Dear Readers,
We love your feedback, comments, and suggestions. The following came in from a thoughtful reader in response to yesterday’s “Celebrities with Parkinson’s Disease Series- Part 1 of 3” article. Below the comment was our answer to her inquiry.
Message from reader, Ms. C –
Not really a question but a comment on the Parkinson’s disease newsletter. My mother died recently of the consequences of Parkinson’s disease (at 91), which increased my interest in the problem. My main comment is that there are cognitive and other psychological effects of Parkinson’s disease that are little known because much less conspicuous than the motor effects. I first learned of these many years ago when I read a chapter of the Handbook of Neuroscience on frontal lobe function, but it did not say much. Mark Gluck at Rutgers is currently doing research on these problems, as no doubt are others. My mother showed some signs of complusive behavior during the final period of her life. Obviously these cognitive and other psychological effects of Parkinson’s disease, whatever they are, have implications for the ability of sufferers to manage their lives.
Comment back to Ms. C –
Dear Ms. C,
Thank you very much for reading our newsletter. Thank you also for sharing your heartfelt personal experience about your mother and for educating us about your research on the cognitive and psychological effects of the disease .
My father (a very intelligent, successful, active and once independent man) has had Parkinson’s for 20 years and it is so hard seeing how it has affected his ability to talk, walk, and swallow. I can tell that it has affected him cognitively and emotionally, as well. I am sure people with Parkinson’s feel depressed because they cannot do the simple things they used to do. I am interested to read more about Mr. Gluck’s research and the possible correlation between Parkinson’s and compulsivity (and other psychological effects).
I am thankful every day that celebrities like Michael J. Fox have done so much for Parkinson’s research and there have been new medications, treatments, and surgeries introduced to help Parkinson’s patients. I am glad you brought up the psychological and cognitive effects. We will be sure to focus on them more as we cover Parkinson’s disease in our newsletter and blogs. Thanks again for reading and for sharing your thoughts and experience.
Hopefully the efforts of all the celebrities and people like you, me, and the other attorneys and staff here at The Farr Law Firm, who are educating ourselves about the disease and want to help others, will make a difference in the fight against Parkinson’s.
Thank you!
Renee
(email sent to Ms. C. from Renee Eder, Farr Law Firm, P.C.’s Director of Public Relations)
About Evan H Farr, CELA, CAP
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