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NB:reworded as suggested by Ansa Ojanlatva, PhD, CHES (ret.). This note got thoroughly chewed up by my e-mail program. I hope it comes out better this time. The idea for changing the name of PD came about at a round-table conference as to what ways we could promote awareness of PD, and at the same time raise the awareness of doctors and para-medical people (nurses, physios, etc) of the practicalities of dealing with PD. We, and by "we " I mean the ordinary people in the equation, have little or no chance of influencing the search for either a cure, or a preventative, for PD; neither do we have any chance of coming up with a more efficient medication. However, we are able to influence practices by becoming aware and knowledgeable, by trying out methods, and by supporting each other in the process. My GP told me that he had had approximately one hour of lectures on PD, as part of a total of six hours for neurodegenerative disorders, in the whole of his internship. My niece, during her nursing training, in the neurology part of her course, was learning from text-books that were six years out of date. We have to try and get the information on PD updated, and we have to get it recognised as a disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS), by whatever name we call it. We have to try and have the information readily available for making an informed diagnosis. And we have to shorten the time taken for positive diagnosis. I was watching TV during my lunch-break, and the host of a program was interviewing a young woman. She said that she began to have symptoms of PD at the age of 23, and that she was finally diagnosed at the age of 27. She said that she had had a terrible time getting a positive diagnosis, as the doctors to whom she went did not believe in the range of systems she presented, and were of a common mind-set that her symptoms were psychological, of unknown cause. In the mind of the general public, PD is seen as at best a simple movement disorder, and at worst a psychiatric disturbance, with all that the implies. And it is certainly not seen as a disorder of the young. Jim ---------------------------------------- Doctor J. F.Slattery PhD Soc Sc ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn