Dr. Standaert has been an active member of the APDA’s SAB since May 2001 and we look forward to his continued contributions now as chairman. Dr. Standaert is the Chair of Neurology at the University of Alabama – Birmingham, where he also directs the APDA’s Center for Advanced Research as well as serving as medical director for the APDA Information & Referral Center.

The SAB will be convening on Monday, May 6th, 2013 to consider applications for 2013-2014 grant awards.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Standaert as he begins his new role as the SAB’s fourth chairman.

Dr. Standaert gave a talk in Tucson at the University of Arizona titled “The Search for Neuroprotection. Watch this presentation here.

View “Parkinson Disease: The Search for Neuroprotection”

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By Brian Baehr
Written October 2012
Published January 2013

Much has been proven supporting the benefits of exercise to those of us with Parkinson’s and yet it seems to me that there is a lot more to learn.  This week I discovered yet another amazing peculiarity about Parkinson’s!

Last year I wrote an article about my first few years with PD.  My PD Bio.  Since then I’ve been looking for inspiration and although many positive things have happened to me, nothing jumped out until today.

Today I realized something….. I FEEL GREAT!!!  How could that be?  I have PD!

Each of us with PD learns through a process of elimination what makes us feel as good as possible.  Our personal combination of pharmaceuticals and supplemental treatments such as acupuncture and massage and our individual sleeping, eating, and exercise habits obviously contribute to physical health.  However, it is the socialization activities and our fervent passion for philanthropic or community involvement which provide the foundation for optimum mind-body wellness.

What I realized TODAY is this; playing baseball is VERY GOOD for me!

This week I have been participating in a men’s baseball tournament here in Arizona.  Each fall, teams from all over the country arrive with the desire to compete in a National tournament.  Teams are assembled according to age (ranging from Old Enough To Know Better to Too Old To Care) and competition level (extremely competitive to extremely recreational). Each team plays one or two 9-inning games each day at Spring Training facilities in the Phoenix area.  The experience builds new friendships and old muscles, and takes me back to my youth, when Parkinson’s was not even in my vocabulary, much less my body.

The amazing part is that I FEEL GOOD TODAY and I’m not sure if it’s in spite of the physical demands or because of them.  There are urban legends of people with PD feeling miraculously better while climbing mountains, cycling long distances, dancing Zumba, and running marathons. Many of these people report feeling as good as they have since being diagnosed during and after their endeavors.  For me, when I feel an increase in my symptoms, increasing my daily exercise typically helps.

Today, I FEEL GREAT!  Do I need to be hit over the head with a baseball bat to realize the correlation?  I’ve been playing baseball all week!  Plus, I have been playing more baseball this year than I have in the past five years. For the past year I’ve played weekly, as opposed to a few games during three months of the year.  Is baseball another layer of therapy for me?  This does not seem consistent with some of the conventional wisdom about PD exercise therapy.  Baseball is not extremely physically demanding.  It is not aerobic or even very strenuous.  Most PD therapists promote a strenuous, aerobic, core body and balance-challenging exercise regimen to treat PD.

Baseball movements are not particularly athletically difficult but they do require “transverse plane” movements, balance and subtle hand/eye movement coordination.  Does baseball stimulate a motor skill familiarity or idiosyncrasies that have a neuro-protective benefit?

Does baseball have physiological and psychological benefits?  Is it an elegant balance?  Would baseball be good for anybody or is it just good for me for some inexplicable reason?

My friend and doctor of physical therapy, Tamara Hefferon, explains there is a connection.  Parkinson’s disease affects motor skills as a result of a deterioration of the cell tissues.  These cells assist in initiating, controlling and sustaining motor skill signals which originate from the basal ganglia portion of the brain.  She shared with me that engaging in complex motor skills that have been learned over a lifetime help rehabilitate and/or stimulate the brain.  The same part of the brain affecting movement, motor control, and balance involve the same chemicals affecting mood and well-being.  Performing exercise that is meaningful, complex and familiar provides a challenge and positively affects your motor system.  In addition, it also gives you an extra bonus by flooding your system with the feel good hormones.  You are more engaged and happy performing something that you enjoy.

Is an “adrenalin rush” neuro-protective?  The “adrenalin rush” has evolutionary roots triggering the physiological “fight or flight” response.  To me, there is nothing like the rush I get while standing in the batter’s box.  My first thought is that adrenalin can sometimes negatively amplify my symptoms.  What I have learned is that situations in my life that can cause an “adrenalin rush” yield different reactions from my symptoms.  I think the common denominator is familiarity.  In situations where I am NOT specifically trained for or accustomed (public speaking or human confrontation) to, the rush can cause unwanted amplification of my symptoms.  However, in situations where I have training, experience and/or familiarity, I find the “adrenalin rush” provides me with a positive feeling or a high.  I FEEL GREAT!!

Four years ago my son Matt was the first to recognize that exercise might be good for me.  At first I thought DUH!!!  But his explanation was as follows: In addition to the obvious cardiovascular benefits, enhanced balance and mitigation of accelerated atrophy, rigorous exercise has shown to enhance your cells ability to handle stress, disease, and disorder.  Rigorous exercise can create a rush of hormones such as Growth Hormone, Dopamine, and Testosterone.  Exercise modulates the release of levodopa-induced growth hormone (St. Josef Hospital Dept. of Neurology, Muller et al 2007), and Growth Hormone has been proven to be beneficial in treating Parkinson’s Disease as well as many other maladies due to its cellular-protective characteristics.  Experimental hormone treatments have been proven to yield positive results in trials for Parkinson’s patients (March 31 2003, Nature Medicine), and the positive hormonal benefits associated with prolonged or intense exercise could be the primary reason for vigorous exercise’s long-proven, dramatic benefits to PD patients.

It appears that the “Use it or lose it” concept is also applicable to neuro-protection of the brain tissues affected by Parkinson’s.

I suspect that other sports and athletic skills such as tennis, swimming, ballroom dancing and golf may be difficult to learn after being diagnosed with PD.  However, if a person with PD was skilled at those activities prior to being diagnosed there might be added benefits beyond regular exercise for the treatment of PD.

Regardless, I may never know why PD can keep me from walking without swinging my arms but it does not keep me from catching a hard hit ground ball.  I may never know why PD can keep me from typing with all my fingers but it does not keep me from hitting a 70 MPH curve ball.  But I do know that PD cannot keep me from enjoying life and feeling GOOD!

Brian Baehr
Tempe, Arizona
BaehrChallenge.com

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PAWS for PD

April 27th, 2013
Every walker and every donation raised at the Paws for Parkinson’s Dog Walk and Expo will help ease the challenges of living with Parkinson disease for people throughout Yavapai County and support APDA research efforts to find a cure. It’ll also be lots of fun!
REGISTER NOW

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Power Over Parkinson’s Conference – Tucson

March 9th, 2013
Don’t miss Tucson’s Power Over Parkinson’s Conference for the latest on treatment, research and living well with PD. Seating is limited to 125 so reserve your place now.
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Optimism Race 2013

April 7th, 2013
APDA Arizona will host it’s annual Optimism Race during Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month in April to raise money to support the educational and exercise programs funded by the APDA Arizona.
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PD Wellness Walk in Gilbert

January 19th, 2013
Join us in Gilbert, Arizona for a 3/4 mile walk to benefit the programs of the APDA, Banner Neuro Wellness, and Banner PD Meds Connection.
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Victory Summit® Phoenix

Jan 26th, 2013
The Victory Summit® symposium in Phoenix will give people with Parkinson’s and their families information and tools needed to improve the quality of their lives today.
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Oktoberfest 5K Run & Family Bike Ride

Join us in Carefree AZ Sundial Park on October 20th, 2012 and bring your family, friends and best canine pals. The more people – the more fun! There will be refreshments, raffles, prizes, and more!
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“Parkinson’s in Motion”
Scottsdale, AZ

Saturday, October 27th

Don’t miss this FREE “Ask the experts” seminar. Hear from physicians specializing in Parkinson’s and attend breakout sessions to learn about physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and caregiver support.
REGISTER NOW DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE FLIER

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Run Big for Parkinson’s

October 12th, 2013
2013 marks the 7th Annual Go BIG for Parkinson’s Run/Walk of Flagstaff benefiting the Arizona Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association.
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