Stanford PD Community Blog

“The doctor says my hearing’s fine, but he wants to check out your mumble.” (New Yorker Cartoon)

The American Parkinson Disease Association’s (APDA’s) A Closer Look blog is designed to educate, inform, and inspire you through a variety of topics and insights about Parkinson’s disease (PD). One way the APDA does that is through our Interview with APDA Researchers series within this blog so you can get a closer look at some of the dedicated APDA-funded researchers who are working tirelessly to understand this disease.

Anxiety is a very common non-motor feature of PD, and symptoms of PD can worsen in the presence of stress and anxiety. Unlike stress which is fueled by external sources (such as work, family tension, finances, etc.), anxiety is fueled by internal forces and can persist when all external causes of stress have been resolved. Anxiety in PD may need to be treated with medication in order for a person to regain his/her quality of life. But there are also a number of lifestyle modifications that may be very helpful. Check out more of this blog post, including a list of resources, from the American Parkinson Disease Association.

……In a revealing interview, the actor Michael J. Fox spoke about his own mortality and the challenges of living with Parkinson’s disease for more than 30 years, including his experiences with falling and breaking bones.

The interview, with Jane Pauley of “CBS Sunday Morning,” was to promote his new documentary “Still,” to be released May 12.

Michael J. Fox was sitting in his Upper East Side office surrounded by Emmys and an Oscar — one he received not for his acting but for his Parkinson’s philanthropy. (“Humanitarian stuff,” he said nonchalantly.) He wore blue trousers and a T-shirt, and Adidas sneakers with no socks. His hair, years ago always perfect, was a bit disheveled, and he was in constant movement in his chair, a hallmark of the Parkinson’s disease that has defined half of his life.