Post by the Scribe on Apr 23, 2022 9:06:05 GMT
PARKINSON'S DISEASE
14 Famous People With Parkinson's Disease
www.everydayhealth.com/parkinsons-disease-pictures/famous-people-with-parkinsons-disease.aspx
Parkinson's disease affects people from all walks of life, including those in the limelight. Here's how luminaries cope with this condition.
Madeline R. Vann, MPH
By Madeline R. Vann, MPH
Medically Reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
Reviewed: January 22, 2020
Medically Reviewed
Famous-People-With-Parkinsons-Disease-Intro-RM-722x406
Linda Ronstadt, Ozzy Osbourne, and Muhammad Ali are just some of the well-known figures who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Getty Images; AP Photo; Getty Images
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition caused by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, which leads to various neurological and mobility-related symptoms. The Parkinson’s Foundation estimates the number of people living with Parkinson’s at 1 million in the United States alone, with over 10 million cases worldwide.
In January 2020, Ozzy Osbourne became the latest public figure to announce a Parkinson’s diagnosis, helping to raise the profile of this little-understood neurological condition. Read on to learn more about how other celebrities living with Parkinson’s disease have managed their condition and the work they’ve done to raise awareness.
4. Linda Ronstadt: Parkinson's Took Her Voice But Not Her Spirit
Famous-People-With-Parkinsons-Disease-Linda-Ronstadt-RM-722x406
Michael Kovac/Getty Images
Known for her rich soprano vocals as the lead singer of the 1960s band the Stone Poneys, Linda Ronstadt opened up about her Parkinson's disease diagnosis to AARP The Magazine in 2013. After two very bad tick bites in the 1980s, Ronstadt says her health never fully recovered — but she didn't visit a neurologist until she was no longer able to sing.
"I didn't know why I couldn't sing — all I knew was that it was muscular or mechanical. Then when I was diagnosed with Parkinson's, I was finally given the reason. I now understand that no one can sing with Parkinson's disease. No matter how hard you try. And in my case, I can't sing a note," she told AARP.
As it turns out, her original diagnosis of Parkinson’s may not have told the full story. Speaking to Anderson Cooper in December 2019, Ronstadt clarified that a more recent diagnosis had revealed she has a subtype of progressive supranuclear palsy (or PSP) known as PSP-parkinsonism (PSP-P). PSP is a neurodegenerative brain condition that shares many symptoms with Parkinson’s disease, though the two conditions are distinct in areas such as reactivity to medication and rate of progression, as per the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. And while PSP does not usually cause the tremors that are characteristic of Parkinson’s disease, PSP-P does, which may help explain the original misdiagnosis. The recent documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice explores the impact of Ronstadt’s musical career and her enduring legacy, even after her condition left her unable to perform. Speaking to People in 2019, she noted, “In my mind — in my imagination — I can still sing.”