Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Medtronic’s Percept deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat Parkinson’s symptoms. This first-of-its-kind device can sense and record an individual’s unique brain signals, a next step toward personalized DBS. With this data, doctors ...
Visit PageNew research published in Neurology by Daniel Waldvogel, MD, of the University of Zurich in Switzerland reports that nine people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), previously good swimmers, were unable to swim following deep brain stimulation (DBS). While movement symptoms improved following surgery...
Visit PagePeople with Parkinson’s disease who receive Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy in the early stages of the condition will benefit from a significant increase in quality of life, a revolutionary study from The New England Journal of Medicine has found. World-leading neurologist and lead clinici...
Visit PageShake It Up is delighted to announce Dr. Gerard Tao as the first recipient of the Shake It Up Australia Movement Disorder Fellowship, with this first fellowship funded by the Trawalla Foundation. The program is a Shake It Up initiative aimed at addressing the growing shortage of specialists in Parki...
Visit PageWith so many athletic events to participate in for Parkinson’s research, our Shake It Up supporters are always inspiring and impressing us with their physical feats to raise funds and awareness. Earlier this year, our Shake It Up hero Mark took on the Raw Challenge, raising over $2,500 for res...
Visit PageThis year, during Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Shake It Up invited the Australian community to take part in Pancakes 4 Parkinson’s, a fundraising initiative that encouraged people to host their own pancakes themed fundraising event. One of our inspiring supporters, Archie, was a Pancakes...
Visit PageIn our ‘Day in the Life with Parkinson’s’ series, we hear from our Shake It Up supporters about their day-to-day experiences while living with Parkinson’s disease – from their routine and treatment strategies, to the challenges – both physical and mental – t...
Visit PageThis article was originally published by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research A little background Before we dive in, let’s talk about Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) and batteries (also known as neurostimulators or impulse generators). In DBS surgery, leads, or thin wires, are im...
Visit PageThis article was originally published by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research We all know good sleep is important. And it becomes even more important when living with disease. How unfair then, that Parkinson’s disease (PD) makes sleep more difficult. Many people say they have t...
Visit PageBrain cells talk to each other using chemicals and electricity. Through this “discussion,” the brain directs how we think, feel, move and more. Changes in chemicals and electrical activity, caused by diseases like Parkinson’s, can impact these everyday activities. In Parkinson’s disease (PD)...
Visit PageOne of the less common and lesser-known symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is changes in the skin. Possible skin symptoms include rashes, which can come from PD itself, medications to treat the disease, or Parkinson’s symptoms, such as drooling. Living with PD also raises the risk of skin canc...
Visit PageSeeing the dentist regularly for a cleaning and check-up might not be at the top of your to-do list. You also may have, understandably, postponed visits during the pandemic. But dental care is important if you have Parkinson’s disease (PD). People with PD may be more likely to experience oral or d...
Visit Page2021 was another challenging year for all of us, with many unable to fundraise due to changing local restrictions and more time at home. Despite that, Shake It Up made it through 2021 with the support of our fundraisers, generous donors and corporate sponsors who are committed to finding treatments...
Visit PageOur heroes this week are the huge team of over 140 people from Tribute Boxing, led by Alex and Leo who recently worked together to walk, run, cycle and swim over 30,000km for Parkinson’s. The team were inspired to challenge themselves during lockdown to stay active and motivated while fundrais...
Visit PageFocused ultrasound (FUS) is a non-invasive surgical therapy that aims to ease Parkinson’s disease (PD) tremor and other motor symptoms. Like all currently available therapies, it eases symptoms but does not change the course of disease. In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appro...
Visit PageIn this audio from our partners at The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), Larry Gifford, Patient Council member (MJFF), leads a discussion on deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a treatment option for Parkinson’s disease. Panelists include: Kelvin Chou, MD, who explains what makes a good candidate for...
Visit PageOur hero this week is Mimi, who bravely fundraised for Shake It Up while preparing for DBS surgery. Mimi collected funds in the lead up to shaving her head for the treatment. With the help of her generous friends and family, Mimi raised $4,389 for Parkinson’s research. A big thank you to Mimi ...
Visit PageMy dad is a fighter, not a survivor I love my dad with all my heart and he has been very brave living with a tremor. He has been very supportive of me and now I need to be supportive to him. I believe my dad is very brave and handles Parkinson’s disease extremely well. My dad is 63 years old a...
Visit PageNew research led by QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute has identified ways to make the most widely-used advanced treatment for Parkinson’s disease – deep brain stimulation therapy – more effective and safer. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) involves implanting electrodes within the brain, w...
Visit Page“Plan ahead and take control of your own life and don’t let your Parkinson’s Disease determine who you are as a person”, the advice of Malcolm Irving, a Senior Business Consultant with SAS, the international analytics software and solutions company. Recent interviews conducted by Shake It Up...
Visit PageIn 2017, primary school principal Todd Murfitt learnt he had early-onset Parkinson’s disease. He was 35. Two years later his symptoms had progressed so rapidly he felt like he was walking in quicksand. Todd’s symptoms included an internal tremor, which meant he could hear a constant vibr...
Visit PageIn a recent edition of the Mosman Daily and North Shore Times the feature article reflects on the work of Dr Paul Silberstein and Dr Raymond Cook and the impact DBS is having on people living with Parkinson’s. Tim McIntyre also talks to Clyde about his mission to find a cure and the exciting pro...
Visit PageRecruitment Closed The PKG Watch® is a wearable technology that records your Parkinson’s symptoms and reminds you when to take your Parkinson’s disease medication as prescribed by your doctor.
Visit PageDyskinesia is uncontrolled, involuntary movement that may occur with long-term levodopa use and longer time with Parkinson’s. Not everyone will develop this complication, and the experience of dyskinesia varies. New and emerging treatments aim to help avoid dyskinesia. Dyskinesia can affect one bo...
Visit PageDystonia is characterised by painful, prolonged muscle contractions that cause involuntary repetitive twisting and sustained muscle contractions. These result in abnormal movements and postures. The symptoms usually begin in one body region, such as the neck, face, vocal cords, an arm or a leg, and ...
Visit PageFocused ultrasound (FUS) is a non-invasive technology to ablate a small volume of the globus pallidus region of the brain to reduce dyskinesia. While the procedure requires no surgery and is more easily tolerated than alternatives such as deep brain stimulation, it is irreversible. During the FUS ...
Visit PageDeep Brain Stimulation (DBS), a surgical therapy for Parkinson’s disease, is typically considered when a person who has had Parkinson’s for four years or more develops complications, such as dyskinesia (uncontrolled, involuntary movements) and/or significant “off” time (when medication isn...
Visit PageCurrent medications or surgery options can help to manage Parkinson’s symptoms, but we don’t yet have any treatments that can cure, slow, stop or reverse the progression.
Visit PageA recent study published in eNeuro suggests that a non-invasive brain wave test – an EEG – could help diagnose or measure Parkinson’s disease. Nicole Swann, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Oregon analyzed the EEGs of 15 people with Parkinson’s and 16 people without it. They found ...
Visit PageMany clinical trials use a placebo comparison to evaluate the effect of a new drug or therapy. Some people get the active intervention and some get an inactive “fake” treatment that looks the same as the real thing. Volunteers know when they enroll in a study that there is potential to get place...
Visit PageWalking problems and freezing of gait (a temporary inability to move) are troublesome and difficult-to-treat symptoms of Parkinson’s, especially in progressing disease. Current medications and surgical treatments may not fully address these symptoms, leaving people to rely on exercise and phys...
Visit PageIn this month’s Third Thursdays Webinar from The Michael J. Fox Foundation, our expert panellists addresses an often under-recognized Parkinson’s symptom — vision problems. Parkinson’s patient John Merchant joined Marta Fabrykowski, OD, FAAO, an optometrist at Manhattan Eye, ...
Visit PageWhen you see your doctor, they usually ask how you have been. Sometimes it may be hard to remember or describe your symptoms and this is where a monitoring device may help you. The PKG Watch® is a wrist worn device that records your Parkinson’s symptoms and reminds you when to take your Parkinso...
Visit PageDeep brain stimulation (DBS) and recently FDA-approved focused ultrasound (FUS) are two options to manage Parkinson’s symptoms, but not everyone is eligible. Dr. Soania Mathur, co-chair of The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Patient Council, leads a discussion with Patient Council member Ric...
Visit PageThe sudden inability to move while walking, or feeling like your feet are stuck to the ground, is called “freezing of gait.” This symptom may arise as Parkinson’s disease (PD) progresses, and can lead to stumbling or falling. Unfortunately, current medications and surgical options, such as dee...
Visit PageDon’t let having Parkinson’s stop you from travelling. Whilst it does present some challenges, with the right planning there is no reason why you can’t enjoy some great holidays. Check out these tips to help with your planning and travel. Travel Insurance Check your travel ins...
Visit PageShake It Up Australia Founding Director Clyde Campbell had the privilege of officially opening Berry artist Bernard Mcgrath’s ‘Shaken’ exhibition last Thursday to a packed crowd of over 200 at the Queen St Gallery in Woollahra. Bernard McGrath is an Australian, self taught contemporary artist ...
Visit PageThe most common surgical treatment for Parkinson’s disease is deep brain stimulation (DBS). Similar to available drug treatments, DBS does not slow down the disease or restore sick and dying nerve cells affected by Parkinson’s disease, but rather offers symptomatic benefits. In DBS, a thin elect...
Visit PageEight years ago, at 53, Dan Stark decided he needed to make a dramatic change. He was taking 2100 mg of Sinemet (levodopa/carbidopa) a day to try and eke whatever lasting benefits he could out of his medication, with the hopes of getting some relief for his Parkinson’s disease. But severe dyskines...
Visit PageOn Tuesday, February 19, The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) hosted the first event of the year in its Hot Topics in Parkinson’s disease (PD) Research Seminar Series: “An Overview of Parkinson’s Disease Research.” The Webinar, which is now available on demand, was hosted by MJFF Contributi...
Visit PageIan Findlay – You’re Not Alone ~ Learning to Swim Again! For as long as I can remember I have been around swimming. I was hooked, well and truly when my older brother, Jimmy had all of his Olympic uniforms delivered to our home before he swam for Australia in the Butterfly at the Munich Olympics...
Visit PageA University of Queensland researcher has joined colleagues at Oxford University in entering the deepest part of the brain to achieve a breakthrough treatment for debilitating gait freeze in Parkinson’s Disease. The research, published recently in the prestigious journal of neurology Brain, showe...
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