PD Warrior’s Online INSIGHT Meeting Spans Research to Life Tips

Marta Figueiredo, PhD avatar

by Marta Figueiredo, PhD |

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To celebrate Parkinson’s Awareness Month, this year’s INSIGHT into Parkinson’s meeting will be the longest World Parkinson’s Day conference to date and focus on research updates and practical suggestions to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease.

World Parkinson’s Day takes place on April 11, and April marks Parkinson’s Awareness Month.

Hosted by PD Warrior — the creators of tailored, comprehensive rehabilitation programs for Parkinson’s patients — the online global conference will run April 11–13, and be broadcast over 48 hours across three time zones covering Australia, the U.K., and the U.S.

The first broadcast will start at 9 a.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time, the second at 8.30 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time, and the third at 8.30 a.m. PDT.

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This way, the meeting, now in its fifth year, will allow “anyone, no matter their location to watch on their respective World Parkinson’s Day,” PD Warrior stated in an email correspondence with Parkinson’s News Today.

“INSIGHT 2022 is all about providing high quality and accessible education to the global community of people living with Parkinson’s and their families,” said Melissa McConaghy, PD Warrior and INSIGHT founder.

“Much of the feedback we receive each year are about how inspiring the conference is as it provides hope, knowing there is so much research and collaboration going on around the world, all helping people live better every day with Parkinson’s,” McConaghy added.

With ‘Living Brave’ as its theme, INSIGHT 2022 will showcase nearly 40 speakers providing strategies to help people thrive while living with Parkinson’s.

The main topics of the first two days — both free of charge — include the latest on Parkinson’s research, movement, medical technology, nutrition and health, mindset, mental health & mojo, and medication.

In addition to pre-recorded presentations, there will be interactive demonstrations and live sessions. Participants may watch a PD Warrior exercise session and medical technology demonstrations, learn improv, take part in a guided meditation and a laughter yoga session, and join in a medical Q&A and a live support group (one for each time zone).

A third day, which includes a “premium upgrade” charge, addresses health professionals working with people with Parkinson’s and will cover motor learning, freezing of gait, medical technology, and mindset.

Freezing of gait, a common Parkinson’s symptom, is characterized by brief periods in which a person cannot start or continue walking, making them feel “glued” to the ground, which increases the risk of falls.

The full program is available here.

Anyone willing to participate in the meeting can register here. Registrants will have access to all content across the conference’s first two days, and they may join the online conversation, network with other patients, and take advantage of all the resources in the PD Warrior app.

For those who wish to revisit or re-watch some of the content, the premium upgrade option (AUD$69 or about $52) provides access to all the content for an additional 30 days, as well as additional bonuses from PD Warrior and its partners.

Proceeds from paid tickets will be donated to PD Warrior’s charity partners, including Cure Parkinson’s, Shake It Up, PD Avengers, Parkinson’s Africa, and Parkinson’s Disease and Movement – Disorder Society India.