On April 25th, the University of Minnesota will be cohosting our annual Parkinson's Spring Symposium, along with the American Parkinson’s Disease Association and the Parkinson’s Foundation! Come listen to inspiring and informative talks on exercise, sleep, medications, and advanced care. You’ll learn something new and walk out with some tips for yourself!
Lunch and refreshments are included at this free event. There is also an online-only option.
(9:00 - Registration and resource fair are open)
10:00 - Welcome
10:15 - PD Treatment Insights from a Clinical Pharmacist
10:45 - What is Palliative Care for PD?
11:15 - Break
11:30 - Q&A with morning presenters
12:00 - Lunch
12:30 - Dream Enactment, RBD and PD
1:15 - Panel Discussion on Exercise
1:45 - Closing Remarks
When: Friday April 25, 2025
9:00AM Resource fair
10:00AM-2:00PM Presentations (with breaks for coffee and lunch) Where: North Heights Church, 1700 County Highway 96 Arden Hills, MN 55112
(You can also attend online, if you prefer.)
For more info and to register for this free event, click here.
Doctors and researchers have learned an enormous amount about PD since James Parkinson's 1817 paper, but there's still a lot we don't know! What findings will be discovered in the future? You can help us write the next chapter in the history of PD research by participating in a research study. It's easier than you think (some studies are as simple as a single visit, just walking on a treadmill). If you want more information about how you can help make the next big discovery, just email pdresearch@umn.edu to see what studies are open!
Do you know all the signs of Parkinson’s?
Tremor in the hands or fingers is often the most obvious and most recognized symptom of Parkinson’s, but there are many other symptoms associated with PD. Some are common, some are rare, and not all symptoms will appear in every person. Are you familiar with some of the lesser-known symptoms of PD?
Small handwriting
Loss of smell
Trouble sleeping
Acting out dreams
Trouble moving or walking, including stiffness and balance problems, or freezing in place
Constipation
A soft or low voice
Facial masking (reduction of facial expressions)
Dizziness or fainting
Stooping or hunching over
If you have questions about your symptoms, call 612-626-6688 to make an in-person or virtual appointment with a University of Minnesota neurologist. If you are located outside of the Midwest, Parkinson's Foundation has a national PD hotline: 1-800-4PD-INFO.
*Free* PD Events in April
Resource Fair for Veterans with Parkinson's Disease When: Wednesday, April 16th, 12:30PM-3:30PM Where: Minneapolis VA Medical Center, 1st floor Auditorium, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN Notes: For more information, click here.
The Neuro Fit class When: 11:00AM Wednesdays in April Where: Shorewood Senior Campus, 2205 2nd Street SW, Rochester, MN Notes: Free on Wednesdays for the month of April for 55+. Contact Sheila Walsh for more information at (507) 536-3221 swalsh@shorewoodcampus.com
PRESS Program w/ De Ella Wilcox When: 1:00PM - 2:30PM, Wednesdays from April 2nd to May 21st Where: SPOT Rehabilitation 2835 W St Germain St #300, St Cloud, MN 56301 Notes: Register here.
Spring Parkinson's Symposium (If you missed it at the top of the newsletter, here it is again!) When: Friday April 25th
9:00AM Resource fair
10:00AM-2:00PM Presentations (with breaks for coffee and lunch) Where: North Heights Church, 1700 County Highway 96 Arden Hills, MN 55112
(You can also attend online, if you prefer.) Notes: To see the full agenda, or to register for this free event, click register for Spring Parkinson's Symposium.
Photo of the 2024 Spring Patient Symposium courtesy of Kelly Brown, edited by Kelly Ryberg.
Drawing (edited by Kelly Ryberg) from James Parkinson's "The Villager's Friend and Physician" appeared in the following article: Rose, S. (2017). The radical Mr Parkinson. The Lancet (British Edition), 390(10093), 448–449. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31910-4
This newsletter is a service of the MnDRIVE DBS Core at the University of Minnesota. If you would like to support Parkinson's Disease Research at the University of Minnesota, you can make donations here!
