Two "must read" publications, different approaches, but complementary :
Neuroplasticity -- simplified, the ability to retrain your brain to do things, see:
Alter Your Course by Giroux and Farris.
Exercise-induced Neuroplasticity, by Frank Church
Optimizing medications -- the effectiveness of carbidopa/levodopa may change over time
Managing PD Mid-stride -- Parkinson's Foundation, includes glossary
Graphic worksheet for tracking response to medications. Shows the"windows" for eating protein, which should be restricted by approximately 1 hour before and 1/2 hour after taking C/L. (Six years after diagnosis as having PD.)
Copy you can download and use -- Link, graph.
Potentially useful links:
Medline, lots of info -- Link, Medline
Managing "Off Times" -- D Finney article
xKalia, L. V., et al. (2015). Parkinson’s disease. The Lancet.
Nandipati, S., et al. (2016). Environmental exposures and Parkinson’s disease. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
National Institute on Aging. (2017). Parkinson’s disease.
Noyce, A. J., et al. (2012). Meta-analysis of early nonmotor features and risk factors for Parkinson disease. Annals of Neurology.
Parkinson’s Foundation. (2021). Dementia.
Parkinson’s Foundation. (2021). Genetics and Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s Foundation. (2021). Hallucinations/delusions.
Parkinson’s Foundation. (2021). Stages of Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s Foundation. (2021). Statistics.
Parkinson’s Foundation. (2021). Tremor.
Xu, X., et al. (2019). Exercise and Parkinson’s disease. International Review of Neurobiology.
Most types of exercise are beneficial -- just minimize your risk of injury -- probably no skateboards.
This is my morning routine as of mid-2020. (Note -- 2 or 3 reps not 10)
On floor – simple stretch, arms and legs; (start 20 minutes after am C/L)
“Follow the leader” use right leg to “lead” left leg thru simple movements, focus on range of motion at ankle
Left foot doing movement independently
Legs – left/right leg up (working out cramps prior to bridge)
Glute bridge/pelvic thrust (deep exhale)
Pelvic tilt (tight Levis concept, belly button to backbone) include pelvic floor (Kegel)
Dead bug (extend diagonal arm/leg)
Left and right side planks
Roll over to hands and knees
Child pose – arms out, head down
Cat and camel – arch back up and down
Alternate leg extended, from crawling position
Simplified push-ups
Roll to standing (alternate left or right as lead leg, retaining ability to get up from the floor as long as possible)
Step/lunge forward, arms back (alternate feet)
Step/reach sideways lunge (alternate)
Seated, edge of bed -- hamstring stretch, left & right leg
Seated, edge of bed -- bent leg stretch, left & right leg
Step-in-place, (stepping/marching – up – down until upper leg will go horizontal)
Stride-in-place – stepping forward-backward, with weight transfer to foot; turn body toward forward foot, away from foot on backward, alternate legs (until weak foot/leg moves smoothly).
Half-mile walk
Some people like to exercise/walk to music. An alternative is to use a cane by touching the floor/pavement lightly (not as support) to signal the slower foot/leg to move.
Haven't completed reading and/or don't understand the application of the results of some of the following.
Genetics and heritable risk -- The information on genetics and Parkinson's is complicated and research appears to be moving in various directions -- I tend to focus on publications less than 5 years old.
Genetics in Parkinson disease: Mendelian versus non‐Mendelian inheritance Link
Missing heritability in Parkinson's disease: the emerging role of non-coding genetic variation Link
Identification of novel risk loci, causal insights, and heritable risk for Parkinson's disease: a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (Link -- May have to obtain from library)
PD and Genetics, info for genetics counseling -- PD Overview
The Global Parkinson's genetics program: GP2 Global PD Genetics
xx
Research on future treatments -- Medications currently available for PD treat the symptoms, they do not affect the progression of the disease. The PD community is eager to find a medication that is disease modifying or neuroprotective.
Disease-modifying strategies include: decreasing aggregation of alpha-synuclein, using GLP-1 agonists to decrease neuroinflammation, compensating for GBA mutations by enhancing lysosomal activity, inhibiting LRRK2, and inhibiting c-Abl. Link to site.
Articles may be in publications that charge for a copy -- you can obtain free copies thru a library or directly from the author.