Stanford PD Community Blog

Dr. Kathleen Poston, director of the Stanford Movement Disorders Center, will be speaking on "The Prodrome of PD" at the PANC Annual Conference on Saturday, October 23, 2021.  A "prodrome" is when we can see some symptoms of early Parkinson's disease (PD) but not enough to warrant a diagnosis.  Another term used is "preclinical."  Dr. Poston will address whether there are motor and non-motor signs that can help identify PD earlier.  Registration for the full-day conference -- in-person in Roseville and virtually -- is open now.  

On the next episode of "Dr. Gilbert Hosts," Dr. Lisa Shulman will discuss clinical trials and other research opportunities for people with PD and their care partners.  Register now for this American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) webinar, taking place on September 17, 9am PT.

The Movement Disorders Center is seeking participants with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who do not have dementia and who do have either delusions (false or mistaken beliefs) and/or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there) to study an investigational drug.  This study is being conducted to see if the investigational drug might improve the activities of daily living in PD patients.  Participants must have a relative, housemate, or friend assist during the study. 

The Human Motor Control and Neuromodulation Lab at Stanford University is seeking participants for the SPRING (Stanford Parkinson’s Research In Neuromodulation for Gait) Study.  The SPRING Study aims to investigate the safety and feasibility of adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) for impaired gait and freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease (PD).  The study's goal is to advance the development of patient-specific DBS therapy to improve quality of life for people living with PD. 

Back in December of 2018 the Parkinson's Foundation hosted a caregiver summit in Phoenix, AZ.  I was beyond impressed with the information provided by Dr. Angela Roberts, PhD in her talk on Building Stronger Caregiving Partnerships Through Better Communication.

On the next episode of "Dr. Gilbert Hosts," Dr. Britt Stone will share her expertise on complementary therapies (such as acupuncture, massage and yoga) and integrative medicine (which focuses on healing the whole person, using complementary therapies in combination with standard approaches) for PD.  Register now for this American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) webinar, taking place on August 4, 9am PT. 

Our very own Denise Dagan addressed the Lewy body dementia caregiving journey following the virtual screening of the new Robin Williams documentary “SPARK" in late June.  The event was co-hosted by Brain Support Network and Family Caregiver Alliance.  The recording is now available. 

The Massachusetts Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA MA) is hosting a webinar next week, July 13, at 10am PT, on driving wellness for Parkinson's Disease (PD).  PD can lead to changes in vision, physical movement, and thinking skills which can impact driving safety over the course of the disease. The speaker will address these changes.  Register now. 

Our very own Denise Dagan will be addressing the Lewy body dementia caregiving journey following the virtual screening of the new Robin Williams documentary "SPARK."  The event is co-hosted by Brain Support Network and Family Caregiver Alliance.  Register now.