Palo Alto Parkinson's Support Group
Stanford's APDA Information & Referral Center and Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach coordinate a local Parkinson's Disease (PD) support group in Palo Alto. We meet virtually and many of our speakers allow their talks to be recorded and shared here. Our meetings highlight local resources we believe the community should know about or Stanford clinicians and researchers.
We generally meet the second Wednesday of each month, 2:30-4pm PT. If you are interested in being added to the virtual meeting reminder email list, please contact Robin Riddle, phone 650-724-6090. Pre-pandemic, we met at a senior housing community and, prior to that, at senior centers. We aren't sure when/if we will return to meeting in-person.
2023
- October - 4 speakers on How In-home Care (Sigura, Seniors at Home), Care Management (Stephanie Peters, enABLE), Care Facility Placement (David Cohen, Exceptional), and a Fiduciary Can Help You! (Pablo O'Brien, South Laurel Group)
- September - PD Exercise Class (Join in!) (Rao, Stanford and Whelchel)
- August - Brain Sensing and Adaptive DBS (Bronte-Stewart, Stanford), SPRING study and QDG study (Parisi and Negi, Stanford), Connecting Through Art (Smith, Stanford)
- June - PD and the Microbiome (Blum, Peninsula Private Neurology), TOPAZ Study (Perkins, UCSF), Connecting Through Art (Smith, Stanford)
- March - Treatment of Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease (Montaser, Stanford) plus Stanford Studies Description (Montaser, Stanford and Yeon, Stanford)
- February - PD Treatment Updates in 2023 (Chattree, Stanford)
- January - Overview of DBS and FUS (Ferris, Stanford)
2022
- December - Orthostatic Hypotension in PD (Miglis, Stanford), Short Overview of Microbiome in PD (Palushaj, Stanford) and Swallowing Support Group (Yao, Stanford)
- October - Driving and PD (Muccini, Stanford) plus Freezing of Gait Research Update (O'Day, Stanford)
- August - Management of Voice, Speech and Swallowing Changes in PD (Hicks, Stanford)
- July - A Glove To Treat Parkinson’s Disease? (Tass, Stanford)
- June - Depression, Anxiety, and Apathy in PD (Chattree, Stanford)
- May - PD Exercise Fundamentals and Class (Larsen, Keep Moving with Jen)
- March - Updates in PD (Chattree, Stanford)
- February - Fall Prevention (Corman, Stanford)
2021
- November - Alpha-synuclein as a Therapeutic Target (Schüle, Stanford)
- October - Getting the Best Treatment (Montaser Kouhsari, Stanford)
- September - A Neuro-Palliative Approach (Katz, Stanford)
- August - Skin Cells as a Biomarker? (Wang, Stanford)
- July - Fab 4 Fitness Buckets (Najjar, Synaptic PT)
- June (Extra Meeting) - Palliative Care and End-of-life (Lai and Stephens, PAMF)
- June - Driving (Muccini, Stanford)
- May - Care Management (Melvin, Sage ElderCare)
- March - Options for Parkinson's Care: Home Care and Home Health (Kefer, Home Instead and Mina, Amedisys)
October 2023 Meeting - "4 Speakers on
How In-home Care, Care Management, Care Facility Placement, and a Fiduciary Can Help You!"
On Wednesday, October 11, we have four speakers lined up to provide the basics about services caregivers may benefit from employing and how they can help.
- Pablo O'Brien with South Laurel Group Professional Fiduciary will explain fiduciary services
- Stephanie Peters with enABLE Care Management will tell us about care management
- David Cohen with Exceptional Senior Placement with share what placement finders do
- Laura Sigura with Seniors at Home will provide tips on interviewing an agency for hiring in-home care, what aides can and can't do, and the advantages
At the regular, Wednesday, September 13th virtual support group meeting, we heard briefly from Megan Rao, MPH, with Stanford Health Care. She gave an overview of Stanford's Neuroscience Wellness classes.
One of those classes is a PD-specific exercise class that is held virtually, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30-3:30pm. The instructor is Yue Whelchel. At our regular September meeting, Ms. Whelchel led us in lots of exercises helpful to those with Parkinson's. She began seated (in a chair without wheels) and then stood up, occasionally holding on to a sturdy chair. She used small weights. The class lasted about 45 minutes. Check out the recording!
View "PD Exercise Class (Join in!)" Recording
August 2023 Meeting - "Brain Sensing and Adaptive DBS," "SPRING study," "QDG study," and "Connecting Through Art"
On Thursday, August 17th, we had a combined virtual meeting of the Palo Alto PD Support Group and the Stanford DBS Support Group. We had several speakers. The main speaker was:
#1 Helen Bronte-Stewart, MD, movement disorder specialist, Stanford University.
She discussed her research on adaptive DBS, which is also called "brain sensing DBS" or "closed loop DBS."
View "Brain Sensing and Adaptive DBS" Recording
The next two speakers were from Dr. Bronte-Stewart's lab at Stanford and described two studies. The SPRING study is recruiting participants who already have the Medtronic Percept PC DBS system. (For more information about the SPRING study, contact the Bronte-Stewart Lab.) The QDG study is recruiting those with PD and healthy controls to validate a non-invasive device for the assessment of fine motor control. (For more information about the QDG study, contact Laura Parisi at Stanford.) The speakers were:
#2 Laura Parisi and Aarushi Negi, Bronte-Stewart Lab, Stanford University
View "SPRING study and QDG study" Recording
The final speaker was a repeat from our June 2023 meeting. She noted that there are four spots left for local participants (with or without PD) for the upcoming "Connecting Through Art" virtual program at Stanford. (For more information about the CTA program, contact Alena Smith at Stanford.) The speaker was:
#3 Alena Smith, Stanford Neurology
View "Connecting Through Art" Recording
At the regular, Wednesday June 14th virtual support group meeting, we had several speakers:
#1 Diana Blum, MD, neurologist, Peninsula Private Neurology, Menlo Park, CA.
Topic: Update on Parkinson's and the microbiome
Dr. Blum was our main speaker. As she liked to see everyone's faces, she was using the "meeting" platform rather than the webinar platform. She preferred not to be recorded.
#2 Jacque Perkins, MPH, clinical research coordinator, UCSF
Topic: TOPAZ Study
Ms. Perkins spoke (at the beginning of the meeting) about the TOPAZ study, which people with PD could participate in virtually. People with PD or other forms of parkinsonism have a much higher risk of hip and other fractures. TOPAZ (Trial of Parkinson’s and Zoledronic Acid) will test if zoledronate, can prevent fractures in people with Parkinson’s disease or other forms of parkinsonism, whether or not they have osteoporosis. You could receive $100 upon enrollment and $50 per year during the study. For more information, please visit TOPAZstudy.org or call 415-317-5748.
#3 Alena Smith, Stanford Neurology
Topic: Connecting Through Art
Stanford will be launching soon a "Connecting Through Art" program for the Parkinson's community. It will be open to anyone -- not just those seen at Stanford.
March 2023 Meeting - "Treatment of Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease" plus "Stanford Studies Description"
At the March 15, 2023 Palo Alto PD support group, the speaker was:
Leila Montaser Kouhsari, MD, Stanford movement disorder specialist.
She addressed the treatment of Parkinson's motor symptoms, and focuses on medication.
View "Treatment of Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease" Webinar Recording
At the tail-end of the March 15, 2023 Palo Alto PD support group meeting, two Stanford studies recruiting for Parkinson's Disease participants were described.
Leila Montaser Kouhsari, MD talked about research that explores whether those with PD can learn new behavior.
If you are interested in signing up, contact Stephanie Tran, research coordinator at Stanford, trans@stanford.edu.
Then, Jiwon Yeon, PhD described research into "looking behavior" (or eye movements) in PD and normal controls.
If you are interested in signing up, visit the study webpage, tinyurl.com/5fxxa9a8.
If you have questions, contact Dr. Yeon at Stanford, jyeon@stanford.edu, or text 404-314-2333.
View "Treatment of Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease - Stanford Studies Description" Webinar Recording
At the regular February 8th virtual support group meeting, our guest speaker was:
Gaurav Chattree, MD, movement disorder specialist, Stanford.
He updated attendees about four PD treatments in the clinical study pipepline, and new-ish symptomatic therapies. He briefly addressed focused ultrasound and stem cell therapy for PD. Attendees asked questions about exercise, constipation, incontinence, and impulse control disorder.
Meeting Materials:
View "PD Treatment Updates in 2023" Webinar Recording
At the January 12th virtual support group meeting, our guest speaker was:
Margaret Ferris, MD, movement disorder specialist, Stanford.
She provided an overview of DBS (deep brain stimulation) and FUS (focused ultrasound) as treatments for Parkinson's. And she compared these two treatments.
Meeting Materials:
View "Overview of DBS and FUS" Webinar Recording
December 2022 Meeting - "Orthostatic Hypotension in PD", "Short Overview of Microbiome in PD" and "Swallowing Support Group, and Speech Assessment at SJSU”
At the regular, Wednesday, December 14th virtual support group meeting, we had three guest presenters:
#1 Mitch Miglis, MD, autonomic specialist, Stanford Neurology.
Topic: Orthostatic Hypotension in PD
He described what causes the sign of orthostatic hypotension, how the sign manifests, and treatment (both pharmacological and non-pharmacological). There were lots of good questions from attendees.
Dr. Miglis shared this "orthostatics log," for tracking blood pressure at home . The basic measurements are taken lying flat and then after standing in place for 3 minutes. Measurements should be taken at different times of day.
> Download Orthostatics log (Word document)
Meeting Materials:
View "Orthostatic Hypotension and PD" Webinar Recording
#2 Bianca Palushaj, MD, neurology resident, Stanford Neurology.
Topic: Short Overview of Microbiome in PD.
Dr. Palushaj provided a short overview of the microbiome in Parkinson's disease. She is part of a team (working with Ami Bhatt, MD) conducting a study of the microbiome. Those with Parkinson's and "healthy controls" are invited to participate. To join the study, contact:
Gabriella Green, Stanford Microbiome Study, via email or phone 910-467-9301.
Meeting Materials:
View "Short Overview of Microbiome in PD" Recording
#3 Theresa Yao, SLP, speech/language pathologist, Stanford.
Topic: Swallowing Support Group, and Speech Assessment at SJSU
Ms. Yao spoke about a new "swallow support group" being started by Stanford as of January 2023. The group will meet virtually on the second Thursday of each month, 4-5pm. Visit the group's website. View a flyer about the group:
> Visit Swallow Support Group Website
> View Swallow Support Group Flyer
Plus, Ms. Yao noted that San Jose State University SLP students will be offering a free assessment in the winter quarter 2023 to those with PD. And the SLP students may be offering a SPEAK OUT virtual class for those with PD as of spring 2023. If interested, contact the Kay Armstead Center for Communicative Disorders by email.
View "Swallowing Support Group" Recording
At the regular, Wednesday October 12th virtual support group meeting, we had two guest speakers:
#1 Julie Muccini, OTR/L, occupational therapist, Stanford University.
Topic: Driving and Parkinson's
She addressed:
- The issues those with PD might have that compromise driving ability
- The issues that seniors might have that compromise driving ability
- State law in California about PD and driving
- How driving can be objectively evaluated
- Transportation options
Meeting Materials:
View "Driving and Parkinson's" Webinar Recording
#2 Hannah O'Day, PhD, research bioengineer, Stanford University.
Topic: Research Update on Freezing of Gait in PD
She described a study underway at Stanford.
Meeting Materials:
View "Research Update on Freezing of Gait in PD" Webinar Recording
At the regular, Wednesday August 10th virtual support group meeting, the guest presenter was:
Julie Hicks, SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist, Stanford Outpatient Neurologic Rehabilitation Program.
She addressed:
Management of Voice, Speech and Swallowing Changes in PD
Meeting Materials:
> View Management of Voice, Speech and Swallowing Changes in PD slides
Julie Hicks recently spoke on the same topic at a conference for progressive supranuclear palsy, an atypical parkinsonism disorder. Stanford's Denise Dagan attended that virtual talk and described this as the "best presentation on speech and swallowing problems" she has seen! Denise's notes are posted to the Brain Support Network webpage.
> Notes of a similar talk by Julie Hicks, posted to the Brain Support Network blog
View Webinar Recording
At the regular Wednesday, July 13th virtual support group meeting, the speaker provided an overview of research and clinical trials for a non-invasive, vibrotactile coordinated reset stimulation for treating PD.
The speaker was:
Peter Tass, MD, PhD, Stanford Neurosurgery.
PD symptoms are associated with abnormal brain activity -- in particular, abnormal synchronization within large neuronal populations. In detailed computational studies done by Dr. Tass and his lab, he has shown that coordinated reset stimulation induces long-lasting desynchronization by modifying the structure and function of connections between neurons. The corresponding therapeutic effects were validated in Parkinsonian monkeys as well as in Parkinson’s patients treated with deep brain electrical CR stimulation. Now Dr. Tass is studying the effects on those with PD who are wearing "gloves" that deliver weak, non-painful vibratory CR bursts to the fingertips. If you are interested in participating in future clinical trials, please email Dr. Tass's team. If true, mention that you live in the Palo Alto area.
View Webinar Recording
At the regular Wednesday, June 8th virtual support group meeting, the topic was depression, anxiety, and apathy in Parkinson's. These three non-motor symptoms are quite common in PD, especially depression. The speaker addressed how these symptoms may overlap and treatment. The speaker was:
Gaurav Chattree, MD, movement disorder fellow, Stanford.
Meeting materials:
View Webinar Recording
At the regular Wednesday, May 11th virtual support group meeting, the topic was "Keep Moving with Jen", with a focus on the fundamentals of exercise for Parkinson's.
Jen Larsen, PD exercise specialist.
Jen gave a short presentation on the fundamentals of exercise for Parkinson's. Jen believes that PD movement programs should challenge participants both physically and mentally. Then Jen invited everyone to participate in a one-hour PD exercise class, highlighting several different approaches to Parkinson's-specific movement, including PWR!, LSVT-BIG, and PD Warrior. She started off with stretches that people can do in bed each morning. Then she had a seated workout, followed by a standing workout. The workout focused on flexibility, balance, and strength. Jen offers virtual and in-person PD exercise classes on the Peninsula. Plus, she has a YouTube page of 60 exercise videos.
> Visit her website for links and info
Stanford has two web pages if you are interested in PD exercises: a list of live, online classes and a list of PD exercise videos.
View Webinar Recording
At the regular Wednesday, March 9th virtual support group meeting, the topic was "Updates in PD," with a focus on new drugs and treatments available.
Gaurav Chattree, MD, movement disorder fellow, Stanford.
Dr. Chattree also shared exciting developments in the pipeline.
Meeting materials:
View Webinar Recording
At the regular Wednesday, February 9th virtual support group meeting, the topic was fall prevention in PD and for us all. Plus, Stanford's highly regarded "Farewell to Falls" program was introduced. The guest speaker was:
Ellen Corman, MRA, Manager, Injury Prevention and Community Engagement, Stanford Health Care.
She shared statistics about the high cost of falls, fall prevention tips, what people who enroll in the Farewell to Falls Program can expect and who qualifies for the program.
Meeting materials:
View Webinar Recording
November 2021 Meeting - "Cutting Edge Research at Stanford: Alpha-synuclein as a therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease: challenges and opportunities"
At the regular Wednesday, November 10th virtual support group meeting, the topic was cutting edge, basic science research into PD going on at Stanford. The guest speaker was:
Birgitt Schüle, MD, researcher with Stanford Pathology.
She spoke on “Alpha-synuclein as a therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease: challenges and opportunities.” Dr. Schüle focuses on medical genetics and stem cell modeling to unlock disease mechanisms and pathways leading to neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders, and to develop new therapeutic strategies to advance precision medicine. The line of research she is pursuing runs counter to current scientific concepts. She is investigating whether common genes and pathways underlie both neurodegeneration and neurodevelopment. This knowledge could help guide future therapeutic strategies of lowering alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease and could provide insights into early, potentially reversible disease mechanisms critical for both neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration.
Meeting materials:
View Webinar Recording
The October 13, 2021 regular meeting focused on medication and non-medication treatments for Parkinson's disease -- recognizing that everyone is different. The speaker was:
Leila Montaser Kouhsari, MD, movement disorder specialist, Stanford University.
Meeting materials:
View Webinar Recording
September 2021 Meeting - "Treating PD -- Quality of Life, Wellness, and a Neuro-palliative Approach"
The September 8, 2021 regular meeting focused on treating Parkinson's disease (PD) with a neuro-palliative approach for quality-of-life and wellness. The speaker was:
Maya Katz, MD, movement disorder specialist, Stanford University.
She addressed:
- How PD can be treated with a focus on wellness and quality-of-life
- Importance of exercise (physical/movement, speech/voice, etc)
- Role of resiliency in PD
- "Neuro-palliative": what does that mean?
Meeting materials:
> Treating PD -- Quality of Life, Wellness, and a Neuro-palliative Approach (PDF)
> "Daily Wellness Journal." Created by Judy Long, Chaplain and Jana Guenther, Research Coordinator, University of California, San Francisco
View Webinar Recording
August 2021 Meeting - "Cutting Edge Research at Stanford: Can Skin Cells Be a Biomarker and Lead to Development of a Drug Treatment?"
The August 11, 2021 regular meeting focused on cutting edge, basic science research into PD going on at Stanford. The speaker was:
Xinnan Wang, MD, PhD, Stanford Neurosurgery.
She addressed:
- Why an effective treatment relies on understanding how neurodegeneration occurs
- Biomarkers -- the definition and importance in monitoring PD progression (especially during drug trials)
- Her lab's discovery that a protein called Miro1 found in skin cells is impaired in both hereditary and sporadic Parkinson’s
- The strategy of coupling Miro1-based therapy with a Miro1 diagnostic tool for future clinical trials
View Webinar Recording
The July 14, 2021 regular meeting focused on PD exercise. The speaker was:
Theresa Najjar, DPT, physical therapist, Synaptic PT, Sunnyvale.
She addressed:
- "Fab 4 Fitness Buckets"
- Cardiovascular intensity for PD exercise
Dr. Najjar currently teaches PD exercise classes virtually. Here's an extensive list of live, virtual PD exercise classes, including those offered by Dr. Najjar.
Note that the recording below includes Dr. Najjar's prepared presentation and question-and-answer sessions. Due to liability reasons, Dr. Najjar asked us not to record and share the exercise demonstration part of the meeting.
Meeting materials:
> Fabulous Fitness and Appropriate Cardiovascular Intensity for PD Exercise (PDF)
View Webinar Recording
There was a special meeting on Friday, June 25, 2:30-4pm, with a speaker not available during our regular meeting day/time. The topic was "Palliative Care for PD." The speakers were:
Steve Lai, MD, palliative care, Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF).
Margaret Stephens, LCSW, social worker, PAMF, Palo Alto.
They addressed:
- Palliative care - overview; how this can help for someone with PD; services provided by PAMF
- POLST form (though not a lot of time will be spent on this)
- Common causes of death for those with PD
- Hospice (though not a lot of time will be spent on this)
Meeting materials:
View Webinar Recording
The June 9, 2021 regular meeting focused on "Driving and PD." The speaker was:
Julie Muccini, OTR/L, occupational therapist, Stanford University.
She addressed:
- The issues those with PD might have that compromise driving ability
- The issues that seniors might have that compromise driving ability
- State law in California about PD and driving
- How driving can be objectively evaluated
- Transportation options
Meeting materials:
View Webinar Recording
The May 12, 2021 meeting focused on "Care Management for PD." The speaker was:
Jill Melvin, LCSW, clinical care manager, Sage Eldercare, Burlingame.
She addressed:
- What is "care management"
- Do I need a "care manager"
- How can a care manager help me
- Examples of care management for Parkinson's Disease
- What if I have only a short-term need
- What if I have an ongoing need for help
- How to find/hire a care manager
Meeting materials:
View Webinar Recording
The March 2021 meeting focused on "Options for Parkinson's Care." The two speakers were:
#1 Leslie Kefer, Home Instead, Sunnyvale.
(This office services many cities around Sunnyvale, including Palo Alto.) She addressed:
- Options for Parkinson's care (including home care, facility placement, etc.)
- What are home care agencies doing to keep people safe during the pandemic
- How to select a home care agency
- How to interview home care aides
- Having a "70/40" discussion -- what the heck is that?!
Meeting materials:
> Home Instead presentation
> List of questions to ask a home care agency (PDF)
> List of medical tasks home care agency caregivers cannot perform (PDF)
> 70/40 booklet (PDF)
#2 Corie Mina, Amedisys, Campbell.
(This office services many cities in our area, including Palo Alto.) She addressed:
- Options for Parkinson's care (including home health -- what the heck is that?!)
- What are home health agencies doing to keep people safe during the pandemic
- How to select a home care agency
- Therapies (PT, OT, ST) available through home health from therapists who may be knowledgeable about Parkinson's disease
- "Family/caregiver training" given during home health visits
Meeting materials:
View Webinar Recording
