Monthly Archives: March 2021

Dance, Drumming, Exercise, Parkinson's, Research , , , , Leave a comment

Slow down… or speed up, that is the question…

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This article isn’t about Parkinson’s, but since bradykinesia is one of the signature symptoms of parkinsonism, and the title is about the challenge of being slow, it interested me.

Birgitta Burger & Clemens Wöllner (2021): The challenge of being slow: Effects of tempo, laterality, and experience on dance movement consistency, Journal of Motor Behavior, DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2021.1896469

Basically, the authors found that people who were musically trained were better able to perform the given tasks consistently on both sides of their bodies. In other words, they are bilateral in terms of brain dominance, while other folks showed lower scores in terms of consistently performing the actions at different tempi (speeds). Because they were dominant on one or the other side of their brains. 

As an amateur musician, mostly untrained (or it didn’t take) I have found that during rhythm & drumming classes that I have been in that things like a simple paradiddle are much more difficult at a slower tempo than at a faster tempo. On the other hand, some combinations are more difficult at a faster tempo than at the slower tempo. Just trying to build those cross brain connections, as the prefrontal cortex to the back of the brain and the motor control and reward system parts fade out. So I will play at the piano at a slow speed, ’cause if I pick up the tempo my fingers get even more clumsier than they are.

Maybe difficulty with moving both sides consistently is part of the reason People with Parkinson’s have difficulty with balance and with falls?  From my own experience, can’t confirm or deny the hypothesis, since I’m not that good as a musician, but seem to have some bilateral skills, and until recently, when immersion in the moment took over the judgement and reason, have not experienced problems with balance or falls. Would be an interesting research question, though…

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native plants, perennials, pollinators, wildflowers , , , Leave a comment

Blooming March 16, 2021, ’round Round Rock, TX

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Prunus mexicana - Mexican Plum

Took a walk outside this morning in search of one particular species, which hasn’t shown up yet, but found these, some planted, some occurring naturally:

Prunus mexicana - Mexican Plum

Mexican Plum started blooming a day or so ago. Noticeably absent so far has been a proliferation of pollinators.

Anemone berlandieri

Anemone berlandieri – also known as Ten Petal Anemone, Berlandier’s Anemone, and Windflower

Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida

Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida, also known as Dakota Vervain, Prairie Verbena, among others

Tradescantia gigantea

Tradescantia gigantea – also known as Giant Spiderwort, is a good companion planting for Turkscaps (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii), since the low grass-like mounds of the spiderwort remain green throughout the year, and start to bloom in lat February or early March, after the Texas Red Mallow (another common name) have dropped their leaves (and in the home garden, are ready to be trimmed back). Spiderwort is an aggressive spreader, Turkscap not so much: both can handle partly shady to shady environments. Both attract a variety of pollinators.

#RoundRockTX #CentralTexas #WhatsInBloom #NativePlantsOfTexas

annuals, exotics, invasives, pandemic, perennials, shrubs, Vines, wildflowers , , , , , Leave a comment

Loss of roadside vegetation

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My previous post mentioned a September set of observations – unfortunately, the observations were not posted to this blog but on Facebook. Sad to say, the situation has gotten worse – Although the native (mostly) plants  were left alone while in bloom in September, the blooms had disappeared a few. months later, and this first week of March 2021, I observed that the plants, for the most part, appeared to have been removed.  Thanks to the ongoing pandemic and my age, I try not to go out too often. but will have to go out and see if any Winecups are in evidence (there was at least one rosette in the video). Maybe take a few home to ensure the preservation of the species. The folks running City Hall don’t seem to care about preserving native plants… as far as I can tell. Oh well. Watch it and weep.

The irony of the last few slides are that they show the invasive Crepe Myrtle and Heavenly Bamboo or Nandina, used as landscaping in the property just south of. the one now being bulldozed for a parking lot and who knows what kind of business. I suspect that a similar lack of consideration for native plants, birds, and other wildlife will guide the development of this property.

#RoundRock #OldChisholmTrail #NativePlants #HabitatDestruction

Parkinson's, Research , , Leave a comment

Attention, cyborgs: be aware of environmental electrical interference

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I became aware through the news feed that some research is going on regarding electrical interference and DBS implants. Of all the websites and information I found, this page at UC-Davis is the most accessible:

DBS issues – UC-Davis health (PDF)

This next article isn’t accessible to me, but if anyone does have access and could shoot me a copy, it would be greatly appreciated. I might even get around to reading it. In fact, if anyone out there knows how I could get access to research journal subscriptions through an institution, please, please, please leave a note in the comments and I’ll get back to you.

Abstract

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has evolved into an approved and efficacious treatment for movement, obsessive-compulsive, and epilepsy disorders that are refractory to medical therapy, with current investigation into other disease conditions. However, there are unintentional and intentional sources of external electromagnetic interference (EMI) that can lead to either malfunctioning or damaged DBS devices, as well as injury to human tissue. Comprehensive studies and guidelines on such topics in the medical literature are scarce. Herein, we review the principles behind EMI, as well as the various potential sources of interference, both unintentional (e.g. stray EMI fields) and intentional (e.g. MRI scans, “brainjacking”). Additionally, we employ the Manufacturer and User Device Facility Experience (MAUDE) database to assess real-world instances of EMI (e.g., airport body scanners, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and electrosurgery) affecting DBS devices commonly implanted in the United States (US).  (emphasis added above and below).

Highlights
• Electromagnetic equipment in our environment may interfere with implanted deep brain stimulation devices.

• Common EMI sources include airport security gates, antitheft and metal detectors, MRI, and electrosurgical or other medical equipment.

• Intentional EMI to “hack” or “hijack” DBS systems is a growing cause for concern.

• Research on EMI and DBS devices is scarce, and deserving more attention given the gravity of potential adverse events.

• Practical guidelines for patients, healthcare workers, and those who frequently handle electromagnetic devices are lacking.

Intentional EMI to “hack” or “hijack” DBS system?!?  I don’t know about my fellow cyborgs, but I am cautious about letting magnetic and electrical fields get close to the areas where I have my DBS electrodes, wiring, and programmer/battery. However, it sure would be nice. if they would at the least make the “practical guidelines” open access or available somewhere. Seems to be a contradiction. to make someone pay to find out how to protect oneself from harmful electrical interference. Isn’t  part of the Hippocratic oath “First, do no harm?” It seems to me that if you know the bridge is out, and some asks you for directions, and you tell them the directions but fail to mention that the bridge is out, that you are doing harm, The same goes with, “Yeah, I can tell you how to get there safely, but you’ll have to purchase a PDF file of the directions for $45.00 USD..”

Guess I’ll have to search for :”Practical Guidelines to Avoid Electrical Interference for DBS.” 

Boston Scientific has a nice page on EMIs, although it deasl with ICDs (which I take to mean (implanted Cardiac Device or something along those lines) basically a pacemaker for the heart.. So I guess this page will work folks who’ve become cyborgs due to PD DBS implants:  EMI safety

Another list of publicly available guidelines can be found at EMC Devices and risks on the Medtronics website. The list addresses risks related to cardiac devices,  but one can probably generalize to DBS devices (or one can look further than I did). Well, I looked a little further and found the DBS manuals for my model. Appendix A has the list of EMC guidelines. I also found the patient counseling information, which I’ll print here:

Patient information
Programming and patient control devices
Patient control devices may affect other implanted devices – Do not place the patient
control device over another type of active implanted medical device (eg, pacemaker,
defibrillator, another type of neurostimulator). The patient control device could
unintentionally change the operation of the other device.
Patient activities
Activities requiring excessive twisting or stretching – Patients should avoid activities
that may put undue stress on the implanted components of the neurostimulation system.
Activities that include sudden, excessive or repetitive bending, twisting, or stretching can
cause component fracture or dislodgement. Component fracture or dislodgement may
result in loss of stimulation, intermittent stimulation, stimulation at the fracture site, and
additional surgery to replace or reposition the component.
Component manipulation by patient – Advise your patient to avoid manipulating the
implanted system components (eg, the neurostimulator, the burr hole site). This can result
in component damage, lead dislodgement, skin erosion, or stimulation at the implant site.
Manipulation may cause device inversion, making a rechargeable neurostimulator
impossible to charge.
Patient activities and environmental warnings – Patients should exercise reasonable
caution in avoidance of devices that generate a strong electric or magnetic field. Close
proximity to high levels of electromagnetic interference (EMI) may cause a
neurostimulator to switch on or off. The system also may unexpectedly cease to function.
(emphasis added)- For these reasons, the patient should be advised about any activities that would be
potentially unsafe if their symptoms unexpectedly return. For additional information about
devices that generate electromagnetic interference, call Medtronic. Refer to the contacts
listed at the end of this manual.
Scuba diving or hyperbaric chambers (emphasis added)- Patients should not dive below 10 meters
(33 feet) of water or enter hyperbaric chambers above 2.0 atmospheres absolute (ATA).
Pressures below 10 meters (33 feet) of water (or above 2.0 ATA) could damage the
neurostimulation system. Before diving or using a hyperbaric chamber, patients should
discuss the effects of high pressure with their clinician.
Skydiving, skiing, or hiking in the mountains (emphasis added).- High altitudes should not affect the
neurostimulator, however, the patient should consider the movements involved in any
planned activity and avoid putting undue stress on the implanted system. Patients should
be aware that during skydiving, the sudden jerking that occurs when the parachute opens
may cause lead dislodgement or fractures, which may require surgery to repair or replace
the lead. (emphasis added).

My Practical Guidelines search uncovered another article, but it wasn’t open access. so I won’t even bother to link to it. I was going to add the Medtronics Appendix A, but it simply repeated the information above,

And there you have it. Don’t go putting strong magnets next to your brain, avoid Tesla Coils, and try not to get hit by lightning. 

And don’t let the EMS guys or ER folks stick you in an MRI machine.

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