The North of Scotland Parkinson’s Research Podcast Series The North of Scotland Parkinson’s Research Interest Group

In this episode we are delighted to have the opportunity to discuss the latest thinking on Diet and Parkinson's with someone uniquely placed to do so from both a professional and a personal perspective.  Richelle Flanagan is not only a leading dietician in Ireland with nearly two decades of experience, but she also lives with Parkinson's Disease having been diagnosed seven years ago when she was expecting her second child. 

Dr Kathryn Bowles explains her fascinating research into a little known gene that is thought to help protect the brain. It is hoped that discovering how this process works will provide vital new knowledge as to why some people develop Parkinson’s and others don’t. Kat also talks Julie and Helga through the complex world of genetic research, how it has developed over recent years, and why it can take so long to see progress. 
 
 www.bowleslab.co.uk
 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9284779/pdf/13024_2022_Article_551.pdf

In this special episode of the North of Scotland Parkinson’s Research Interest Group podcast series to mark International Women’s Day 2024, we are delighted to have with us Richelle Flanagan from Ireland.  Since attending the World Parkinson’s Congress in 2019 following her own diagnosis of Young Onset disease seven years ago, she has worked tirelessly to raise the profile of women with Parkinson’s.  Now a leading advocate for females with the disease across the globe, her pioneering work is driving forward long overdue research into how Parkinson’s and its medications specifically affect women of all ages. She is co-founder of the worldwide Women’s Parkinson’s Project and also  ‘mymovesmatter.com’ – a digital health app allowing users to track every aspect of their health and wellbeing to help them live the best life possible with Parkinson’s.
 
Related links:
https://www.mymovesmatter.com/uccpilotstudy
https://www.mymovesmatter.com/get-the-app
https://movementdisorders.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/mds.28921#:~:text=PD%20and%20physicians.-,Women%20with%20PD%20need%20to%20be%20educated%20and%20empowered%20on,psychological%20and%20social%20support%20needs.
https://www.womensparkinsonsproject.com/
https://pregspark.com/
https://www.yopdwomen.com/resourcees
https://www.womensbrainproject.com/2024/01/21/parkinsonsreport/

Sleep issues are one of the most widely reported non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's  In this episode Dr David Breen explains the mechanism of sleep, talks us through some of the theories surrounding sleep as a possible predictor of disease or indicator of prognosis, and the challenges & of researching the science behind it.

As a member of the Parkinson's Disease guideline committee of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Clare Johnson explains the vast number of ways Occupational Therapists help patients and their families cope with the everyday motor and non-motor challenges of living with Parkinsons. We hear about the benefits of multi-disciplinary clinics and why standard measurement scales can fall short compared to individualised evaluation.

Speech and language issues can affect many people with Parkinson's at any stage of the disease. In this episode Dr Anja Lowit, Professor of Speech and Language Therapy at the University of Strathclyde talks Julie Jones and Helga Macfarlane through the various interventions that can help, the challenges of carrying out and analysing research into speech and language and how technology is developing to help.