World Parkinson's Day and The Tasmanian Parkinson's Project

Did you know that there are an estimated 3000 people with Parkinson’s Disease in Tasmania and around 200,000 in Australia..?

World Parkinson's Day and The Tasmanian Parkinson's Project

April 11 is World Parkinson’s Day.

Did you know that there are an estimated 3000 people with Parkinson’s Disease in Tasmania and around 200,000 in Australia?

Despite these numbers, there is currently no cure or drug to slow down its progression. Parkinson’s is a progressive, degenerative condition of the brain. It is the fastest growing neurological disease in the world, and only second to dementia in terms of current numbers. It is more common than breast, lung and prostate cancer combined. 

Common visible symptoms include stiff muscles, slowness of movement, a tremor, difficulty with walking and a soft voice. However, there are many unseen symptoms including anxiety, fatigue, pain, sleep disturbances, loss of smell, constipation and cognitive impairment.

Last month ISLAND participants were invited to the Tasmanian Parkinson Project launch at a University of Tasmania community symposium. The project aims to improve the lives of people with Parkinson's through research, education and raising awareness in the community. Anyone with or without Parkinson’s in Tasmania can sign up to find out about upcoming seminars and research projects. You can learn more, sign up and watch some of the symposium speakers by going to the website:  https://parkinsons.utas.edu.au/  

The Tasmanian Parkinson’s Project is a collaboration between the University of Tasmania’s College of Health and Medicine (Wicking, Menzies, Medicine, Health Sciences and Psychological Science) and the WINGS for Parkinson’s special interest group.