Stanford PD Community Blog

In early April, the Davis Phinney Foundation offered a webinar on pain and Parkinson’s disease (PD), featuring Dr. Janis Miyasaki. She discussed how common pain can be in those with PD and the different types of pain that may be experienced; what can cause pain in early stage PD, how this may change as the disease progresses, and how pain impacts mental health; treatment options; and other steps you can take to manage pain in PD. There was also an extensive Question and Answer session. We at Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach listened to the webinar and are sharing our notes.  

In late March, the Parkinson Society of British Columbia (BC) offered a webinar on ambiguous loss and anticipatory grief, featuring Trevor Josephson, a clinical counselor. He defined the terms ambiguous loss and anticipatory grief, shared examples from real life (with permission from the subjects), and provided recommendations for how to cope with and manage these feelings for care partners of those with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We at Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach listened to the webinar and are sharing our notes.  

In early April, the UCSF Memory and Aging Center (MAC) offered a webinar on managing daily activities and fall prevention as part of its ongoing webinar series on Lewy body dementia (LBD). While the webinar was geared towards those with LBD, we felt the content would also be helpful for others with cognitive impairment or Parkinson’s disease dementia. The speakers were Sarah Dulaney, a Clinical Nurse Specialist with UCSF, and Helen Medsger, a family caregiver, advocate, and support group leader. They discussed the importance of establishing a daily routine and how to go about developing one and provided ideas for activities, fall prevention, and communication strategies. We at Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach listened to the webinar and are sharing our notes.  

In mid-March, the UCSF Memory and Aging Center presented a webinar on behavior and mood symptoms in Lewy body dementia (LBD), as part of their ongoing Lewy Body Dementia Caregiver Webinar Series. The speaker was Jennifer Merrilees, RN, PhD, a Clinical Nurse Specialist at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center. She discussed the common behavioral and mood symptoms that characterize LBD; how brain anatomy and neurotransmitters impact mood and behavior; and ways to manage common behaviors, mainly through non-pharmacologic methods. The webinar included a question and answer session. We at Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach listened to the webinar and are sharing our notes.  

In mid-March, the UCSF Memory and Aging Center (MAC) offered a webinar on Lewy body dementia (LBD), featuring William Mantyh, MD, a UCSF neurologist who researches the genetic causes of various dementias. It was the first in an ongoing series about LBD. Dr. Mantyh provided an overview of LBD symptoms and diagnosis, including autonomic issues; explained our current understanding of the causes and risks; and outlined the available treatments. We at Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach listened to the webinar and are sharing our notes.