Stanford PD Community Blog

Stanford Medicine-led research in mice indicates that decreasing LRRK2 enzyme activity could halt cell death in patients with a type of Parkinson’s disease.

This article on AARP.org addresses Parkinson’s disease (PD) dementia, also called Lewy body dementia.  The focus is on two myths about PD and cognition.  “For starters, cognitive decline doesn’t necessarily lead to full-blown dementia. Many people with Parkinson’s develop only mild impairment. … Another misconception is that even a slight memory lapse signals that rapid deterioration is imminent. That’s far more common with Alzheimer’s disease than it is with Parkinson’s…” 

On June 25, 2025, three major Parkinson’s disease (PD) advocacy organizations have issued a joint statement imploring lawmakers to robustly fund the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the upcoming federal budget in order to keep Parkinson’s disease (PD) research moving forward as quickly as possible. The organizations include the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA), the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Research, and the Parkinson’s Foundation.  The APDA says, “We have heard, and share, your concerns about the future of PD research funding.   This is the first of many steps in our collective efforts to advocate for the PD community.”

The beloved ‘M*A*S*H’ star was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2015

At 89, Alan Alda is as quick-witted as ever. Just ask him how he’s doing.

“Making progress,” he tells PEOPLE with a sly smile over a recent Zoom call. He pauses before adding, “I didn’t say in which direction.”