Conferences are a vital part of my life. But I have never experienced one that encompassed the entire world. It was quite a phenomenon to be a part of.
Debra D
Ok, I get it. You are sick of hearing about this. But the exciting news is that this was just published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, an international journal which publishes original research in basic science, translational research and clinical medicine in Parkinson’s disease. They have only recently been including the patient perspective and I am so glad to have been included in the latest edition.
The Importance of the World Parkinson Congress for People with Parkinson’s
Going to the World Parkinson Congress for the first time can be an exciting challenge for a person with Parkinson’s disease. On the one hand, there is so much to see and do it is almost like a Disneyland for People with Parkinson’s. On the other hand, how do you fit everything into 3,5 days? Somehow, executive director Elizabeth (Eli) Pollard and her team managed to bring together an amazing international conference that is inspiring, educational and welcoming to all in the Parkinson’s community.
This was my third time attending and my husband, Mr. Twitchy’s, second. As I look back, it is interesting how my participation has evolved from participant to actively involved in the WPC.
Photo by Joel Krischer
At the first WPC I attended in Portland, 2015, I started out staying close to my two friends from my Los Angeles support group, Naomi and Clara, as we attended every session, afraid we might miss something (FOMO: Fear of Missing Out). The most important thing we learned was that this is a special group of people that thrive on connecting with each other. We all took that new energy home with us to find ways to better connect with the people with PD at home. Read the rest here
Did you know?
A blood test for Parkinson’s disease may be available soon
From Science
A study using rodents and tissue from diagnosed Parkinson’s patients suggests DNA damage spotted in blood samples offers a simple way to diagnose the disease early.
Although the potential test needs to be validated in clinical studies, the detected DNA damage joins a “flurry” of other biomarkers recently identified for Parkinson’s and “adds to our ability to state confidently that an individual has Parkinson’s disease or not,” says neurodegeneration researcher Mark Cookson of the National Institute on Aging, whose grantmaking arm helped fund the new work, published today in Science Translational Medicine. A blood test based on the findings could also help patients go on existing treatments earlier and boost clinical trials evaluating new therapies, the study’s authors say. Read more here
Happy Labor Day to those in the United States.
Have a great weekend!
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