.

The team then assessed whether treatment with GQDs would ease Parkinson’s-related symptoms in mice injected with fibrils. They observed that GQDs were able to pass through the blood-brain barrier, prevented the loss of dopamine neurons, and improved motor function.

Previous studies have discussed the potential use of GQDs to inhibit the formation of amyloid-beta fibrils in Alzheimer’s disease, which leads to the formation of senile plaques. “This might be a universal effect on any kind of fibrillation process related to disease,” Byung Hee Hong, PhD, one of the study’s authors, said in a NewScientist article.

“It is expected that GQD-based drugs with appropriate modifications might provide a clue to support the development of new therapeutic agents for abnormal protein aggregation- related neurological disorders including Parkinson’s,” researchers wrote.

However, Hong underscored the roadblocks still ahead before a GQD-based treatment may be available: “It’s hard to translate the results in mice to actual patients, whose systems are way more complicated. But we do believe quantum dots can make positive impacts to some extent,” he said.

https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2018/07/13/quantum-dots-hold-promise-treating-parkinsons-mouse-study/

UK Experts Outline Practical Ways to Manage Wearing-off in Parkinson’s

JULY 13, 2018 BY MARTA FIGUEIREDO 



A panel of United Kingdom-based experts has defined a set of practical considerations to manage motor fluctuations and wearing-off in Parkinson’s disease patients.


Currently, the gold standard therapy for Parkinson’s disease is L-Dopa (levopoda), which eases patients’ symptoms by increasing the production of dopamine, a chemical messenger involved in regulating movement and emotional response, which is reduced in Parkinson’s patients.

However, long-term use of L-Dopa can cause wearing-off symptoms — when the effects of levodopa diminish before the next dose is due — such as motor fluctuations and non-motor symptoms, as well as dyskinesia, which is abnormal, uncontrolled, involuntary movement that affects patients’ quality of life.
These symptoms also can be caused by high doses of L-Dopa, which may be necessary in advanced Parkinson’s disease.

According to a previous study, wearing-off symptoms are experienced by 63.0-75.6% of Parkinson’s patients at 1-2 years of L-dopa therapy, by 55.1-66.3% patients at 3-5 years, and by 76.8-80.4% patients after 10 years.
So, to prevent motor fluctuation without worsening dyskinesia, many Parkinson’s patients eventually require add-on therapies.

Recently, two add-on therapies for patients with Parkinson’s disease and motor fluctuations have been approved in the U.K.:  Ongentys (opicapone), which blocks the enzyme that breaks down L-Dopa, and Xadago (safinamide), which increases the level and function of dopamine.

Despite recent guidelines of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), decisions regarding the type of therapy, whether it should be single or combination therapy, and when and in what order to prescribe these treatments, are made between the physician and the patient.

These decisions, including when new add-on therapies should be prescribed, require the opinion of experts based on practical clinical experience.
To complement existing guidelines, a multidisciplinary panel of eight UK-based Parkison’s and movement disorder specialists defined practical considerations — including a clinical insight in Ongentys and Xadago add-on treatment options — to manage wearing-off symptoms in Parkinson’s patients.

The clinical consensus was based on the practical experience of the panel of experts, which included neurologists and geriatricians specialized in medical care for the elderly, and a nurse specialist, from England, Scotland, and Wales.
Before a physician adjusts L-Dopa therapy or adds another class of therapy to the regimen, the panel of experts recommends the analysis of a number of factors that can directly impact the wearing-off, such as therapy compliance, gastrointestinal absorption, and diet.

Non-motor symptoms, including anxiety, apathy, depression, cognitive impairment, dizziness or fainting when moving from a sitting position to an upright position, sleep disturbances, and pain also can influence overall function in Parkinson’s patients, and must be appropriately investigated and managed.
When considering therapy adjustments or additions, a physician should weigh the benefits of adjusting L-Dopa therapy — which usually leads only to variable and short-term improvements — versus the addition of an add-on therapy to the regimen.

“The decision regarding which adjunctive therapy to use or not to use, requires considerable clinical experience from the treating clinician,” the authors wrote.
In their opinion, switching from other add-on therapies to Ongentys or Xadago is a good option for patients experiencing punctual loss of L-dopa dose clinical effects, and for those who have persistent wearing-off symptoms or worsening of dyskinesia with other add-on therapies.

The authors noted that additional studies are necessary to understand the therapeutic effects of Ongentys and Xadago in early-disease treatment, to evaluate their use along with deep-brain stimulation, and to develop a routine genetic testing of Parkinson’s patients to predict Ongentys’ response.

https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2018/07/13/uk-experts-outline-practical-ways-manage-wearing-off-parkinsons/

New York to allow medical marijuana as substitute to opioids

July 13, 2018






The state's Department of Health announced details of the new policy Thursday. State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker says  has been shown to be an effective pain treatment that doesn't carry the risk of addiction that comes with opioids. Zucker says that giving people an alternative to opioids is a critical step in the fight against the opioid epidemic.
The new policy already went into effect.
Other conditions that already make a person eligible for medical marijuana in New York include chronic pain, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and .
As of Tuesday, more than 62,000 people signed up for the state's medical marijuana program.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-07-york-medical-marijuana-substitute-opioids.html

Tips for Washing, Grooming, and Going to the Bathroom with Parkinson’s

 By Editorial Team · July 12, 2018



Parkinson’s disease can interfere with every aspect of life, including things as simple as using the restroom and going about daily grooming. Here are some tips from to help you stay safe and comfortable in your personal care routine:

Using the toilet and managing incontinence

  • Avoid caffeine. Coffee, tea and caffeinated sodas all can have a diuretic effect, which can make you urinate more frequently.
  • Try going to the bathroom regularly, even scheduled (i.e. every two hours or before meals).
  • About two hours before bedtime, begin to reduce and limit your fluid intake. This can help reduce bathroom use in the middle of the night.
  • If you find that you’re having accidents, use incontinence pads or underwear. These can be found in most drugstores, and sometimes can be covered by your insurance.
  • Toilet bars, grab frames and elevated toilet seats can improve stability when sitting on and standing up from the toilet.1,2
  • If you can afford a bidet, it can be a huge help with maintaining cleanliness. Good bidets should have a water spray and a dryer, which can make after-toilet care easier.3
  • Use a nightlight, or keep your bathroom light on if you have to use the toilet frequently at night.1,2
  • Keep a bell in the bathroom, so you can signal if you need help.3
  • Know the signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI). If you start to experience an increase in frequency or urgency, especially if these are accompanied with burning or pain, contact your physician right away. These are signs that you may need antibiotics.1,2
  • If urinary frequency or incontinence becomes an issue, make an appointment with a urologist. There are treatments and medications available to help.1,2

Bathing

  • Install at least two handrails. This should be done by a professional to ensure proper placement and support. Don’t use towel bars, faucets or soap dishes for support!
  • Use a non-slip rubber mat in your shower and/or bathtub areas, and a rubber backed bathmat for outside the tub.
  • Lower the maximum water temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees. This will prevent burns in case of a fall.1,2
  • Install a tub rail support or a bench in bathtubs. If you have access to a stall shower instead of a tub, it is a much safer and easier to use.
  • Soap can be tricky! Soap on a rope, a bar of soap in a pair of nylons, or liquid pump soaps can be much easier to handle.1,2
  • Consider installing a shelf in the shower so you don’t have to bend over to get your bathing supplies. This shelf should be between knee and shoulder height.1,2
  • Always have a cordless phone, cell phone or medical alert device in the bathroom with you when showering, especially if you’re showering when no one else is home.

Grooming

  • Invest in an electric toothbrush and razor. These products are not only easier to use, but they may actually be safer.
  • If you’re brushing your teeth, shaving, putting on makeup or using a hair dryer, sit down. This will make you more steady and can conserve energy.
  • Prop your elbows on the sink or a counter when you are grooming. This will reduce tension in your neck and shoulders, and may help you stay steadier when grooming.
  • If you use a hair dryer, look for a hands-free hair dryer stand. These can attach to a vanity, or can be floor mounted. This can make hair drying much easier.
Lastly, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help, especially if you notice that tasks are getting more difficult than they once were. There are many ways that those around you can help you, while allowing you to retain your independence. Consult with your medical team to figure out if occupational therapy or home health are options that may be valid for your needs. Know that your needs will change over time, so this should be an open discussion that should be revisited on a regular basis.

To view references:
https://parkinsonsdisease.net/answers/washing-grooming-bathroom/

Loneliness vs Depression By Michael Church · July 13, 2018

By Michael Church · July 13, 2018







There is a common misconception among people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and those that care for them between loneliness and depression. Although this is not new information, there is still confusion about the diagnosis of clinical depression and loneliness. Stay with me on this! Science has shown us that living with Parkinson’s can lead to or even present early signs of depression. According to the National Institutes of Health about 40-50% experience some type of depression.1It is important to recognize these signs when they occur because ignoring them could lead to a bigger or long term problem that would otherwise be treatable. It is key to mention to your doctor and care partner if you feel depressed. Often symptoms go unnoticed and are subtle but extended periods of feeling apathetic or having no desire can be overlooked.

Signs of depression

  • Excessive Fatigue
  • Feelings of Apathy
  • Withdrawal
  • Hopelessness
  • Suicidal
  • Others
After living with Parkinson’s for over 21 years, I have come to realize that I am not alone. There are approximately 60,000 Americans diagnosed every year, and nearly 10 million people living with PD globally.2 After I was diagnosed I didn’t know much on day one. I felt alone. I felt like I was the only person I knew who had PD. I literally didn’t know much of anything about PD. I committed myself to the library (places where books are kept) and soaked up as much information as possible. This was before the internet was a credible source of information. I was determined to learn as much as I could about PD but in the interim remained positive. After all, I was young and was hardly ever sick in my life. I believed that I could beat this thing called PD.

Enter fatigue

About a year into my diagnosis, I found that after a day of work, I was ready for a nap. It didn’t seem to matter what time of day or what evening routine was scheduled, I was exhausted. Of course, this threw off my sleep schedule and I found myself wide awake at one o’clock in the morning…alone! Although technically I didn’t consider myself depressed, the lack of sound nighttime sleep began to affect my daytime job performance. A small adjustment in medication seemed to work for a while but PD is a progressive disease and PD crept up on me again. Although I tried to remain positive, there were times when I withdrew from the social scene and just wanted to be alone. Was this depression, I thought? It would only last a few days but again, I informed my doctor.

The information age

In 1991, the internet became available to the public but wasn’t mainstream for several years. Eventually I caught up to this new source of information but you could hardly say it was the “information super highway.” America Online was cutting edge and hip back then as was Yahoo and Hot Mail. Once I got up to speed (32 megabytes per second) or as much as my phone line could handle, I discovered all kinds of additional information about PD. Some of it was credible but a lot was snake oil that claimed to cure everything which still exists today. As I delved into various websites and chatrooms, I soon realized that I wasn’t so alone anymore and also there were groups of people living with PD that met together and shared information and personal experiences with each other. I even started my own chatroom for young people like me who were dealing with PD. I also learned that many of the people I met “online” experienced or was experiencing depression but they were no longer alone.

Hope is a good thing

I’d like to offer a disclaimer. If you or your care partner or a medical professional believe you are suffering with depression. Take steps medically necessary to deal with it. Although having hope can provide that impetus to living a life of wellness, it does not guarantee that you won’t be subject to depression. Everyone living with PD at some point in their life experiences times of loneliness but that doesn’t necessarily mean you are depressed. If I could offer any advice it would be to live life to the fullest, making every day count. Have hope for the future because tomorrow holds the cure for PD. You are never alone. Keep battling my friends!

To view references:
https://parkinsonsdisease.net/living/loneliness-vs-depression/

Researchers trace Parkinson’s damage in the heart


July 13, 2018, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Marina Emborg




A new way to examine stress and inflammation in the heart will help Parkinson’s researchers test new therapies and explore an unappreciated way the disease puts people at risk of falls and hospitalization.

By the time Parkinson’s disease patients are diagnosed — typically based on the tremors and motor-control symptoms most associated with the disease — about 60 percent of them also have serious damage to the heart’s connections to the sympathetic nervous system. When healthy, those nerves spur the heart to accelerate its pumping to match quick changes in activity and blood pressure.

“This neural degeneration in the heart means patients’ bodies are less prepared to respond to stress and to simple changes like standing up,” says Marina Emborg, a University of Wisconsin–Madison professor of medical physics and Parkinson’s researcher at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. “They have increased risk for fatigue, fainting and falling that can cause injury and complicate other symptoms of the disease.”

Emborg, graduate student Jeanette Metzger, and colleagues including UW–Madison specialists in cardiology and medical imaging developed a method for tracking the mechanisms that cause the damage to heart nerve cells. They tested the method in the human-like nervous system and heart of monkeys, and published their results today (July 13, 2018) in the journal npj Parkinson’s Disease.

Ten rhesus macaque monkeys served as models for Parkinson’s symptoms, receiving doses of a neurotoxin that caused damage to the nerves in their hearts in much the same way Parkinson’s affects human patients. Once before and twice in the weeks after, the monkeys underwent PET scans — positron emission tomography, a medical imaging technology that can track chemical processes in the body using radioactive tracers.

The UW–Madison researchers used three different tracers, called radioligands, to map three different things in the left ventricle (the strongest pumping chamber) of monkeys’ hearts: where the nerves extending into the heart muscle were damaged, where the heart tissue was experiencing the most inflammation, and where they found the most oxidative stress.

The scans were accurate enough to allow the researchers to focus on changes over time in specific areas of the heart’s left ventricle.

“We know there is damage in the heart in Parkinson’s, but we haven’t been able to look at exactly what’s causing it,” says Metzger, lead author of the study. “Now we can visualize in detail where inflammation and oxidative stress are happening in the heart, and how that relates to how Parkinson’s patients lose those neuronal connections in the heart.”
Heart attacks, diabetes and other disorders cause similar damage to nerves in the heart, and those patients and potential therapies could also benefit from the new visualization method.
By tracing the progression of nerve damage and the progression of potential causes of that damage, the radioligands can also be used to test the efficacy of new treatments to protect the neurons that regulate the activity of the patients’ hearts.
The researchers gave half the monkeys in the study a drug, pioglitazone, that has shown promise in protecting central nervous system cells from inflammation and oxidative stress.

“The recovery of nerve function is much greater in the pioglitazone-treated animals,” says Emborg, whose work is supported by the National Institutes of Health. “And what’s interesting is this method allows us to identify very specifically the differences the treatment made — separately for inflammation and for oxidative stress — across the heart.”

The results suggest human patients could benefit from the radioligand scans, and Metzger wonders if it could help catch some Parkinson’s patients before their other symptoms progress.

“Much of the neural degeneration that occurs in the heart can happen very early in the course of the disease. A lot of patients have problems with their heart before they have motor problems,” she says. “While these PET techniques potentially provide a way to test drugs, they may also be used as tools to understand the mechanisms underlying early heart nerve damage”

The heart problems opened to examination by the new imaging methods are not limited to Parkinson’s disease. Heart attacks, diabetes and other disorders cause similar damage to nerves in the heart, and those patients and potential therapies could also benefit from the new visualization method.

Emborg and Metzger’s UW–Madison collaborators included psychology Professor Emerita Colleen Moore, cardiovascular medicine Professor Timothy Kamp, neurology Professor Catherine Gallagher, and medical physics Professor Bradley Christian and emeritus professors Jerry Nickels and James Holden.

Support for this research was provided by grants from the National Institutes of Health (P51OD011106, R21NS084158, F31HL136047), the Parkinson’s Foundation, Welton and Trewartha undergraduate honors scholarships and UW–Madison.

https://news.wisc.edu/researchers-trace-parkinsons-damage-in-the-heart/

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Linda Ronstadt returns to Marin to talk about her career, Parkinson’s

By Paul Liberatore, Marin Independent Journal
July 12, 2018


It keeps me in touch with the world,” says Linda Ronstadt of her various speaking engagements. (Amy Sussman/Associated Press Archives) 


In the world of popular music, it would be hard to imagine a crueler twist of fate than the taking away of Linda Ronstadt’s magnificent singing voice by Parkinson’s disease.

That unkind cut was diagnosed in 2013, just after she finished writing “Simple Dreams,” a “musical memoir” that takes us through her four-decade career as one of the most celebrated and successful rock divas of her generation, winning 11 Grammys and selling more than 100 million records.

Her book makes no mention of it, but the woman voted top female pop singer of  the 1970s hasn’t been able to squeak out a note in years. Sadly for her and for her legions of fans, Parkinson’s is a degenerative disease that affects motor control, including of the vocal chords.

“Ironically enough, one of the places Parkinson’s shows up first is in the voice,” Ronstadt, who turns 72 on Sunday, explains one recent morning, speaking from her home in San Francisco’s Sea Cliff neighborhood, a picturesque enclave overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge.

“It was really gradual, like someone moving the fader on the board when you’re recording — a tiny little bit at a time,” she continues in a reassuringly relaxed, clear speaking voice. “As a year went by, I’d notice that something was wrong. I’d say, ‘This isn’t singing. This is yelling.’”

Unsure of what was happening to her, she retired from performing in 2011, and was stunned when doctors gave her the Parkinson’s diagnosis. “I resisted looking up what I had on the Internet to see what I was in for,” she says. “When I did I was a little shocked.”

And then she adds, laughing, “You have to practice radical acceptance.”

RADICAL ACCEPTANCE

Practicing radical acceptance doesn’t mean she’s given up entirely, or has completely lost hope, even as she finds it harder and harder to walk and to do simple personal chores like getting dressed and brushing her teeth.

“There isn’t any cure,” she says. “There are some new drugs that show promise, but they’re so far out you never know if you’re going to get those or not. The good news is that everything that helps Parkinson’s disease seems to help Alzheimer’s, so there’s a lot of research going on, which is what we need.”

These days, what Ronstadt feels most comfortable doing is reclining in her living room, reading book after book (including a current one about Eleanor Roosevelt) and entertaining the occasional visitor — famous friends like Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Randy Newman and “singing sister” Emmylou Harris.

Her friendship with Harris goes back to the days when neither of them was famous and they would stay up all night singing with Harris’ boyfriend, Gram Parsons.

In 1987, Ronstadt recorded “Trio,” an album with Harris and Dolly Parton that sold 4 million copies and won two Grammys.
“The last time Emmylou was here she came over with a big pile of laundry,” Ronstadt happily recalls. “She didn’t want to wait for the hotel to bring it back, so she did it here while we sat and talked. We used to sing together, but now we’re reduced to laundry. But that was fun, and I got to catch up with her a little bit.”

OUT IN PUBLIC

In the five years since her memoir was published, she’s made it a point to make five or six public appearances a year. She has several upcoming speaking engagements in the Bay Area, including one on Sept. 15 at Dominican University in San Rafael.

“I’ve been doing these all along,” she says. “It’s a chance to sell some books and make people feel happy. Either I can just go to bed and stay there, or I can have my finger on the pulse a little bit. It keeps me in touch with the world.”

During her multimedia evening, “A Conversation with Linda,” she shows videos and rare personal photos, tells stories and takes questions from the audience.
A Huffington Post review of her sold-out show on Long Island last year was effusive, saying, “The event took me by surprise as I didn’t realize how funny Linda is. She was so captivating that I forgot to take notes.”

A ROCK HEARTTHROB

In the 1970s, when she became the first female rock superstar capable of selling out sports arenas, Ronstadt was cast as a rock ‘n’ roll heartthrob. Her glamorous image was splashed on the covers of Time and Newsweek. Rolling Stone had her on its cover a half dozen, including alluring Annie Liebowitz shots of her in a sexy red teddy and a satiny pink slip.

In 2014, when President Obama honored her with a National Medal of Arts, he confessed that, when he was a kid, he had a crush on her.
At the peak of her fame, she was famously linked romantically with young Gov. Jerry Brown and “Star Wars” creator George Lucas.

Ronstadt’s fame, she was famously linked romantically with young Gov. Jerry Brown. 


In the 1980s, she lived in San Anselmo, where Lucas has a home, and says she still spends more time in Marin than in the city, crossing the bridge at least every three weeks to get her hair cut.

“I do everything over there because there are no parking places in San Francisco,” she says with a light laugh. “There are about three parking places in Marin and we usually hope to get one of them. When I used to live there, it impressed me as being disturbingly white. It’s not quite that much now. There’s a little bit of brown from people there. I’d like to be more in touch with them.”
She stays very much in touch with Gov. Brown, who’s just finishing his final term.

“Jerry was here last Thanksgiving with his wife, Anne (Gust), who’s just delicious,” she says. “I really love her. She’s a really nice person — funny and smart. She has a great sense of humor with him. That a good marriage, I think. Jerry’s a lot better off with her. She makes him stronger.”
About Lucas, all she says is, “We’re friends.”

BORED WITH POP

As a singer, Ronstadt has never been satisfied with conventional rock stardom. When she was helping pioneer Southern California country rock in the ’60s and ’70s, she toured with Neil Young and the Doors, lived with songwriter J.D. Souther and once employed the Eagles as her backup band. She roared up the charts with glossy singles like “Different Drum,” “Heat Wave,” “Just One Look,” “You’re No Good” and “Blue Bayou,” among many others.

But she became bored with pop music, preferring to sing ballads like “Heart Like a Wheel.” She recorded a Great American Songbook album with Nelson Riddle, starred in “The Pirates of Penzance” on Broadway and even took a stab at opera, singing the role of Mimi in a New York Shakespeare production of Puccini’s “La Boheme.”

Even though she’s no longer touring the world and has time on her hands, she never listens to her old records.

“The music feels frozen in time to me,” she explains. “And I’d evolved over the years. So, I’d question myself, saying, ‘Why did I sing that? That’s stupid. Later on, I sang something better.”

Ronstadt credits her childhood in Tucson, Arizona, as the source of all her musical inspiration. She grew up in a pioneering ranching family of German, Dutch and Mexican ancestry that made music a centerpiece of its home life. In 1987, she celebrated the Mexican side of her heritage with “Canciones de Mi Padre (Songs of My Father),” an album of traditional Mexican music that sold 2½ million copies, making it the biggest non-English-speaking record of all time.

“My God, traditional Mexican music is so rich,” she says. “It goes on and on. You move five blocks and you have a totally different culture. I listened to all that growing up, so I had a toehold by the time I started doing it professionally.”

Tucson is just 60 miles north of the Mexican border, and Ronstadt has long been involved with activists supporting immigrant rights. She’s volunteered with an organization called the Green Valley/Sahuarita Samaritans, co-founded by her friend Shura Wallin.

“When I was getting ready to retire from singing, we’d go down to the border and find people in terrible shape with their feet full of cactus thorns,” she recalls. “We’d wash their feet and bandage them. Once you’ve washed somebody’s feet, you have a totally different relationship with them.”

As you might suspect, she’s horrified by the Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy — the tearing away of immigrant children from their parents and families.

“They’ve been putting children in jail and threatening to steal them for a long time, and now they’re doing it as a matter of policy,” she says. “Those poor children are suffering permanent harm. It’s an outrage to keep human beings penned up like animals.”

NO SEQUEL

Ronstadt sold her house in Tucson, finding it too difficult to travel back and forth and to maintain two homes. She now lives exclusively in San Francisco.
“I love it here,” she says. “It’s always cold.”

She never married, but has two adopted children, Mary and Carlos, now grown. Her daughter comes over for brunch every Sunday and her son, who works in an Apple store Genius Bar, recently moved back in with her after breaking up with his girlfriend.

Although her story isn’t over, she has no plans to write a sequel to “Simple Dreams” that picks up after her Parkinson’s diagnosis.

“Writing is hard on me because I can’t type anymore,” she explains. “When I wrote ‘Simple Dreams,’ I could still type, but I can’t do that now. My fingers tremble so I hit the keys too many times. I can barely sign my name.”

Asked about her plans for the future, she sighs and says, “It depends on how much strength I wind up with and how fast this disease goes. I can’t really make a plan. I’ve just got to take what comes every day.”

Contact Paul Liberatore at p.liberatore@comcast.net

IF YOU GO
What: “A Conversation with Linda Ronstadt”
When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15
Where: Donimican University’s Angelico Hall, 20 Olive Ave., San Rafael
Admission: $45 to $85
Information: ticketf.ly/2NxEHE5

http://www.marinij.com/arts-and-entertainment/20180712/linda-ronstadt-returns-to-marin-to-talk-about-her-career-parkinsons