2018 was a busy year for us. In this map, we have highlighted all the participants we have visited at their homes. The red markers are our participants with idiopathic anosmia (smell loss) and the blue markers are regular members of the Predict-PD study. Between us we have travelled literally thousands of miles.
The information we have collected will be vital in helping to define the 'prodromal phase' of Parkinson's, and potentially identifying key features that might allow identification of early Parkinson's. This will be vital in getting the right people into trials of potentially disease modifying treatments.
This study is funded by Parkinson's UK. Many of us in the research team are also movement disorders neurologists and see people with Parkinson's in clinic, and we see the benefits that Parkinson's UK also provide to individuals and even at a national policy level. I am running the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon for Parkinson's UK, and training is going well. This weekend the charity held a 'preparation day' for its runners in the London and Brighton marathons. I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a few minutes telling them about the world-leading research we are doing at Predict-PD, and encouraging them to tell all their friends and family age 60-80 years about the study. It was very special to share the study with a group of such motivated and interested people, and showcase the work that we do. They were a mix of men and women of all ages, some of whom are running their first marathon (having never run 5km before), others are running their 30th full marathon this year. Some had relatives or friends with Parkinson's, others had Parkinson's themselves - all had a deep connection with the condition. I wish them all the best of luck with their training and look forward to seeing them at the finish line on the 28th April.
Because this post is getting perilously close to having no stats, here are some of mine since starting my training programme on Christmas day:
Total miles: 114.26
Total time running: 15 hours 8 minutes
Total calories burned: 11,206
2019 is another year of progress - please help us by encouraging everyone you know, age 60-80 to go to www.predictpd.com and take part!
RNR
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