The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center 100 Questions & Answers About Parkinson Disease, Second Edition

276 Pages·2009·1.47 MB·English

by  Abraham Lieberman

72536_FMxx_FINAL.QXP 11/6/09 10:37 AM Page i
The Muhammad Ali
Parkinson Center
100 Questions &
Answers About
Parkinson Disease
Second Edition
Abraham Lieberman, MD
Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center
Phoenix, AZ
72536_FMxx_FINAL.QXP 11/6/09 7:09 PM Page ii
World Headquarters
Jones and Bartlett Publishers Jones and Bartlett Publishers Jones and Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive Canada International
Sudbury, MA 01776 6339 Ormindale Way Barb House, Barb Mews
978-443-5000 Mississauga, Ontario L5V 1J2 London W6 7PA
[email protected] Canada United Kingdom
www.jbpub.com
Jones and Bartlett’s books and products are available through most bookstores and online booksellers. To
contact Jones and Bartlett Publishers directly, call 800-832-0034, fax [phone], or visit our website at
www.jbpub.com.
Substantial discounts on bulk quantities of Jones and Bartlett’s publications are available to corporations,
professional associations, and other qualified organizations. For details and specific discount information,
contact the special sales department at Jones and Bartlett via the above contact information or send an
email to [email protected]
Copyright © 2011 by Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC
All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may be reproduced or utilized in any
form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner.
The authors, editor, and publisher have made every effort to provide accurate information. However, they
are not responsible for errors, omissions, or for any outcomes related to the use of the contents of this book
and take no responsibility for the use of the products and procedures described. Treatments and side effects
described in this book may not be applicable to all people; likewise, some people may require a dose or
experience a side effect that is not described herein. Drugs and medical devices are discussed that may have
limited availability controlled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use only in a research study
or clinical trial. Research, clinical practice, and government regulations often change the accepted standard
in this field. When consideration is being given to use of any drug in the clinical setting, the healthcare
provider or reader is responsible for determining FDA status of the drug, reading the package insert, and
reviewing prescribing information for the most up-to-date recommendations on dose, precautions, and
contraindications, and determining the appropriate usage for the product. This is especially important in
the case of drugs that are new or seldom used.
Production Credits
Executive Publisher: Christopher Davis
Editorial Assistant: Sara Cameron
Production Editor: Daniel Stone
V.P., Manufacturing and Inventory Control: Therese Connell
Manufacturing and Inventory Control Supervisor: Amy Bacus
Composition: Glyph International
Cover Printing: Malloy, Inc.
Cover Credits
Cover Design: Carolyn Downer
Cover Printing: Malloy, Inc.
Cover Images: Top Photo: TBD; Bottom Left Photo: © Jostein Hauge/ShutterStock, Inc.;
Bottom Right Photo: © Monkey Business Images/ShutterStock, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lieberman, A. N. (Abraham N.), 1938-
The Muhammad Ali Parkinson center 100 questions and answers
about Parkinson disease/Abraham Lieberman.—2nd. ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7637-7253-6
ISBN-10: 0-7637-7253-4
1. Parkinson’s disease—Popular works. 2. Parkinson’s disease—Miscellanea. I. Title. II. Title: 100
questions and answers about Parkinson disease.
RC382.L543 2010
616.8’33—dc22
2009019555
6048
Printed in the United States of America
13 12 11 10 09 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
72536_FMxx_FINAL.QXP 11/6/09 10:37 AM Page iii
Dedication
The second edition of 100 Questions & Answers About Parkinson
Disease is dedicated to Muhammad and Lonnie Ali, to Jimmy and
Nancy Walker, and to Sean Curry and the staff of Celebrity Fight
Night. Muhammad Ali needs no introduction. He’s the most cele-
brated athlete of the century and the most recognizable person on
earth.I have known Muhammad and Lonnie Ali for 20 years,since
Muhammad was diagnosed with Parkinson disease. I have seen
him battle the disease for 20 years,never giving in.It’s “The Great-
est’s” greatest fight, greater than the “Thrilla in Manila” or the
“Rumble in the Jungle.” Muhammad’s battle is summarized in a
poem he and I wrote,which is reprinted in this book.
In 1998, Muhammad and Lonnie Ali joined with Jimmy
Walker, a Phoenix philanthropist, to start Celebrity Fight Night.
Each year, Celebrity Fight Night brings together athletes, busi-
nesspeople, entertainers, and good people from everywhere for a
fundraiser to benefit the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center (MAPC)
at the Barrow Neurological Institute.“Fight Nighters”have included
Kevin Costner, Billy Crystal, Michael J. Fox, Whitney Houston,
Larry King,Barry Manilow,Phil Mickleson,Reba McIntire,Arnold
Palmer, the Phoenix Suns, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Donald
Trump, and Dionne Warwick.The money raised by these Celebrity
Fight Nights have gone to the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center
to ensure that every patient who comes to the Center receives the
same care that Muhammad Ali would receive. In these days of
managed care,brief doctor visits,and little educational or emotional
support for patients, MAPC is an oasis—a place where, because of
Muhammad and Lonnie Ali and Celebrity Fight Night, patients
receive not only the best available medical care, but a wealth of
information and emotional support.
72536_FMxx_FINAL.QXP 11/6/09 10:37 AM Page iv
72536_FMxx_FINAL.QXP 11/6/09 10:37 AM Page v
Contents
Foreword vii
About the Author ix
Part 1. Most Frequently Asked Questions 1
Questions 1–12 answer commonly asked questions regarding Parkinson disease, such as:
• What is Parkinson disease?
• What causes Parkinson disease?
• What are the stages of Parkinson disease?
Part 2. Tell Me More 37
Questions 13–27 discuss the symptoms and physical effects of Parkinson disease, as
well as what to expect when you visit a neurologist:
• What are the main symptoms of Parkinson disease?
• Is difficulty speaking part of Parkinson disease?
• I am seeing a neurologist—what should I expect?
• What do I do after I’ve been diagnosed with Parkinson disease?
Part 3.Things You Should Know 89
Questions 28–38review the progressive patterns of and physical changes brought on
by Parkinson disease, including:
• Why does Parkinson disease get worse?
• What is freezing of gait?
• Why am I having difficulty swallowing?
Part 4. The First Five Years After You’re Diagnosed 113
Questions 39–56offer advice on what to expect during the first five years post diag-
nosis, including drug information and emotional changes, such as:
• What is the goal of treatment?
• What is a dopamine agonist?
• I have Parkinson disease—why me?
• As a care-partner, how can I cope with my partner’s Parkinson disease?
72536_FMxx_FINAL.QXP 11/6/09 10:37 AM Page vi
100 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT PARKINSON DISEASE
Part 5. The Next Six to Thirty Years After Diagnosis 155
Questions 57–75review drug treatment options as well as common psychological
issues facing patients with Parkinson disease:
• What is levodopa/carbidopa?
• What are Comtan and Tasmar?
• What are symptoms of depression in Parkinson disease and how is it treated?
Part 6. What Else Should I Know?` 193
Questions 76–100present additional information on treatment options and on how
to maintain a high quality of life while living with Parkinson disease, including:
• What is deep brain stimulation?
• What is the role of gene therapy in Parkinson disease treatment?
• How can I make my home safer?
• When will there be a cure?
Appendix 237
Glossary 243
Index 253
vi
72536_FMxx_FINAL.QXP 11/6/09 7:09 PM Page vii
Foreword
I can think of no one better to write this book. If anyone knows
the questions on the minds of patients with Parkinson disease, it is
Dr.Abraham Lieberman.
This book will be a valuable resource. One could easily start at
the beginning and go through it cover to cover.But it is just as valu-
able to open it at random and learn something new about Parkinson
disease.The questions are organized along different topics, which is
most valuable. The reader can quickly find the answer to a vexing
question by searching for the topic in the table of contents and read
about what is on his or her mind.
Dr. Lieberman has a gift of being able to communicate readily
and with great facility. This ability comes across as one reads his
answers to the questions posed in this book. This book is a mar-
velous addition to the literature on Parkinson disease and will be
highly useful to those who want to learn what is on patients’ minds
and how to deal with these questions.Enjoy!
Stanley Fahn,MD
Scientific Director,Parkinson’s Disease Foundation
Merritt Professor of Neurology,
Columbia University
New York,New York
72536_FMxx_FINAL.QXP 11/6/09 10:37 AM Page viii
72536_FMxx_FINAL.QXP 11/6/09 10:37 AM Page ix
About the Author
Who is Abraham Lieberman?
If you have Parkinson disease,you may ask,who am I to write about
it? I’ve studied PD for 40 years.I am the Director of the Muhammad
Ali Parkinson Center charged with bringing educational and emo-
tional support to all patients, caregivers, families, and friends of
patients with Parkinson disease.I am also the Director of the Move-
ment Disorder Clinic of the BNI, charged with diagnosing and
evaluating people with PD and other movement disorders,teaching
residents and fellows about PD and other movement disorders, and
conducting research into PD and other movement disorders. The
BNI is a world-renowned institute for neurology and neurosurgery.
It is located on the campus of St.Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix,Ari-
zona,which is consistently voted one of America’s top hospitals.
I’m a 1959 graduate of Cornell University in Ithaca,New York;
a 1963 graduate of the New York University School of Medicine;
board certified in neurology and Psychiatry, and a fellow of the
American Academy of Neurology, the American Neurological
Association,and the Movement Disorder Society.
From July 1963 to June 1964, I interned at the Cincinnati
General Hospital, part of the University of Cincinnati. From July
1964 until June 1967, I trained in neurology at Bellevue Hospital,
one of the largest and busiest hospitals in America. During the
Vietnam War,from 1967 to 1969,I was a neurologist at the United
States Air Force Hospital in Tachikawa,Japan.
From 1970 to 1989, I was, successively, an instructor, an assis-
tant professor, and a full professor of neurology at NYU. I was
principal, or co-principal, investigator of more than 200 grants and
studies on Alzheimer’s disease, brain tumors, coma, depression,
epilepsy,migraine headaches,nerve and muscle disease,Lewy Body
disease,Parkinson disease,and stroke.Most of the studies involved