<H1>And miles to go before I sleep</H1>

Cognition: that which allows me to think, sleep, learn, forget. You know, all those things I enjoy and rely on. The one thing it doesn't allow me is the ability to predict the future accurately. I think I am smart, not exceptionally so, but smart enough to be able to hear those distant drums, the rhythm of PD calling out "I've got you! Yes I do!" over and over again. I can ignore them now but I guess that one day they will lead me into the darkness of Parkinson's. But what if we could predict the future? What if we could change that future? What if we could predict PD and find a cure for our dark shadow? We could silence those drums forever.

I admit to having little knowledge concerning advancements in the treatment of, or the slowing down of, or the curing of, our dark nemesis (and by "little", I mean "none") but lately, I have been reading research articles about scientists using certain MRI techniques during the prodromal phase of the condition, to predict who might become a victim of PD. The lexicons of the articles include words such as "prodromal", so have a dictionary handy and read the abstracts anyway. Start with this "article"". Medical articles are not easy to read containing, as they are wont to do, medicalese that keeps us from figuring out what's going on.

I GET SO CONFUSED

However, I take away from the confusion that researchers believe they can (or will be able to) predict the future.

That may help the undiagnosed, but how does that help us PLWP? I hear you ask.

Beats me! But those scientists seem excited, so I think it must be a beneficial advancement. I believe it to be another step in the progress of finding a cure or a slow down At the very least, we know there are people out there working on banishing PD and that can't come soon enough for me.

How's that for Cognition!