Shakin' Street — A Parkinson's Blog

Has your car ever made a strange noise that you were unable to duplicate when you brought it to the mechanic?

That was me and my brand-new tremor in 2021.

The tremor first appeared, intermittently, in my right index finger. I ignored it for a couple of weeks, assuming it would go away.

Eventually, I made an appointment at my primary care doctor’s office. My regular physician was on vacation, the fill-in guy was not particularly enthusiastic about his job, and my tremor decided not to happen in front of Dr. Cranky.

After a couple of desultory reflex/mobility tests, The Grumpy GP sighed, rolled his eyes, told me there was nothing to worry about and sent me away. It was another six months before I had the guts to go back to my regular doc, and two years before Parkinson’s was diagnosed.

I wish I’d read about The Shaking Shoelace before the appointment. The article, published several years ago in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, tells the story of a 59-year-old patient with a very light foot tremor.

The tremor could not be seen when looking at the naked foot. But when the patient wore shoes, the neurologist could clearly see a shoelace vibrating.

You can compare the bare foot to the shoelace on video here.

I don’t know if this would’ve convinced Dr. Jerkface that I had something in 2021. My tremor was in my finger, not my foot but maybe I could have stuck my hand in a shoe and made a lace shake. Too late now.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a very light tremor, it might be worth a try.

The PD GENEration Study

Last November, I had my blood drawn for the Parkinson’s Foundation’s PD GENEration study. Among other goals, the study looks for variants (formerly known as “mutations”) in 7 genes. The variants, as I understand this, indicate a genetic predisposition to get Parkinson’s Disease.

Since my mother also has Parkinson’s, I assumed I’d have some of the variants. As my genetic counseling session approached, I imagined the emotional conversations I’d have with my kids — and maybe my sister, nieces and nephews — about the implications for them.

My counseling session was last week, and — long story short — I don’t have any of the variants for those seven genes. There is no evidence, based on current scientific knowledge, that my version of Parkinson’s is hereditary.

I was relieved and, to be candid, a little disappointed. For me, a day without drama is like a day without sunshine.

As of the most recent reporting, 20,000 people have participated in the study. 13% of them have a genetic variant in one or more of the “PD risk” genes.

The Foundation is still accepting new patients in the study. According to the website, here are the potential benefits:

By joining the PD GENEration study, you can discover your connection to the disease, while helping map the future of tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Benefits of participating include:

• Improve management of your disease
• Learn about your family’s risk for Parkinson’s
• Increase understanding of the biology behind the disease
• Accelerate clinical trial enrollment
• Contribute to improved care and treatment for you and future generations

You can find out more about the study and enroll here.

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Bonus For Those Who Read To The Bottom

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Roberta Flack died earlier this week at the age of 88. Here is the original version of one of her biggest hits. Recorded in 1971, released in 1972.

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James Woods does some very interesting things with “Billie Jean” and a ukulele.

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I often get emails from readers asking if I’ve ever heard a Led Zeppelin song played on the Japanese shamisen. Yes, it turns out — I have.