Yep, it’s your Deep Brain Thoughts author, Tom, back at his blog writers desk, furiously typing away at the old typewriter! (Oops, wrong century… I meant computer). I’ve been gone way too long… but with it being Parkinson’s Awareness Month, I had to ‘jump back into the game‘ as they say. And as I always seem to say at this time of the year: ...
Little did I know, back in 2017 when I started this blog - and this particular series - that I would end up writing a 'Part 5'...nor did I know that my journey to an 'electric brain' wasn't complete yet....
“What?? What do you mean? I’m still here…” Yes, you may not have heard from your old Deep Brain Thoughts author in awhile… But I’m still hanging in there! I do realize it has been too long since you’ve heard from me...
You might be saying right now,”No No No, Tom! You got the title wrong – it’s supposed to be ‘ The Gift that keeps on GIVING’, not TAKING!” Well, I appreciate your concern, but I beg to differ – as the saying goes, “What I have written, I have written!!” Because the ‘Gift‘ I am going to be talking about today is none other than our old ‘friend‘ ...
Man, I can’t believe its 2022 -seems just like yesterday I was a young 21 year old slick-looking (but kinda geeky) “punk” who had just graduated from college, and working at his first computer job… Now look at me!! (Uh oh, I guess I’d better not go down that road or I’ll be moaning and groaning on and on forever!) ...
I assume that most of us have read (or seen the movie version) "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", as first written by Robert Louis Stevenson. But just in case you haven't, let me give you a quick - and hopefully non-spoiling - synopsis: Dr. Jekyll, a somewhat mild-mannered doctor (described as a kind, sociable, amiable, reputable gentleman) feels that there is always a battle going on between the good and evil within himself. He'd spent a good part of his life trying to repress, as he believes, the evil urges within him. Failing to do so, he instead develops a serum (potion) to separate himself from the 'evil' side that is within him ...
I love the Christmas season… Always have – especially when I was little. It was magical in a way… of course, then I grew up to be what I am today – an old “fart” – and Christmas seemed to loose that magic, and instead became a stressful sort of yearly ‘chore‘ (and no, my name isn’t Ebenezer!) Well, let’s face it – I’m sure that all of us get pretty stressed out this time of year! ...
This year, for me anyway; it's been a real challenge to be thankful! It's really been the first time since I was diagnosed with Parkinson's that I've felt "What have I got to be thankful for?" What with this crazy COVID-19 still affecting us all (and now it's re-surging); and even with this new GPi DBS I received back in May,...
Well, hello again! ... I wanted to take a moment and give everyone a report on the 2021 Michigan Parkinson Foundation’s Annual “I Gave My Sole For Parkinson’s“ walk, which I once again participated in this year...
When talking about Parkinson’s, Michael J. Fox – I’m sure all of you know who he is! – is fond of saying, “Science is HARD!” And I totally agree with him – science, especially medical science ...
For me, last year – 2020 – was a terrible year! Not just because of COVID-19 and all the rigmarole associated with it, but also because of this blasted cramping left foot/toes of mine. I’ve ridden a bike every year since I was 5 years old; but for the first time, I NEVER rode my bike at all during 2020…
Wow, this is my first blog post after 'coming back' to the blog. And I'm writing it for this year's Parkinson's Awareness Month! Feels good to finally get back into…
Most of you probably remember, and have watched, a movie called ‘The Terminator‘. It starred Arnold “Arnie” Schwarzenegger as a robot from the future, clothed in a real flesh and blood body. In case you never saw it, I won’t ruin it for you; however, there was a scene in the middle or so of the movie where the terminator is outside a police station...
Hello to all my readers out there. I will explain about the title in a minute… I realize that I have been very negligent about my blog this year – in fact, by my count I have only published one entry all year! I do sincerely apologize – and there is a reason for that…
Well.... in the noise of all this coronavirus stuff going on, you may have not realized that April is, once again, "Parkinson's Awareness Month". Even I, your famous (well, maybe…
Have you ever tried to open up one of those 'child-proof' bottles? Child proof - HA! They should call those 'Adult Proof'. You twist and turn and try all kind…
By now everyone reading this knows I like definitions. It wasn't' like that originally... I was more like "Definitions?!? Bah Humbug!!" But after working for a number of years with a great coworker we called 'The Word Man' (who was always handy with a definition of a word), I came to appreciate definitions a little bit more...
If you know me, you know I am a "Sci-Fi" nerd - when others in the 70's were watching shows like The Brady Bunch, The Walton's and Love Boat, our family watched reruns of Star Trek, Lost in Space, ...
NKGen Biotech plans to begin clinical testing of SNK01, a natural killer (NK) cell therapy being developed to treat neurodegenerative diseases, in people with Parkinson’s disease, the company announced. This [...]
Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (FIT) in Germany are collaborating on a project with the aim of creating a digital platform and application that, used with a [...]
Potential environmentally-driven alterations in certain epigenetic marks — DNA modifications that control gene activity — were detected in the blood of people with newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve, sporadic Parkinson’s disease, a [...]
A dozen years after its first meeting, the International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) program is continuing to expand upon its ongoing efforts to ultimately heighten the number of treatment options in [...]
A test known as the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay, or alphaSyn-SAA, was able to measure the accumulation of alpha-synuclein protein in the blood up to 10 years before a clinical [...]
A six-week Pilates-based exercise program helped reduce bradykinesia of the upper limbs in a small group of people with Parkinson’s disease, a study from Brazil reports. The study, “Short-term effects [...]
Variations in genes that are important for the function of lysosomes — the cellular equivalent of garbage disposals, which are responsible for removing molecular waste from cells — may help [...]
Researchers have found a way to better control the preclinical generation of key neurons depleted in Parkinson's disease, pointing toward a new approach for a disease with no cure and [...]
A new study found certain genetic variants could help explain how long-term pesticide exposure could increase the risk of Parkinson's disease. [...]
Although there are still some aspects pending confirmation for its use in the clinical setting, and its resolution needs to be improved slightly, a study has shown that a method [...]
Researchers have used artificial intelligence techniques to massively accelerate the search for Parkinson's disease treatments. The researchers designed and used an AI-based strategy to identify compounds that block the clumping, [...]
A new study offers a first look into the complex molecular changes that occur in brain cells with Lewy bodies, which are key pathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease and some [...]
New hypothesis paper builds on a growing scientific consensus that Parkinson's disease route to the brain starts in either the nose or the gut and proposes that environmental toxicants are [...]
Lewy body disease may be more common in middle-aged people than previously thought, according to a recent study. In the study, almost one in ten of over 50-year-olds were found [...]