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t m c » p u l s e | m a r c h 2 0 1 7 29 eliminate dyskinesia, or difficulty performing voluntary movements, Jimenez-Shahed explained. Overall, it helps patients feel less dependent on the medication. That's good for Sawyer, who contin- ues to work as an architect at a con- struction consulting company. He said when the illness was at its worst, it was tough to work, especially because his job is stressful. "Stress and Parkinson's don't go well together," Sawyer said. "This procedure has been a benefit to me, though my doctor did tell me if I wanted to keep working, I needed to get a less stressful job." 'Early diagnosis means good treatment' Meanwhile, scientists at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) are working on early detection of Parkinson's dis- ease, so patients like Sawyer can get a diagnosis long before any tremors or twitches send them to the doctor. UTHealth scientists are studying abnormal proteins associated with T H E PA R K LA N E L uxury Apartments www.Theparklane.com Corporate Units Avaliable For 3 Month+ Leases Medical Stays Visiting Academic and Medical Professionals On Site Dog Park Shuttle to all Major Hospitals in the Texas Medical Center Electric Vehicle Charging Stations On-Site Storage Included Assigned Garage Parking No Water or Garbage Bills 24hr. Valet & Concierge Service Pets Accepted Minutes from Texas Medical Center Sophisticated Surveillance System Discount to Texas Medical Center Employees NEW! 1701 Hermann Dr. I 713.526.VIEW Both furnished and unfurnished corporate units available! The device allows us more programming capabilities, like adjusting the stim- ulation to steer the electrical current right where we need it to go. That is import- ant because if the current is too close to adjacent brain structures, it might also deliver stimulation there and cause unwanted side effects. — JOOHI JIMENEZ-SHAHED, M.D. Assistant professor of neurology and director of the Deep Brain Stimulation Program at Baylor College of Medicine The St. Jude Medical Infinity DBS System. Credit: Reproduced with permission of St. Jude Medical. Parkinson's disease in cerebrospi- nal fluid and trying to develop a biochemical test to diagnose the disease. There are no current labo- ratory or blood tests that have been proven to help diagnose Parkinson's, said Claudio Soto, Ph.D., a professor in the depart- ment of neurology and director of The George and Cynthia Mitchell Center for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders at UTHealth. By the time patients manifest symptoms, he said, their brains have already seen significant degeneration. (continued)