Reply To: “Brain storms” by Jon Palfreman (Year 2)

[Anonymous]

‘Brain Storms’ by Jon Palfreman is an interesting book which touches the topic of Parkinson’s disease. It gives us a little insight on what the disease was called formerly and why James Parkinson and his essay were so important for future scientific research. We can learn from the book that PD symptoms can range from mild to very severe, when the patient is no longer able to move properly and becomes immobile. I personally didn’t know there are so many various symptoms, like micrographia, and that there is no one specific clinical picture of the disease — for example, some patients may have tremor, others may not.
PD is still a disease there’s much to learn and find out about. It can be disabling and terrifying for how one’s health and mobility can decline, once they contract Parkinson’s. The disease inevitably leads to death because we still haven’t got a proper cure for it. Nevertheless, there’s a big ray of hope for those with PD — medicines like L-dopa can prolong their lives by even decades, and these years can still be very satisfying and fulfilling. What’s more, scientists found out about a chemical called MPTP which can be used on animals for further research. Having an animal model for Parkinson’s, we can learn about the disease, its probable causes and ways to treat it.
The book by Jon Palfreman was a very inspiring, very interesting reading and it made me realise how difficult life with Parkinson’s disease can get, but it also made me hopeful.