Friends,
I don't know if anyone else has posted information about this before
since I've only been subscribed for a month. This is a small article
that was found in the August '99 issue of Popular Science by a friend
of mine. (Typos are mine not Popular Science's.)
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Stan Clark has Parkinson's disease. One of his most distressing
symptoms is that his brain often stops communicating with his legs,
and suddenly he cannot move. But Clark has noticed that gazing at
patterns on the floor sometimes helps him star moving again -- an
observation that might benefit thousands of other patients.
While doctors have known that visual cues can help Parkinson's
patients break a "freeze," nobody had come up with a practical way
for patients to take advantage of this phenomenon. Clark first tried
etching a line into the lenses of his glasses. The line helped but
blocked his vision. After more trial and error, Clark settled on a
laser pointer that helps him keep moving. The device has also helped
two other patients on whom Clark's doctors have tested it.
The doctors, from the University of Rochester's Strong Memorial
Hospital, are urging their colleagues to keep a laser pointer handy
for their Parkinson's patients to try. It's not often that a
debilitating symptom affecting as many a 150,000 patients might be
alleviated with a cheap readily available fix.
-- Cunjan Sinha
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To this I might add that there are laser pointers and then there are
laser pointers. My son has one of the latter for the amusement of
his two cats. They love to chase the spot of light around the room.
His pointer has several replaceable lenses (actually small holograms
I think) that throw different patterns (like "Merry Christmas" or a
valentine heart) instead of just a spot.
Has anyone tried anything like this? Does it work?
Best,
Bill
(who wishes one and all a HY2K - a Happy Year 2000)
--
Bill Innanen <mailto: [log in to unmask]>
<http://Bill.Innanen.com> & <http://mni.ms>
