More than one million people in the UK are affected by Parkinsons including families and friends of people with a diagnosis.
A diagnosis of the disease can be a life-changing event for an individual and their loved ones. Symptoms usually begin gradually and get worse over time. As the disease progresses, people may have difficulty walking and talking, experience tremors, rigidity and stiffness. They may also have mental and behavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue.
Currently there is no cure, but the understanding of Parkinsons and its symptom management is advancing. Here at the University our research teams are conducting world-class laboratory clinical and applied health research. This includes investigating new interventions, therapies and approaches to improve and personalise current therapies and care practice, support early disease detection, monitor disease progression and ultimately grant patients a better quality of life.
Parkinson's is a horrible condition and I would not wish it upon anyone. I was diagnosed at 40, and it has robbed me of an active and productive middle age, and it will deny me a happy retirement. It has also stopped me from being the dad that I wanted to be to my three children, and it has taken away from my wife the happy, sociable, active man that she married 30 years ago Mark Hoar
Listen to John Whipps story, diagnosed at 54
To find out more about the University of Plymouth's research visit our website
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