The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation is a leading national presence in the United States in Parkinson’s disease research, education and public advocacy. PDF funds scientific research to find the causes of and a cure for Parkinson’s. PDF also offers educational programs and support services for people with Parkinson’s and their loved ones.

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. What better time to make things happen in a bigger way. So
how can you get involved? In short, challenge yourself to spend some time each day raising awareness for Parkinson’s disease. To show you just how easy it can be, we’ve created a month’s worth of tips to get you started. Once you decide to take action, you’ll be surprised by the difference you can make. Why not start today?

April, as the birthday month for the late James Parkinson, is a time when we remember that there are still seven to 10 million people worldwide living with the disease who are counting on science to help them lead better lives. It is a time when we remember the urgency of addressing the visible and invisible symptoms of the disease.

With the realization that only a small percent of the Parkinson population can visit us onsite, the PARKINSON RESEARCH FOUNDATION has made a renewed commitment to develop the most sophisticated websites to bring you the latest information, research updates and empowerment programs. Ask-The-Doctor Lunch and Learns and videos of classes that you can do at home by means of Video Podcasts and Blogs with physicians and other experts in the field are also available.

ParkinsonResearchFoundation.org, our medical and scientific site is dedicated to education.It features up and coming research, the latest Parkinson-related information, articles of interest and Ask-The-Doctor with Juan Sanchez-Ramos, MD, PhD, Fellowship Trained Movement Disorders Specialist and PRF Medical Director.

The inaugural issue of the journal does exactly that, with articles addressing some of the unresolved issues in Parkinson’s disease, including how the disease might start and what might be the biological basis for one of its most troubling symptoms – hallucinations.

  • On the first point, despite the more than 50 years since the loss of dopamine was recognized as the basis for the profound changes in movement that people with Parkinson’s experience, scientists are still at a loss to explain what triggers the disease in more than a limited number of cases.
  • Another issue unseen by observers but of which many people with PD are acutely aware, is hallucinations. Psychosis, unfortunately, is not an uncommon symptom in PD, but it can be one of the most debilitating and troubling ones, often leading to early placement in a nursing home.

James Beck, Ph.D., is Vice President, Scientific Affairs at the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. He oversees the strategy of PDF’s research programs as part of the organization’s mission to end Parkinson’s disease.