From 18th century London to the promise of a global cure: the 200-year history of Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disorder most commonly characterized by tremors and other motor symptoms, is so complex, many medical professionals are starting to classify it as a group of diseases, rather than a single disease.

In this episode, we explain those complexities, including:

• The motor symptoms (e.g. cogwheel rigidity, bradykinesia) and non-motor symptoms (e.g. depression, sleep disorders)
• How the industrial revolution may have brought about environmental factors which contribute to Parkinson’s
• The differences and similarities between Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s
• How Parkinson’s manifests in our brains
• Why one nurse was able to detect Parkinson’s through smell
• The neurogenetics of Parkinson’s, and the ethical quandaries of evolving genetic technology
• Why lifestyle — nutrition, exercise, etc. — is so key to preventing and managing Parkinson’s

Joining us for this extensive conversation are three incredible guests:

• Dr. Rachel Dolhun, Senior Vice President of Medical Communications at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
• Dr. Michael Okun, evolutionary biologist, movement disorders specialist, and Director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases
• Dr. Matthew Farrer, neurogenetics expert and Professor Of Neurology at the University of Florida