Robin Riddle, coordinator of Stanford’s APDA Parkinson’s Information & Referral Center and CEO of Brain Support Network, will be speaking at the Wednesday, October 3rd Parkinson’s support group meeting in Soquel at 2pm.  Her talk is titled “If it’s not Parkinson’s Disease, what is it?”  She will be providing an overview of the four atypical parkinsonism disorders.  The event is free and open to the public.

Brain bank studies show that only 70% of the people diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease while alive actually had PD.  The disorders the other 30% have are called “atypical parkinsonism disorders.”  These include:  Lewy body dementia, progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, and corticobasal degeneration.  Ms. Riddle will provide an overview of these four disorders.

When:
Wednesday, October 3, 2-3:30pm

Where:
Congregational Church of Soquel

Note:
RSVP not required.  This event is free and open to the public.

About the Speaker:
Robin Riddle learned about neurodegenerative decline when her late father, Larry, was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) in 2004. With the help of three other caregivers in July 2004, Robin started the “San Francisco Bay Area Atypical Parkinsonism Support Group” (rather a mouthful). This group became Brain Support Network and focuses on education and support for PSP, multiple system atrophy, corticobasal degeneration, and Lewy body dementia.  The donation of Larry’s brain in 2007 to the Mayo Clinic was Robin’s first organization of a brain donation. She and BSN have now helped over 500 families donate a loved one’s brain.  Since 2009, Robin has worked as the APDA Parkinson’s Information & Referral Center coordinator at Stanford University, providing info to those with PD and their caregivers throughout Northern and Central California.  She also coordinates several monthly PD support groups near Stanford.