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April 22, 2010

Senior Focus: Support Parkinson’s patients

By Kathleen Gest Local Columnist

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease, affecting the brain's control system, making everyday activities and routine movements difficult.

Scientists have researched the cause of Parkinson's since it first was described in 1817. In the early 1960s, the primary cause was identified as the loss of brain cells that produce a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine normally sends the signals that coordinate and control muscle movement, posture and balance.

After patients have been diagnosed with Parkinson's, they need support — they need someone to tell them how to live actively with Parkinson's and help them understand the disease. A Parkinson's support group gives them the motivation to live life to the fullest while maintaining their independence.

In the words of Hettie Molvang, a group facilitator, "I have Parkinson's, but Parkinson's doesn't have me."

"The Grand Traverse Area Parkinson's Support Group was formed to give support, education, research and community resources to those diagnosed with Parkinson's disease," said Molvang, who is also a retired NMC professor of nursing. The group is hosted by the Traverse City Senior Center.

According to the National Parkinson Foundation, 1.5 million Americans have Parkinson's disease and another 60,000 cases are diagnosed in the United States each year. The average age is 62. When an individual is diagnosed with Parkinson's before the age of 50, the disorder is called young-onset Parkinson's disease, as experienced by the actor Michael J. Fox.

Parkinson's is more common in men than in women and there currently is no cure for the disease. Also, statistics show the environment causes 95 percent of Parkinson's disease, with 5 percent being familial or inherited.

The defining characteristics of Parkinson's may include tremors at rest, slowness of movement, rigidity or stiffness, and impaired balance, coordination and walking.

"It is very hard to diagnose Parkinson's, because there are no blood tests available," Molvang said. "It is strictly looking at the patient and seeing some of the symptoms of the disease. By the time individuals are diagnosed with Parkinson's, they probably have had the disease for at least eight years."

"Later in the journey that is Parkinson's, you will see a tremor at rest, a shuffling gait and a propensity to fall, and their voice becomes quieter — they are unable to project their voice," Molvang said. "Eventually, they have very little facial expression and also tend to, at times, show a slow response to a question — it's not a problem with their intelligence, but a problem getting the answer out. They begin to lose strength, which is all related to their neurological problem. Some Parkinsonians become wheelchair-bound and eventually bedridden."

According to Molvang, exercise is one of the most important activities to continue, allowing individuals to keep their movement and balance capabilities for a longer period.

The history of the Grand Traverse Area Parkinson's Support Group goes back 25 years to its organizer, Maxine Meach, whose husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's. The first year that the group met, Meach set up a summer seminar with a professional speaker. Meach only expected six participants; 70 attended. Now, 250 to 300 people regularly attend the summer forum.

The support group will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Annual Parkinson's Summer Forum, which will be at the Hagerty Center June 3. The speaker will be Stanley Fahn, M.D., director of the Center of Parkinson's Disease and Other Movement Disorders at Columbia University, scientific director of the Parkinson's Foundation and current chairman of the Research Advisory Council of the Michael J. Fox Foundation. He is credited with organizing and developing the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, which is used worldwide to determine the severity of a patient's Parkinson's disease.

In addition, Rasheda Ali will be a guest speaker this year. While watching the interactions between her children and her father, Muhammad Ali, she was inspired to write the book, "I'll Hold Your Hand So You Won't Fall — A Guide to Parkinson's Disease."

The Parkinson's Support Group will be observing National Parkinson's Awareness Month in April in hopes of influencing the public's awareness of Parkinson's disease. Meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of each month — April 28 is the next one — at 10 a.m. For more information call the Senior Center at 922-4911 or e-mail lwells@tcseniorcenter.com.

Kathleen Bellaw Gest is a local freelance writer. For more about the Traverse City Senior Center, go to www.tcseniorcenter.com.

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