April Cognitive Kit: Parkinson’s Awareness Month
Welcome to our April Cognitive Kit! This month’s theme is Parkinson’s Awareness Month and we are excited to share a book recommendation, movie night recommendation, drawing page, activity tracker, and some additional resources and further reading to learn more about Parkinson’s disease.
Click on the files below to download and print any of the exercises and if you’d like to, please tag us on social media when you’re finished. We’d love to see your completed activities!
Book Recommendation:
Living and Loving with Parkinson’s Disease: Our Partnership Through a 45-Year Journey by Rolf Lulloff, MD (2023)
“Annie and Rolf Lulloff were entering an exciting stage of life in 1976 when the first signs of health issues that lie ahead for Annie began to emerge. A sudden loss of sense of smell, severe anxiety attacks, vision issues, and other neurological challenges piled up, eventually culminating in a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease on New Year’s Eve, 1989.
But the Lulloffs were not about to let Parkinson’s get the best of them. They cultivated a special relationship as care partners while enjoying life to its fullest over the next thirty-one years. Their commitment to experiencing all that life has to offer strengthened their bond and established them as examples for others going through similar journeys.
Living and Loving with Parkinson’s Disease is part love story and part how-to guide for all participants in a care partnership. Care persons, their spouses, and extended family and friends will benefit from the tips and care suggestions Rolf has compiled from his front-row seat to the ever-changing road that is a Parkinson’s disease journey.” (Summary from Amazon)
You can find Living and Loving with Parkinson’s Disease: Our Partnership Through a 45-Year Journey at your local library, or on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more.
Movie Night Recommendation:
If you’re having a movie night with loved ones or friends soon, we recommend Still: a Michael J. Fox Movie (2023) on Apple TV+.
“The film, which incorporates documentary, archival and scripted elements, recounts Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words — the improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood. The account of Fox’s public life, full of nostalgic thrills and cinematic gloss, unspools alongside his never-before-seen private journey, including the years that followed his diagnosis, at 29, with Parkinson’s disease. Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film chronicles Fox’s personal and professional triumphs and travails, and explores what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease. With a mix of adventure and romance, comedy and drama, watching the film feels like … well, like a Michael J. Fox movie.” (Summary from Apple TV+)
Drawing Page:
This month, we are featuring a drawing page, rather than a picture or template, to be more accessible for individuals who suffer from symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. You can download this month’s drawing page here: April 2024 Cognitive Kit Drawing Page
Activity Tracker:
This month, we are encouraging everyone to spend time outdoors once a week. This month’s kit features an activity tracker where you can track the number of times you went outside as well as the activities you did. If you’re not sure what to do, the tracker has several suggested outdoor activities to choose from.
You can download this month’s activity tracker here: April 2024 Cognitive Kit Activity Tracker
Featured Research Study:
Take a look at the study below from the BU CTE Center in collaboration with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to learn more about the connection between playing football and Parkinson’s disease.
American Football Play and Parkinson Disease Among Men
First Author: Hannah Bruce, MSc
Senior Author: Michael Alosco, PhD
Resources:
Take a look at this month’s highlighted resources:
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
American Parkinson Disease Association
Thank you for completing April’s Cognitive Kit activities! If you’d like to see kits from other months, please click here.
You can find the answers to the March Cognitive Kit Crossword Puzzle here.