This post will primarily be of interest to those dealing with LBD or MSA, but since constipation and swallowing may be addressed in this webinar, this email may be of interest to everyone in our local support group.
A webinar on how Parkinson’s Disease affects the autonomic system will be held on Thursday 2-20-14 from 9-10am California time. In particular, researchers will describe what treatments are in development to address symptoms such as orthostatic hypotension (OH) and constipation.
This is one of the few webinars I’m aware of that will look at research on treatments for OH. OH can be a disabling symptom in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) or multiple system atrophy (MSA). My layperson’s definition of OH is: a sudden drop in blood pressure that results when you sit up from a prone position or when you stand up from a seated position.
If you aren’t able to attend this webinar, the organizer, the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), typically posts a recording of its webinars on the following Monday on its website, michaeljfox.org.
Generally, MJFF’s webinars are of very high quality but remember that they are focused on Parkinson’s Disease, not any of the atypical parkinsonism disorders. DLB and MSA — two disorders in our local support group — are similar to PD in terms of brain pathology, neuro-transmitters, and symptoms, so many of the MJFF webinars will be applicable to people dealing with those two disorders.
Here are details of the February 20th webinar:
Parkinson’s Disease: What Else Goes Wrong?
February 20, 2014 @ 12-1 p.m. ET
Dave Iverson talks to a Parkinson’s patient and researchers about how PD affects the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions such as swallowing, heart rate and digestion. Our panelists review current treatments in development to address symptoms such as orthostatic hypotension and constipation.
Click on the orange “Register Now” button on this page:
https://www.michaeljfox.org/page.html?hot-topics-webinar-series
Robin