Young Parkinson's patients have long-term challenges
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In the movie "Love and Other Drugs," made in Pittsburgh and scheduled for a Nov. 24 release, Anne Hathaway plays a young woman who has young-onset Parkinson's disease. Jake Gyllenhaal plays her boyfriend, who must decide whether he cares enough for her to stand beside her. -
Cindy and Skip Goettman of Mars and Dan and Bonnie Goncar listen to a presentation at a meeting of the young-onset Parkinson's disease support club at the Christ Church at Grove Farm in Sewickley. -
Michael J. Fox, now 49, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease while filming "Doc Hollywood" in 1991.
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Last fall, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway came to Pittsburgh to shoot the film "Love and Other Drugs," based on Jamie Reidy's 2005 memoir, "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman."
The movie, scheduled for release on Nov. 24, concerns the advent of the outlandishly successful drug for erectile dysfunction and the evolving relationship between a Lothario-like pharmaceutical rep (Mr. Gyllenhaal) and, Maggie, a woman who challenges his modus operandi (Ms. Hathaway).
An element added to the screenplay is Maggie's diagnosis with young-onset Parkinson's disease and the question: Does her lover care enough to accept the uncertainties of the progressive neurological condition?
About 25 local people who have Parkinson's (most with the young-onset type) were recruited as extras for scenes in the film that deal with Maggie's diagnosis. Those who participated say it was not only a chance to watch the film's stars at work, but also an opportunity to participate in a project that raises awareness of how Parkinson's affects younger patients.
The typical age for a Parkinson's diagnosis is 60 or older. The young-onset type is usually diagnosed in patients in their 30s or 40s. Actor Michael J. Fox, who was 30 when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's in the early 1990s, has done much to bring awareness to the early-onset condition.
Parkinson's is a disorder that affects neurons in the brain that control muscle movement and coordination. These neurons, which make a chemical called dopamine, do not work properly. Symptoms include tremors, stiffness, poor balance and coordination. Over time, people with the condition develop problems with many basic activities.
The cause of Parkinson's is unknown. About 10,000 people in the six contiguous counties of Western Pennsylvania have the condition, according to the Parkinson Foundation of Western Pennsylvania.
Parkinson's is not life-threatening, but its symptoms require constant management, said David Von Hofen, director of programs and outreach for the foundation. "It affects quality of life."
People with the young-onset type have to manage those symptoms for a long time, said Susan Baser, medical director of the Spasticity and Movement Disorders Center at Allegheny General Hospital.
She has had the difficult task of delivering a Parkinson's diagnosis to many young adults in her 13 years at the center. Many of them "cry and cry," she said.
First Published September 29, 2010 12:00 am
