Innovation Anthology #51: Minister, Alberta Advanced Education and Technology
Patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease have difficulty making everyday movements.
This is a result of a degeneration of the neurons that produce dopamine in the brain.
Dr. Jon Doan is a kinesiologist at the University of Lethbridge. As part of his doctoral research, he was interested in modeling on the computer the problems Parkinsons patients have in starting, sequencing and executing every day movements.
DR. JON DOAN: What we’ve find is that Parkinson’s patients are often using entirely new movement patterns or movement strategies to accomplish these complicated or constrained movements. So when a patient is reaching for a glass that’s full of water, they’ll use a movement that’s remarkably different than what they do when they’re reaching towards a glass that has no water in it, unlike a healthy adult control who uses the same reach whether the glass is empty or full. These sort of movement deficits often force people to stay at home and it leads to a real inactivity spiral which eventually can lead to greater problems such as loss of independence. I think our work can help people understand where they may have movement deficits and can also help to generate strategies to overcome those movement deficits.
One example is working through all the stages involved in complex movements like going through a revolving door or stepping off a curb.
Thanks today to The University of Lethbridge.
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY, I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
Guest
Doug Horner,
Government of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
Sponsor
University of Lethbridge
In 2007 The University of Lethbridge celebrated its 40th anniversary. The U of L campus is home to the world renowned Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience. The University is also a centre of expertise on water and remote sensing.
For more interviews with University of Lethbridge researchers, check out the website for Innovation Alberta. (2001-2008)
Program Date: 2007-07-24