MDNews - Central Pennsylvania

Issue 5 2021

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disease, another study published in JAMA Ophthalmology examines how Parkinson's disease may cause changes in the eyes that are detectable by noninvasive retinal imaging parameters from optical coherence tomog- raphy angiography and enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography. The cross-sectional study, conducted at the Duke Neurological Disorders Clinic in Durham, North Carolina, looked at the eyes of 69 individuals with Parkinson's disease and 137 age- and sex-matched participants with no neurologica l disease. A ll study participants were age 50 or older. The Parkinson's disease participants had reduced perfusion densities and retina l vessel. They a lso demonstrated greater choroid luminal area and total choroidal area. Compared with the healthy control patients, they showed minimized choroidal vascularity index. The results of the study indicate that this type of noninvasive retinal imaging can potentially identify structural changes related to Parkinson's disease and could be a valuable biomarker for diagnosis of the condition. n Parkinson's Disease and Telemedicine in the Midst of COVID-19 ONE SIDE EFFECT of the COVID-19 pandemic is the neglect of health conditions that have nothing to do with the virus. Due to fear of contracting COVID-19 at healthcare facilities, patients with Parkinson's disease may feel uneasy attending routine checkups. During this time, telemedicine has been a valuable tool to help individuals with Parkinson's disease connect with their physicians. HOW TELEMEDICINE HELPS Telemedicine, and especially video visits,can be particularly helpful for movement disorder specialist (MDS) neurologists when examining people with Parkinson's disease. Because the effects of Parkinson's disease are primarily observed and evaluated using sight and sound, video examinations offer a highly effective telemedicine option. During a telemedicine visit, a MDS neurologist can assess facial movement, movement of the upper and lower extremities, speech patterns, tremor, and walking. Not only is this useful when patients are trying to honor social distancing guidelines, it is also helpful for patients with progressed Parkinson's disease who may find travel difficult. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is offering a temporary allowance for coverage of in-home telemedicine care that is comparable to coverage offered for a visit in a clinic. M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A l P E N N S y lVA N I A ■ 2 0 21 1 5

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