Walking is a complex skill. So, shares Catherine Kopil, PhD, in the third episode of our “Parkinson’s Science POV” podcast series.

Gait requires a symphony of connections between the brain and body, which makes it one of the hardest Parkinson’s symptoms to treat. Kopil, MJFF Senior Vice President of Clinical Research, and Chief Scientific Officer Mark Frasier, PhD, discuss progress toward understanding the neuroscience of gait challenges, such as walking, balancing, shuffling steps and freezing. They talk about treatments in testing and the use of digital technology to measure and predict gait changes in people with PD.

Much of this work is happening in our landmark Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) study. Join today at www.michaeljfox.org/podcast-PPMI to contribute to new discoveries and better measures of disease. PPMI especially needs people recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s or with certain risk factors such as smell loss or acting out dreams.

Anyone over the age of 18 in the United States can join through its online platform. Outside the U.S.? View a list of international recruiting sites at www.michaeljfox.org/ppmi-recruiting-sites.

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The Foundation’s landmark research study is exploring the connection between sense of smell and brain disease. People with and without Parkinson's can help by taking a free scratch-and-sniff test. Get yours at mysmelltest.org/request.