Stanford PD Community Blog

There are many causes for someone to get to the point where they are no longer safe to drive.  Family members must have difficult conversations with the driver about stopping driving.

A newly released report, co-sponsored by the American Parkinson Disease Association, has shown that Parkinson’s disease (PD) and atypical Parkinsonism are placing an $82.2 billion annual economic burden on the United States as of 2024—highlighting the growing financial strain of these neurological conditions.

Gastrointestinal (GI) difficulties can be among the most bothersome of the non-motor symptoms caused by Parkinson’s disease (PD). Constipation, which involves the slowing down of the large intestine or lower gut is the most common of the GI symptoms, affecting 80-90% of people with PD.

Author Rachel Reid, whose novels were adapted into the “Heated Rivalry” TV series, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2023. She said in a video on social media, “When good things happen, sometimes the universe hands you some worse stuff to balance it out and for me that’s been that my Parkinson’s symptoms have gotten a bit worse and it’s made it difficult physically to write. I’m definitely a lot slower and that’s just something I need to learn how to navigate and kind of face instead of ignoring.” 

Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects approximately one million people in the U.S. and yet, so much about it is still misunderstood. 

That’s why we’re inviting you to test your knowledge below in our fact or fiction quiz. Click each statement (careful, some are fiction!) to uncover truth and understand more about this chronic disorder.

FACT or FICTION?