Gait impairments such as slow speed, small steps, and high variability from step to step are common in people with Parkinson's disease, and these changes begin to occur early in the course of disease. Freezing of gait may develop later for some individuals, and it has been linked to falls and other adverse outcomes. When the quality of walking declines, it can lead to a reduction in the quantity of walking and overall physical activity, which is also related to poorer health outcomes. To prevent this cascade of events, Dr. Gammon Earhart is developing and evaluating interventions to improve gait and increase physical activity in People with Parkinson's disease. In this episode, she discusses how she and collaborators are conducting studies on different approaches, including a mobile health application, self-generated rhythmic cues in the form of singing, and mindfulness training, to improve aspects of walking and physical activity in people with Parkinson's disease. Gammon is Professor of Physical Therapy, Neurology, and Neuroscience, Associate Dean for Physical Therapy, and Director of the Program in Physical Therapy at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

Improving our understanding of the complex neural circuits involved in normal function of the basal ganglia and other parts of the brain impacted by Parkinson's disease is critical for developing more targeted and more effective treatment approaches. In this episode, Dr. Aryn Gittis discusses her research examining how the activity of specific basal ganglia circuits relates to motor control in both health and pre-clinical models of movement disorders like Parkinson's disease. She describes new research on basal ganglia circuits that expands upon existing theoretical frameworks and provides important insights that can be leveraged to improve current therapies for Parkinson's disease by better targeting specific cell types in relevant circuits. Aryn also shares details about her ongoing project evaluating the impacts of stimulus location for a novel pattern of deep brain stimulation (DBS) that has been shown to provide long-lasting therapeutic effects in pre-clinical models. Aryn is Professor of Biological Sciences and the Neuroscience Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.

This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

Demand for movement disorder specialists continues to grow, but not enough neurologists are receiving focused training in Parkinson’s and related conditions in order to meet the current and projected needs in the U.S. and around the world. In collaboration with longtime partner the Edmond J. Safra Foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation created the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders with the goal of growing the global base of movement disorders specialists. In this episode Dr. Rachel Dolhun shares more about this fellowship program, the application process, and how the program supports the training of movement disorders clinician-researchers who will become leaders in Parkinson's care and advance science in the field. Rachel is Senior Vice President of Medical Communications at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Visit michaeljfox.org/funding to learn more about the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders.

This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.