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Saturday, July 27, 2019

In older adults, some drugs may produce symptoms that imitate dementia

Judith Graham  The Washington Post     July 27, 2019



By all accounts, the woman, in her late 60s, appeared to have severe dementia. She was largely incoherent. Her short-term memory was terrible. She couldn’t focus on questions that medical professionals asked her.
But Malaz Boustani, a doctor and professor of aging research at Indiana University School of Medicine, suspected something else might be going on. The patient was taking Benadryl for seasonal allergies, another antihistamine for itching, Seroquel (an antipsychotic medication) for mood fluctuations, as well as medications for urinary incontinence and gastrointestinal upset.
To various degrees, each of these drugs blocks an important chemical messenger in the brain, acetylcholine. Boustani thought the cumulative impact might be causing the woman’s cognitive difficulties.
He was right. Over six months, Boustani and a pharmacist took the patient off those medications and substituted alternative treatments. Miraculously, she appeared to recover completely. Her initial score on the Mini-Mental State Examination had been 11 of 30 — signifying severe dementia — and it shot up to 28, in the normal range.
An estimated 1 in 4 older adults take anticholinergic drugs — a wide-ranging class of medications used to treat allergies, insomnia, leaky bladders, diarrhea, dizziness, motion sickness, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and various psychiatric disorders.
Older adults are highly susceptible to negative responses to these medications. Since 2012, anticholinergics have been featured prominently on the American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria list of medications that are potentially inappropriate for seniors.
“The drugs that I’m most worried about in my clinic, when I need to think about what might be contributing to older patients’ memory loss or cognitive changes, are the anticholinergics,” said Rosemary Laird, a geriatrician and medical director of the Maturing Minds Clinic at AdventHealth in Winter Park, Fla.
Here’s what older adults should know about these drugs:
The basics
Anticholinergic medications target acetylcholine, an important chemical messenger in the parasympathetic nervous system that dilates blood vessels and regulates muscle contractions, bodily secretions and heart rate, among other functions. In the brain, acetylcholine plays a key role in attention, concentration, and memory formation and consolidation.
Some medications have strong anticholinergic properties, others less so. Among prescription medicines with strong effects are antidepressants such as imipramine (brand name Trofanil), antihistamines such as hydroxyzine (Vistaril and Atarax), antipsychotics such as clozapine (Clozaril and FazaClo), antispasmodics such as dicyclomine (Bentyl) and drugs for urinary incontinence such as tolterodine (Detrol).
In addition to prescription medications, many common over-the-counter drugs have anticholinergic properties, including antihistamines such as Benadryl and Chlor-Trimeton and sleep aids such as Tylenol PM, Aleve PM and Nytol.
Common side effects include dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, disorientation, agitation, blurry vision, dry mouth, constipation, difficulty urinating and delirium, a sudden and acute change in consciousness.
Unfortunately, “physicians often attribute anticholinergic symptoms in elderly people to aging or age-related illness rather than the effects of drugs,” according to a research review by physicians at the Medical University of South Carolina and in Britain.
Seniors are more susceptible to adverse effects from these medications for several reasons: Their brains process acetylcholine less efficiently. The medications are more likely to cross the blood-brain barrier. And their bodies take longer to break down these drugs.
Long-term effects
In the late 1970s, researchers discovered that deficits in an enzyme that synthesizes acetylcholine were present in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
“That put geriatricians and neurologists on alert, and the word went out: Don’t put older adults, especially those with cognitive dysfunction, on drugs with acetylcholine-blocking effects,” said Steven DeKosky, a neurologist and deputy director of the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida.
Still, experts thought that the effects of anticholinergics were short-term and that if older patients stopped taking them, “that’s it — everything goes back to normal,” Boustani said.
Concerns mounted in the mid-2000s when researchers picked up signals that anticholinergic drugs could have a long-term effect, possibly leading to the death of brain neurons and the accumulation of plaques and tangles associated with neurodegeneration.
Since then, several studies have noted an association between anticholinergics and a heightened risk of dementia. In late June, this risk was highlighted in a new report in JAMA Internal Medicine that examined more than 284,000 adults 55 and older in Britain between 2004 and 2016.
The study found that more than half of these subjects had been prescribed at least one of 56 anticholinergic drugs. (Multiple prescriptions of these drugs were common as well.) People who took a daily dose of a strong anticholinergic for three years had a 49 percent increased risk of dementia. Effects were most pronounced for people who took anticholinergic antidepressants, antipsychotics, antiepileptic drugs and bladder control medications.
These findings don’t constitute proof that anticholinergic drugs cause dementia; they show only an association. But based on this study and earlier research, Boustani said, it now appears older adults who take strong anticholinergic medications for one to three years are vulnerable to long-term side effects.
Preventing harm
Attention is turning to how best to wean older adults off anticholinergics, and whether doing so might improve cognition or prevent dementia.
Researchers at Indiana University’s School of Medicine hope to answer these questions in two new studies, starting this fall, supported by $6.8 million in funding from the National Institute on Aging.
One will enroll 344 older adults who are taking anticholinergics and whose cognition is mildly impaired. A pharmacist will work with these patients and their physicians to take them off the medications, and patients’ cognition will be assessed every six months for two years.
The goal is to see whether patients’ brains “get better,” said Noll Campbell, a research scientist at Indiana University’s Regenstrief Institute and an assistant professor at Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy. If so, that would constitute evidence that anticholinergic drugs cause cognitive decline.
The second trial, involving 700 older adults, will examine whether an app that educates seniors about potential harms associated with anticholinergic medications and assigns a personalized risk score for dementia induces people to initiate conversations with physicians about getting off these drugs.
Moving patients off anticholinergic drugs requires “slow tapering down of medications” over three to six months, at a minimum, said Nagham Ailabouni, a geriatric pharmacist at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. In most cases, good treatment alternatives are available.
Advice for older adults
Seniors concerned about taking anticholinergic drugs “need to approach their primary care physician and talk about the risks versus the benefits of taking these medications,” said Shellina Scheiner, an assistant professor and clinical geriatric pharmacist at the University of Minnesota.
Don’t try stopping cold turkey or on your own.
“People can become dependent on these drugs and experience withdrawal side effects such as agitation, dizziness, confusion and jitteriness,” Ailabouni said. “This can be managed, but you need to work with a medical provider.”
Also, “don’t make the assumption that if [a] drug is available over the counter that it’s automatically safe for your brain,” Boustani said. In general, he advises older adults to ask physicians about how all the medications they’re taking could affect their brain.
Finally, doctors should “not give anticholinergic medications to people with any type of dementia,” DeKosky said. “This will not only interfere with their memory but is likely to make them confused and interfere with their functioning.”
https://wapo.st/2GykhZw?tid=ss_mail&utm_term=.591616d58021

Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s has been selected to participate in an Entrepreneurial Initiative!

July 26, 2019






We are excited to announce that Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s has been selected to participate in an Entrepreneurial Initiative!

 

Margin & Mission Ignition 2019, an initiative of The Patterson Foundation, strengthens nonprofit mission impact through earned-income strategies and implementation


Sarasota, FL – July 26, 2019 – Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s will work to strengthen its entrepreneurial capacity and increase its mission impact with earned-income strategies developed and implemented through its participation in Margin & Mission Ignition 2019, an initiative of The Patterson Foundation.

As one of three regional organizations selected for Margin & Mission Ignition, Neuro Challenge Foundation will work with No Margin, No Mission, a social enterprise and national consulting firm engaged by The Patterson Foundation, over a 30- month process. No Margin, No Mission will work with each nonprofit to develop and implement business plans for revenue-generating ventures.
“It’s a profound honor to be one of the organizations selected to receive the support, training, expertise and confidence of the No Margin, No Mission team,” said CEO Robyn Faucy-Washington. “Neuro Challenge has been a solution leader in our area for people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers for more than ten years; we are grateful that they share our vision that we can do more, for more.”
Throughout the process, the organizations participating in Margin & Mission Ignition will come together to learn from and share with one another based on their experiences.
“Over the years, Margin & Mission Ignition has proven to be a game-changer for organizations who have demonstrated the leadership, willingness, readiness, capacity and culture to develop earned-income streams,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. “These three organizations are embarking on a rigorous process that should heighten their mission impact through enhanced revenue. The Patterson Foundation is honored to support this thrivability journey.”

For more information about The Patterson Foundation’s Margin & Mission Ignition 2019 initiative, please visit thepattersonfoundation.org. Join the conversation on social media by using #TPFMarginMission.
For more information about Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s, please visit www.neurochallenge.org
About Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s 
Neuro Challenge Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers. All services and programs are provided free of charge. Visit www.neurochallenge.org for more information.
About Margin & Mission Ignition 2019
An initiative of The Patterson Foundation, Margin & Mission Ignition 2019 is an opportunity for local nonprofits in our region to develop and implement earned-income strategies to strengthen mission impact. For more information about The Patterson Foundation’s Margin & Mission Ignition initiative, please visit thepattersonfoundation.org or join the conversation using #TPFMarginMission on social media.


from e-mail

Anderson Twp. man gears up for 6,500-mile journey to help those with Parkinson's Joe Motz about to turn 65

Jul 26, 2019   By: Paola Suro , Emily Hanford-Ostmann




ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — As Joe Motz prepares for his 65th birthday, he’s also gearing up for a 6,500-mile journey to raise awareness and support for patients with Parkinson’s disease. 

“Rolling out of my barn in Anderson Township, heading 6,500 miles for my 65th,” Motz said. 

His bicycle ride kicks off at 10 a.m. next Friday at Fountain Square. 
Motz said his goal is to raise $650,000 for the creation of treatment programs in partnership with the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute and UC Center for Integrative Health and Wellness.

“That’s enough to really make a difference here in Cincinnati,” he said.
The programs would utilize integrative health treatment options to reduce the physical symptoms of the disease.

“My goal is to provide greater access to people with Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases to these integrative health services,” Motz wrote on the Gearing Up For Good website.

There are more than 7,000 cases of Parkinson’s in the Greater Cincinnati area, according to Gearing Up For Good.

Motz said he knows a handful of people from his business family who have cared for, or are caring for loved ones dealing with Parkinson’s. 
“Parkinson’s patients will say ‘You know what Joe? I don’t know from one day to the next when I get up, I’ll feel like I’m concrete — I can’t move — I can’t do basic things like button my shirt,’” he said. “‘Then the next day I’ll be okay for a while.’” 

Starting Aug. 2, Motz will roll out on a hybrid bicycle to begin his ride. 

He’ll head northwest toward North Dakota before switching gears and riding southwest toward Los Angeles. The back half of the trek takes Motz through Arizona, New Mexico and Texas before he heads northeast and back to Ohio — sharing his experiences via a podcast along the way.

Joe Motz's route during his 6,500-mile journey around the U.S.

Motz expects the entire trip to take about 90 days.
“A quarter of a year,” he said. 
Contribute to the cause by clicking here or by sending a check to the following address: 
  • UC Health Foundation-Gearing Up For Good
  • PO Box 19970
  • Cincinnati, OH 45219-0970
The public is also invited to cheer on Motz Aug. 2 before he embarks on his journey.

* Visit the Event page on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/events/486819632108479/


https://www.wcpo.com/news/our-community/anderson-twp-man-gears-up-for-6-500-mile-journey-to-help-those-with-parkinsons

Friday, July 26, 2019

Managing Chronic Pain, Part 1: Understanding a Shift in Perspective

JULY 26, 2019 BY DR. C 



Pain and suffering are not the same. An internet search for “difference between pain and suffering” yields dozens of sites for writers and practitioners, like Ashley Pennewill and Ann Marie Gaudon, who extol the benefits to be gained from this conceptualization. The repeated message is that pain is the physical experience connected to insult and injury, while suffering is the “story” we tell ourselves about the pain experience. Our total pain experience is the sum of physical pain and suffering, with each affecting the other.
Shifting my perspective on chronic pain to one that understands the role of suffering in the total pain experience has helped me to better manage my chronic pain (including discontinuing opioid treatment), decrease the occurrence of dysregulated emotions, and achieve an overall improvement in well-being.
The difference between pain and suffering is an encyclopedic topic that has been the focus of writings since at least the time of the Buddha. A focus on the mind-body link examines how we can use that information to reduce suffering so that we can better manage chronic pain.
The mind/body link as an attention-to-stimulus process was partially described in my column on irritability. The process of pain stimulus creates the need for attention to the stimulus. The feelings and thoughts associated with the stimulus escalate. It is a feedback loop that helps us in the face of danger, but as the feedback cycles out of control, emotions often become unregulated and out of control. The spiraling loop can become a barrier to well-being. The experience of emotion dysregulation (see figure) is one link between the pain, feedback, attention processes, and suffering.
(Graphic by Dr. C)
The figure illustrates emotion dysregulation as an experience connected to exceeding one’s emotion dysregulation threshold (EDT) due to increasing emotional intensity over time (dysregulation delay, or DD). Once the threshold is crossed, we experience emotional dysregulation (EDE). This is followed by a cooling of the emotion intensity (CD). The goal is to reduce the intensity and duration of the emotional dysregulation. This is where the shift in perception is applied.
It is a shift from feeling like we can’t do anything to keep our emotions from getting out of control to an understanding and belief that we can change the escalation. It is adopting the perception that we have some control over this dysregulation and that, given the nature of neural plasticity, there is the possibility of reducing the intensity of dysregulation experiences and lengthening dysregulation delay times. This success can lead to less suffering and make it easier to manage chronic pain.
Pain is reported by many Parkinson’s patients. “Among the different forms of PD-related pain, musculoskeletal pain is the most common form, accounting for 40%–90% of reported pain in PD patients,” according to a paper by Orjan Skogar and Johan Lokk.
“Individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) frequently suffer from pain that interferes with their quality of life but may remain under-recognized and inadequately treated,” reports Neurology Times, citing a study published in the Journal of Neurology. I am one of these individuals. I have good days and very bad days — the ugly days.
The Neurology Times article continues, “’We found pain to be highly frequent, quality of life-impairing but insufficiently and unsystematically treated,’ wrote first author Carsten Buhmann, MD, of the University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf (Hamburg, Germany) and colleagues.”
When we live with Parkinson’s and experience pain, we are not alone. The Parkinson’s Foundation says, “Chronic pain is twice as common among people with PD as it is in people without it. In fact, more than 80 percent of people with PD report experiencing pain and say it’s their most troubling non-motor symptom.”
I am in pain most of the time. I cross the threshold when I am having difficulty managing the pain and the connected feedback loop. If I add some additional stressor — emotional, physical, or situational — that feeds the emotional turmoil, and I cross the threshold sooner. Accepting that I can do something about it (and have the skills) is the shift in perspective. It is a shift from being a servant to the whims of my emotions and their consequences to presenting as a calm, centered being who seeks continued progress on his wellness map.
I am still learning and practicing techniques to help me shift my perspective so that I can manage my chronic pain more successfully. I will discuss some of these techniques in Part 2 of this series. Attempts to change human practices are only as effective as the intent behind them. The shift in perspective allows us to firmly establish this proper intent.

***
Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.
https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2019/07/26/managing-chronic-pain-shift-perspective-emotion-dysregulation-threshold/

PKG Wearable Device Objectively Detects Motor Fluctuations, Dyskinesia, Study Shows .

JULY 26, 2019 BY CATARINA SILVA IN NEWS



A wearable motion-tracking device called Personal KinetiGraph (PKG) objectively and effectively assesses Parkinson’s-related motor fluctuations, researchers report.
The PKG system, developed by Global Kinetics Corporation, is a wrist-worn movement recording device. It collects data on a person’s motor symptoms, including tremors, slowness of movement (bradykinesia), and abnormal involuntary movements (dyskinesia).
The technology also assesses patients’ motor fluctuations, immobility, and daytime somnolence, or sleepiness. Clinicians also can use it to help study an individual’s likelihood for developing impulsive behaviors, and to collect information on medication compliance.
The device has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and holds CE certification, meaning it meets EU safety, health, and environmental protection requirements.
Previous studies have shown that PKG is able to distinguish between patients with and without motor fluctuations. Now, investigators at the Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles set up to determine whether the cut-offs of PKG motor fluctuation scores could define the progression of Parkinson’s fluctuation stages.
A total 54 Parkinson’s patients — 37 men and 17 women, mean age of 68 years — used the PKG device for 6 days. The participants then were asked to complete a 2-day standardized motor diary, essentially a journal in which the individuals would self-report and record their motor symptoms.
By applying clinically validated scales and questionnaires, researchers were able to categorize the participants into four groups: non-fluctuators (14 people), or patients without motor fluctuations; early (15 people); moderate (15 people); and troublesome fluctuators (10 people), or individuals with motor fluctuations due to a decline in the usual benefit of levodopa therapy.
Of the 54 individuals who completed the PKG trial, only 39 completed and delivered valid motor diaries. Compliance with the motor diary improved with decreasing severity of motor fluctuations — meaning that patients with less severe fluctuations were more likely to complete the diary.
PKG data revealed the device’s fluctuation scores significantly differentiated early fluctuators and troublesome fluctuators, as well as dyskinetic and non-dyskinetic patients.
Meanwhile, patient-reported motor diaries could not distinguish the four study groups based on the average “off” time, the researchers said.
Dopaminergic medications enable Parkinson’s motor symptom control — meaning that treatment temporarily stops the symptoms. However, as the disease progresses, patients typically need to gradually increase the treatment dose to get the maximum benefit. Even after that, however, they may still experience the reappearance or worsening of symptoms — known as “off periods” — due to the diminishing effects of the therapy.
Average time with dyskinesia, or abnormal involuntary movements, distinguished the non-fluctuators and moderate fluctuators. Importantly, the PKG system identified high dyskinesia scores in patients who denied having it.
“Motor fluctuations, including ‘wearing-off’ and dyskinesia, are associated with increased disease severity and disability, and PD [Parkinson’s disease] patients experience decreased quality of life as their response to medical therapy becomes less predictable,” Echo E. Tan, MD, neurologist at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center and the study’s lead author, said in a press release.
“Effectively managing motor fluctuations is complicated by the lack of objective assessment tools, leading patients and physicians to rely on direct observation in the clinic or patient reports, which may be unrevealing, incomplete and unreliable,” Tan added.
The researchers noted that “wearable devices transcend language barriers, cognitive barriers, as well as time constraints in the clinic.” That makes this wearable device a useful tool to objectively measure motor fluctuations in Parkinson’s disease.
“The results of our study demonstrate that the fluctuation score calculated by the PKG system provides objective quantification of motor fluctuations. This may help improve routine management of PD [Parkinson’s disease] patients and enable more objective assessments in clinical trials of PD [Parkinson’s disease] therapies,” Tan concluded.
https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2019/07/26/pkg-wearable-device-objectively-detects-parkinsons-motor-fluctuations-dyskinesia/

Yoga Decreases Anxiety and Depression More Than Resistance Training, Study Finds

JULY 26, 2019    BY MARISA WEXLER IN NEWS.



Mindfulness yoga seems to be better than conventional exercise at alleviating depressionand anxiety in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study.
It’s well-established that exercising regularly has a multitude of health benefits for people with Parkinson’s. Exercising also is known to have psychological benefits, particularly when a mindfulness component is incorporated.
In the study, the mental health effects of mindfulness yoga and more conventional stretching and resistance training exercises were compared head-to-head.
Researchers recruited 138 adults with Parkinson’s disease at four community rehabilitation centers in Hong Kong, between Dec. 1, 2016, and May 31, 2017. All patients had a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic (of unknown cause) Parkinson’s disease and were able to stand unaided and walk with or without an assistive device.
Individuals were assigned randomly to participate in mindfulness yoga (71 people) or resistance exercises (67 people). A slim majority (52.9%) of the participants were female, the average participant age was 63.6 years, and both groups were similar in terms of demographics, etc., although slightly more in the yoga group were less educated and lived at home.
Both interventions consisted of weekly classes offered once per week, with participants encouraged to practice at home, too. Average attendance rates for the eight-week intervention were 6.1 classes for both groups, and about three-quarters of participants in both groups reported actually practicing at home. Over the course of the study, some participants dropped out for reasons that included disinterest and scheduling conflicts; dropout rates were comparable between the two groups.
Before and after the intervention, depression and anxiety were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
In the yoga group, anxiety scores decreased from 6.32 before the intervention to 3.04 afterward; this decrease was significantly larger than the decrease seen in the resistance exercise group (5.66 to 4.95). Similarly, depression scores in the yoga group decreased significantly more than those in the conventional exercise group (6.69 to 3.53 vs. 6.16 to 6.00).
Motor skills also were assessed (via the MDS-UPDRS), and similar improvements were observed in both groups: a decrease from 34.90 to 22.41 in the yoga group, and from 31.64 to 23.25 in the resistance exercise group. Of note, higher MDS-UPDRS scores reflect worse motor capacity.
The data suggest that, while both interventions provide comparable physical benefits, the mental health benefits of mindfulness yoga are superior to those of stretching and resistance training exercises.
A few instances of mild knee pain in both groups were the only adverse side effects reported; these were resolved without medical intervention.
“These findings suggest that mindfulness yoga is an effective treatment option for patients with [Parkinson’s disease] to manage stress and symptoms,” the researchers concluded in their paper, adding that “[f]uture rehabilitation programs could consider integrating mindfulness skills into physical therapy to enhance the holistic well-being of people with neurodegenerative conditions.”
Limitations of this study include the small sample size and the fact that participants were fully aware of which group they were put into, so it’s possible that participant bias may have influenced the results.
https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2019/07/26/yoga-decreases-anxiety-depression-more-than-resistance-training/

Dance therapy outreach helps seniors with Parkinson’s disease

By Marlys Mason   July 25th, 2019 




The idea for the Dance for Wellness/Parkinson’s Dance Therapy class, offered as one of community dance outreach classes through Owensboro Dance Theatre, began several years prior to its first class in 2017.
While attending an out-of-town performance, Owensboro Dance Theatre’s Managing Artistic Director Joy Johnson observed the impact of dance on individuals with Parkinson’s disease.
She returned to her home studio, Johnson’s Dance Studio, and met with other directors and dance instructors to research and create a program that would fit into ODT’s community outreach.
During her research, dance instructor Jennie Boggess learned that previously, individuals with Parkinson’s disease were told to immediately cease activity and prepare for a life of debilitating symptoms that would ultimately result in a bed-ridden state.
“However, research in the last 10 years has shown that this is the absolute worse plan of action for individuals with Parkinson’s disease,” Boggess said. “Movement is extremely important in staving off the progression of the disease.”
In early 2017, Boggess attended training and received certification from the Dance for PD program, a dance program created specifically for individuals with Parkinson’s disease from artists in the Mark Morris Dance Company in Brooklyn, NY.
ODT began offering the class at Owensboro Center for Rehabilitation with a focus strictly on individuals with Parkinson’s disease. While teaching, Bogess said there were many participants with Parkinson’s disease; however, it also became apparent that an impact was being made on participants with a broader range of health conditions.
“Dance has been demonstrated to improve memory and cognition by 67 percent, a massive improvement when compared to all other activities studied resulted in an improvement under 10 percent,” Boggess said. “Because dance stimulates all areas of the brain, it provides a unique opportunity for the brain and body to stay fluid, strong, and healthy as possible.”
After a year of teaching the Parkinson’s Dance Therapy classes, ODT received a request from Wellington Parc, an Owensboro facility that specializes in caring for adults with Alzheimer’s disease, to bring the program to their facility. ODT added this to their outreach program along with classes at Mount St. Joseph and Johnson’s Dance Studio.
Boggess said that this class is unique in that it meets the dancer where their ability is and provides the enjoyment of dance regardless any hurdles they may be facing medically.
“There is a quote I love to use for this program,‘You don’t stop dancing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop dancing.’” Boggess said. “It doesn’t matter whether some of the dancers are in their 60s or 90s, they all dance like teenagers when given the freedom to express themselves through movement.”
The curriculum is designed by Boggess and is ever changing to keep the classes feeling fresh for the dancers, but it is based on combinations that keep the dancer moving while focusing on improving memory, cognition, muscle strength and flexibility. The classes also incorporate a variety of dance techniques and terms from ballet to tap and modern dance.
Classes are provided free of charge to participants as part of ODT’s Triple A outreach, Arts Access for All. The program relies strictly on grant funding and sponsorship support. Owensboro Health Community Investments Program, Independence Bank, Kentucky Foundation for Women, the Marilyn & William Young Charitable Foundation, Women’s Guild of Owensboro and Lester E. Yeager Charitable Trust currently provide sponsorship for the program, but Boggess said that to continue the classes and reach more community members, they are always looking for new sponsors.
Boggess said that the participants work tirelessly to make it through each day despite their disease and dance gives them the opportunity to “soar” by improving self-esteem, social interactions, confidence, strength flexibility, cognition and emotional health.
“These classes allow dance to be shared across the community regardless of ability, health condition, economic standing, age, culture and more,” Boggess said. “There are no limits to what dance can bring to someone’s life — a smile can change a life or a whole family’s life and just one movement — a stretch, a kick, a reach or even the Macarena can change a person’s outlook on their life and bring joy back in to their hearts for a period of time. Seeing the impact made from dance on the lives of these individuals is the best part of teaching these classes.”
Classes are offered at Johnson’s Dance Studio every Wednesday from 10 to 11 a.m. The studio is located at 2705 Breckenridge St. and more information can be found on their website:   http://www.owensborodancetheatre.org/parkinson-s-dance-program.html
https://www.owensborotimes.com/life/health-wellness/2019/07/dance-therapy-outreach-helps-seniors-with-parkinsons-disease/