Parkinson’s disease patients turn to dance: Phyllis Valentine never trained as a dancer, but she fondly remembers whirling around the room doing the polka with her father as a young girl. http://ping.fm/LMxWT

PRF: Treatments
Psychiatrists say treatment may help those with Parkinson's

While neurology plays a big part, psychiatrists and other medical professionals say there's more to it.

http://ping.fm/chSCK

PRF: Nutrition
Berries lower risk of Parkinson’s disease

There are new reveling findings about the power of fruits and vegetables. New research shows men and women who consume berries on a regular basis may have a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

http://ping.fm/R7ejY

Get on the Bike – and Stay On!
Forced Pedaling Offers Parkinson Patients Relief, New Study Finds. A new study on the effects of bicycling and Parkinson's disease published in the journal "Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair" reported positive results from forced cycling exercise. http://ping.fm/i0WqM

No Longer Misunderstood:
Diligent researchers discovered an inaccuracy in the long-accepted scientific structure of GPCRs, a medically important superfamily of proteins. Thanks to this new knowledge, scientists believe PD medications will evolve.
To find out how this new structure determination should help instruct the design of a new kind of therapeutics for Parkinson’s disease, visit the Parkinson Research Foundation’s online research resource library at:
http://ping.fm/WayMk

Staying Hydrated

Sound nutritional habits can aid in improving the overall well-being of PD patients, and scheduled meals are often key to the proper absorption of PD medications, but there is more to nutrition than just when and what you eat.

http://ping.fm/uzBE7

With mom in mind, Dallas triathlete headed to Hawaii

Multisport athlete Gretchen Weber, 45, of Dallas will be among 12 area triathletes heading to Hawaii next week for the Oct. 10 FordIronman World Championships.

Weber, a veteran of several Ironman events, earned a lottery slot into the premier endurance event. She then began raising money through the Janus Charity Challenge fund-raising program's Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. She dedicated the race to her mother, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

"It's a real privilege to be at the same starting line as some of the fittest people on the planet," she said.

Weber said she trains with coach Jim Lukanich, one of three area Kona qualifiers who are triathlon coaches. The others are Della Irby and Ahmed Zaher. She trains with Gorilla Multisports, cycles and swims with Dallas Athletes and swims with Irving Swimmers.

"I train with different groups that keep expanding and changing," she said. "Heavens, I'd never get up and get to workouts if someone wasn't waiting for me and wasn't going to give me grief for my absence."

Her goal at Kona is "to have fun, finish, stay injury free, and if the tri-gods are with me, maybe even PR."

For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org