Slow Down You're Moving Too Fast

Another little gem resulting from the loss of dopamine-producing cells is bradykinesia, a fancy word for slowness of movement. It is one of the "cardinal manifestations" of parkinson's. In a scholarly article about bradykinesia, a professor Alfredo Baradelli wrote

We argue that bradykinesia results from a failure of basal ganglia output to reinforce the cortical mechanisms that prepare and execute the commands to move. The cortical deficit is most apparent in midline motor areas. This leads to particular difficulty with self-paced movements, prolonged reaction times and abnormal pre-movement EEG activity.

And blah, blah, blah, blah. Who needs it! All I know is I am slowing down. Not seriously yet, but definitely slower. My morning walk takes about 5 minutes longer these days. I try to speed up, make my stride longer, but I usually give up after a block and just settle into what I consider to be glacial movement. I will keep on trying, but I am guessing I will continue to slow down.

By the way, slow or fast, I am shedding weight from all that exercise. Ten pounds so far. Walking has been a better weight-taker-offer than running ever was. Good thing too because I am becoming addicted to chocolate. I am going to have a bar before I go to bed. Sounds like a plan.

Feelin' groovy, dah, dah, dah, dah, da da dah.