How many people in the United States are living with Parkinson’s Disease? According to statistics provided by the American Parkinson Disease Association, roughly one million people in this country alone. Managing its symptoms is no easy task, even as new technological developments — including an ultrasound helmet — arrive on the scene to improve life for people diagnosed with it.
The results of a recent study could go a long way in helping address future treatments of Parkinson’s disease, in part by shifting some basic assumptions about how the disease works. In a paper published earlier this month in Nature, the study’s authors observe that Parkinson’s disease “has traditionally been classified as a movement disorder on the basis of its most visible and debilitating symptoms.” Their findings point to a different classification, however: that Parkinson’s disease is more accurately described as a somato-cognitive action network disorder.
The paper’s authors also provide a concise description of what, exactly, the somato-congnitive action network is, writing that it “[coordinates] arousal, organ physiology and whole-body motor plans with behavioural motivation.” As the authors told NPR’s Jon Hamilton, they began investigating this due to the wide range of symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, some of which had little to do with the way the body moves.
A Spinal Implant Helped a Parkinson’s Patient Walk Several Miles
It’s part of a larger body of research related to the brain and mobilityAs NPR’s reporting on the subject points out, the authors of the recent Nature study drew upon research published in 2023 by a group of scientists at Washington University. The earlier study suggested that the body’s motor cortex has responsibilities outside of movement. Applying this concept to Parkinson’s disease could help medical professionals develop more effective treatments for the disease — making life significantly easier for a lot of people around the world.
More Like This
The Charge will help you move better, think clearer and stay in the game longer. Subscribe to our wellness newsletter today.