Stanford PD Community Blog

There’s an interesting essay in today’s New York Times about the environment and Parkinson’s. Excerpt: “Some 90,000 cases of Parkinson’s are now diagnosed each year in the United States, about one every six minutes on average. It is the world’s fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease, causing tremors, stiffness and balance problems. It is also the 13th-leading cause of death in the United States. One factor in its increase may be the way we have come to live, for there’s growing evidence linking it to a range of pesticides and industrial chemicals, including paraquat and substances used in dry cleaning.”

This gentle practice is ideal for people of all flexibility and mobility levels

If you’ve ever wanted to try yoga but felt uncertain about getting up and down from the floor, chair yoga might be the perfect solution. Using a sturdy chair for support, this gentle practice adapts classic yoga poses so that anyone — regardless of age, flexibility or mobility level — can participate and reap the benefits. Whether you’re looking for a safe way to ease joint pain, increase flexibility, improve your mood or simply add movement to your day, chair yoga offers an accessible way — no experience required.

Today, the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) announced 25 grants to support cutting-edge PD research for the 2025-2026 funding year, a 55% increase from last year.  The newly-funded research projects span a wide range of key areas in PD research, including the propagation and degradation of alpha-synuclein, synaptic lipid imbalances in synucleinopathies, and the identification of genetic and circuit-based therapeutic targets.  Congratulations to Stanford’s Gaurav Chattree, MD, who received the George C. Cotzias Fellowship, given to a young neurologist.  Dr. Chattree’s project focuses on novel therapeutic strategies for pathologic circuits in Parkinson’s.  This fellowship is named in honor of the scientist who had a critical role in developing Levodopa as a treatment for PD. 

Parkinson’s disease is typically diagnosed based on clinical exam, but there are brain imaging tests that are available to help in diagnosis. This August 2025 American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) article is all about the Dopamine Transporter Scan (DaTscan) and other brain imaging used when PD is suspected or when the clinician seeks to exclude PD.