ECU researchers work to bring more Parkinson’s care to Eastern NC
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. One group of researchers is seeking to highlight the need for more specialized care for Parkinson’s in eastern North Carolina.
Parkinson’s disease impacts around one million Americans with nearly 60,000 new yearly diagnoses. Proper treatment for Parkinson’s disease, let alone a diagnosis, requires something called a “Movement Disorder Specialist.”
Dr. Lauren Turbeville is one researcher on the project. She said this topic hits home for her.
“So we created a survey, and we actually had some individuals with Parkinson’s disease help us on the survey,” Turbeville said, whose father lives with Parkinson’s. “Sometimes even walking, people with Parkinson’s often experience what’s called freezing gate, where they just feel like they’re stuck for a minute, and it takes them a minute to actually just get walking again.”
