In a couple of weeks time I’m aiming to complete the David Lloyd Lincoln Sprint Triathlon in benefit of Parkinsons UK. You can sponsor me here
Much of my published research over the years has looked at how eye movements are affected in Parkinsons during cognitively 
demanding tasks such as problem solving, rule learning and task switching (see earlier post). In the long term its possible my research could help to develop tests to improve earlier detection of the condition. But what research papers can’t get across is what amazingly nice people Parkinsons patients are and how positive they are about helping with research.
Because of this I wanted to make at least a token effort to raise awareness and provide a direct benefit by doing my Triathlon in aid of Parkinsons UK.
Thanks to everyone who has made donations to my triathlon challenge so far. I am really amazed by the response and the total it has raised so far.
Here are some more interesting things about Parkinsons and me to raise knowledge and awareness:
-About 120,000 people are affected by the condition in the UK alone. Around 2 out of every 1000 of us can expect to fall victim to the condition during our lifetimes ref1 ref2
-The condition is caused when neurons producing the neurotransmitter Dopamine in the Substantia Nigra (part of the mid-brain) degenerate / die
-In the great majority of cases Parkinsons is “idiopathic” in that there is no known trigger or explanation for why dopaminergic cells die.
-Along with others my research has shown how voluntary eye movements (saccades) show a characteristic jerkiness or “multi-stepping” in Parkinsons whilst movements to visible stimuli are of normal rapidity and size e.g. ref3
-My late research supervisor Prof. Leslie Henderson suffered from the condition
-Around 1 in 20 Parkinsons patients are diagnosed under the age of 40.