Themes Around Parkinson Awareness Month: Jill Farmer, DO, MPH

WATCH TIME: 3 minutes

"There is evolution in technology that is making the deep brain stimulation strategies even more robust. As far as the pipeline, there are disease modification therapies that are being looked at and currently investigated in clinical trials. None of them are available yet for clinical use, but the fact that there’s sort of a new frontier where research is focusing is exciting for patients."

Every April, the world comes together to raise awareness for Parkinson disease (PD), a neurodegenerative condition that affects nearly 1 million people in the US alone. This incurable disease is characterized by tremor, slowed movement, rigid muscles, and loss of automatic movements. In addition to motor and nonmotor symptoms, patients face an array of complications, including cognitive difficulties, swallowing problems, sleep disorders, bladder problems, and constipation, among others. Because the cause of PD is unknown, proven methods of prevention have remained a mystery.

To help spread awareness, NeurologyLive® sat down with movement disorder expert Jill G. Farmer, DO, MPH, assistant professor of neurology, and director, Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorder Program, Global Neurosciences Institute. Farmer provided insight on the top themes from Parkinson Awareness Month, which centered around bringing awareness to the cardinal features of the disease and promoting drug development. She also touched upon the advances being made within the field, including the expansion of deep brain stimulation and the potential for a non-stop levodopa/carbidopa pump.