“I couldn’t smell anything for the last 20 years,” said Walker, of Minot. “I have very little, if any, taste.”

His quest to get an answer took him to see various doctors over about a year and a half. While wintering in Arizona in 2022, he spoke with one of his high school basketball teammates with Parkinson’s, who encouraged him to see his doctor. Walker made the appointment and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Now a member of the advisory board for the Minnesota and Dakotas Chapter of the Parkinson’s Foundation, Walker wants to increase awareness of the disease and promote efforts to improve treatment.

“The number one thing is to get as much financing for research as you can,” he said.

Bruce Walker, front, and other participants in the Movement Matters exercise class at the Minot Family YMCA May 5 warm up with arm rolls.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that affects one million people in the United States and 10 million people worldwide, the foundation reported. It typically is diagnosed after age 60, but people younger than 50 also can develop Parkinson’s. Men are 1.5 times more likely than women to have Parkinson’s. About 10-15% of people with the disease have a genetic link.

“Symptoms are diverse and usually develop slowly over time,” the foundation stated. “Parkinson’s not only disrupts brain networks that control movement but also those linked to mood, behavior and cognition.”

Walker said there are medications that help, but he and the foundation also stress the importance of exercise and movement.

The Minot Family YMCA offers a Movement Matters class that supports individuals with mobility challenges in improving balance, flexibility and mobility. The course is offered Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:30-2:30 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-2 p.m.

“Any activity/exercise for Parkinson’s is imperative. It’s imperative to have a good quality of life,” said Tanya Gillen, a nurse with Trinity Health who has been instrumental in starting exercise programs for Parkinson’s patients in Minot, beginning in 2019.

Gillen coordinates the annual fall Parkinson’s symposium in Minot, which this past year was themed “Movement Matters.” The next symposium will be Sept. 17.

Trinity Health hosts four weekly boxing classes – at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Boxing is an activity shown to be particularly beneficial for people with Parkinson’s. Gillen said plans are to add Monday and Wednesday classes to accommodate the demand.

The exercise classes offered through Trinity and the YMCA are free to those diagnosed with Parkinson’s, thanks to a grant from the Roger and Delores Odell Trust Fund. The Odell grant for the Trinity classes came through the Trinity Health Foundation.

Additional assistance for people with Parkinson’s is available through a grant-supported program at Minot State University. The Speak Out therapy program helps Parkinson’s patients regain their voice, said Kayla Fisher, a faculty member in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department.

“Their voices can get quieter, a little bit harder to understand,” she said. Speak Out provides individual therapy twice a week for a semester, which can be followed by participation in a group voice exercise class that meets weekly. Fisher said the group class provides a bonus support system for members as they manage their Parkinson’s symptoms.

Graduate students at MSU conduct the therapy, held in the spring and fall semesters and over the summer. Fisher, who supervises the students, said the sessions are a great way for students to gain experience and get feedback.

There is no cost to participants for the therapy or the initial evaluation, which people can sign up for by contacting MSU’s Communications Disorders Clinic. All clinic services are free but voluntary donations are accepted.

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, there is no test for the disease, but rather it is diagnosed by a neurologist based on health, medical history and movement observation. Tests generally are used to help rule out other conditions, although there is a type of brain scan that can help confirm a diagnosis, according to foundation information.

The biggest question facing newly diagnosed individuals is where to find information, Gillen said. The symposium and the exercise classes both are good places for patients to obtain information beyond the materials available from their medical offices, she said. Also, a Parkinson’s support group meets the first Wednesday of each month at 2:30 p.m. at Elison Assisted Living in Minot.

Online resources include those of the Parkinson’s Foundation, Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and American Parkinson’s Disease Association. The Parkinson’s Foundation offers a helpline at 1-800-4PD.INFO that is staffed by information specialists from various health professions.

Parkinsonism

– Parkinson’s disease: A progressive brain disorder with movement and nonmovement symptoms that worsen slowly over time.

– Atypical Parkinsonism: A progressive brain disorder in which symptoms often are more serious early on and progress more quickly.

– Secondary Parkinsonism: Conditions appear as Parkinson’s disease but are not always progressive and may improve by treating the underlying cause.

Source: Parkinson’s Foundation

Early signs of Parkinson’s Disease

– Slight shaking or tremor in your finger, thumb, hand or chin while at rest.

– A change in handwriting with letters getting smaller.

– Loss of smell.

– Sudden movements during sleep, thrashing in bed or acting out dreams.

– Stiffness in the body, arms and legs. Arms don’t swing like they used to when you walk.

– Constipation.

– Change in voice to become softer, breathy or hoarse.

– Facial masking, making you appear depressed or angry.

– Dizziness or fainting when rising from a chair.

– Stooping or slouching when standing.

Source: Parkinson’s Foundation