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Connections

The latest in research and treatment for Parkinson's disease

Five people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at foreground left has short brown hair and is wearing glasses, a red shirt with orange and white flowers, black pants and black shoes; a woman at foreground right has shoulder length blonde hair and is wearing glasses, a shirt with blue, black and white stripes, jeans and black shoes; a woman at background left has short brown hair and is wearing glasses, a pink sweater and a pink, white and brown striped scarf looped around her neck; a man at background right has short grey hair and is wearing glasses, a grey blazer, a blue sweater and a white button-down shirt; a man at center has short dark hair and is wearing a beige button-down shirt with blue cuffs, jeans and brown shoes.
David Griffin
/
WXXI News
(foreground) Amy Jones and Ruth Schneider, (background) Yvonne Hylton and Kevin Hylton on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Tuesday, April 1, 2025
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
WXXI News

In recent weeks, some people with Parkinson's disease have gained access to a new treatment that uses technology to monitor signs of the disease.

The FDA approved the treatment, called adaptive brain stimulation. According to the University of California San Francisco, the treatment uses an implanted device to continually monitor the brain for symptoms of Parkinson's and then delivers electric pulses to keep those symptoms in check.

It's one among several recent advancements geared at helping patients. In New York, a new statewide patient registry supports research into finding a cure.

This hour, our guests discuss the latest in Parkinson's disease research and treatment and how to best support patients and caregivers.

In studio:

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson" and is also the office administrator for radio, news and technology and operations. She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.