Pictures: 11th annual Parkinson Walk at Cranes Roost Park
Hundreds of Central Floridians participated Saturday morning in the 11th annual Parkinson Walk, a charity event for the Parkinson Association of Central Florida.
The gathering at Cranes Roost Park in Altamonte Springs raised more than $150,000 to help fund local programs, education and research projects to find a cure for the neurological disease. An estimated 90,000 new cases of Parkinson's disease are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
WESH-Channel 2 chief meteorologist Tony Mainolfi was the honorary host for the event, which included speeches by Todd Stewart, president of the Parkinson Association of Central Florida and John Gabriel, Orlando Magic executive and former president of the local Parkinson's group.
You can find out more about the Central Florida Parkinson Association here.
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These symptoms can overlap with or mimic Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) (also known as Lewy body dementia) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and other disorders within the spectrum of atypical parkinsonism, so accurate diagnosis is critical. A 2025 study compared cognitive trajectories across these syndromes and emphasized the need for tailored care and better biomarkers to distinguish between them. Inflammation is no longer seen as just a consequence of PD—it may be the cause. Recent studies, including a 2025 paper using machine learning and bioinformatics, have identified new inflammatory markers that could help with early diagnosis [10]. Ongoing Parkinson's research is key to finding new biomarkers, better treatments and a are also finding potential therapeutic targets. For example, UPS10, a protein that blocks α-synuclein degradation, may be a way to stop disease progression [8]. And lipid metabolism pathways open up metabolic interventions. These therapeutic strategies aim to modify the disease process to slow or stop progression. This is driving personalized medicine where treatment is based on a patient's genetic, metabolic or inflammatory profile. And the average life expectancy for most people with PD is the same as the general population thanks to research and care. Parkinson's disease is still a challenge for patients, caregivers and clinicians. But it's also a global research effort to understand the onset, progression and treatment of the disease. As we understand the interplay of genetics, environment and inflammation the future of PD looks more precise and hopeful. Until then a multidisciplinary approach – medication, therapy and emotional support – is the foundation of good care. [1] Jankovic J. (2008). Parkinson's disease: clinical features and diagnosis. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 79(4), 368–376. [2] Kalia, L. V., & Lang, A. E. (2015). Parkinson's disease. Lancet (London, England), 386(9996), 896–912. [3] Marino, B. L. B., de Souza, L. R., Sousa, K. P. A., Ferreira, J. V., Padilha, E. C., da Silva, C. H. T. P., Taft, C. A., & Hage-Melim, L. I. S. (2020). Parkinson's Disease: A Review from [4] Pathophysiology to Treatment. Mini reviews in medicinal chemistry, 20(9), 754–767. [5] Balestrino, R., & Schapira, A. H. V. (2020). Parkinson disease. European journal of neurology, 27(1), 27–42. [6] Armstrong, M. J., & Okun, M. S. (2020). Diagnosis and Treatment of Parkinson Disease: A Review. JAMA, 323(6), 548–560. [7] Qin, B., Fu, Y., Raulin, A. C., Kong, S., Li, H., Liu, J., Liu, C., & Zhao, J. (2025). Lipid metabolism in health and disease: Mechanistic and therapeutic insights for Parkinson's disease. Chinese medical journal, 10.1097/CM9.0000000000003627. Advance online publication. [8] Bloem, B. R., Okun, M. S., & Klein, C. (2021). Parkinson's disease. Lancet (London, England), 397(10291), 2284–2303. [9] Anisimov, S., Takahashi, M., Kakihana, T., Katsuragi, Y., Sango, J., Abe, T., & Fujii, M. (2025). UPS10 inhibits the degradation of α-synuclein, a pathogenic factor associated with Parkinson's disease, by inhibiting chaperone-mediated autophagy. The Journal of biological chemistry, 110292. Advance online publication. [10] Halli-Tierney, A. D., Luker, J., & Carroll, D. G. (2020). Parkinson Disease. American family physician, 102(11), 679–691. [11] Li, Y., Jia, W., Chen, C., Chen, C., Chen, J., Yang, X., & Liu, P. (2025). Identification of biomarkers associated with inflammatory response in Parkinson's disease by bioinformatics and machine learning. PloS one, 20(5), e0320257. [12] Tysnes, O. B., & Storstein, A. (2017). Epidemiology of Parkinson's disease. Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996), 124(8), 901–905.
