Parkinson’s symptoms & Lights

Over the last two years we have made, for people with Parkinson’s, a number of Eliza light hats, both one and two wavelength. I’ve been musing on what they and we have been noticing. Bear in mind that each person is different, experiencing symptoms in different ways.

We have seen improvements in everyone who uses the lights daily.

The person least likely to notice any improvements is the person with Parkinson’s

Continue reading “Parkinson’s symptoms & Lights”

DIY Red Light Hat – the things you need

  • Bucket
  • Small plastic lid
  • Small piece of rigid plastic
  • DC 12v power plug connector/adaptor (female) for LED strips
  • LED strip connector
  • Red LED strip – 5 metre roll
  • Foil “fabric”
  • Aluminum multiseal tape
  • Small cable ties
  • Piece of sponge, 20cm x 20cm x ~1.cm depth. In inches, 8” x 8” x ½-¾ inch
  • 12 volt power plug, 1.5-2 amps.

Click here for more information about the things you need.

Tools

  • Sharp pointed knife
  • Sharp scissors
  • Small screwdrivers
  • Wire cutters can be useful

To come:

Instructions for making a one wavelength Eliza, a bucket red light hat are underway. They will be published as a document rather than as blog posts.

 

 

 

 

Parkinson’s – where is the problem?

The symptoms of Parkinson's Disease appear when the dopamine levels in the brain decline. Dopamine is produced in the brain in the Substantia Nigra, which is located deep in the brain, and is one of the parts of a bigger area called the "basal ganglia".

In Parkinson's, the cells of the Substantia Nigra lose power and their dopamine production slowly declines.

The images below show where the Substantia Nigra is located. The images are taken from different angles and collectively show just how deep inside the brain this area is.

Look for the light blue blob.

Looking at the brain from the front:

Looking at the brain from the side:

Looking at the brain from the top:

Looking at the brain from the back:

These images came from the app 3D Brain.

Have bucket, will travel…

While writing out the instructions to make light hats from buckets, I’ve been musing on the lives of the 2-wavelength light hats we have made since 2016.

What have the light hats been doing since we gave them away?

Quite a lot, it seems.

  • One went to Europe at the beginning of 2017, and floated down the Rhine, sampling the local beer.
  • Three went wandering in outback Australia. One came home but two are still out there, somewhere in the wilds of Western Australia.
  • One did a presentation to a Parkinson’s Support Group in February 2017. The participants were not impressed by the bucket’s attire but they were impressed by what its two wavelengths had been doing.
  • One is based in regional NSW but travels all over Australia, packed in a carry-on bag with socks and jocks stuffed inside the bucket next to the switch box.
  • The others are quietly working at home. They might be planning grand adventures – who knows.

 

The ideal bucket for your Eliza

  • Plastic – not too thin as these can split when you cut them.
  • Internal diameter at the top around 260mm (~10.5 inches). Definitely no less than 240mm (~9.5 inches) and no more than 300mm (~12inches).
    Bucket diameter
  • Straight sides. Well, straight-ish sidesBucket straight sides
  • Depth of around 190mm (~7.5 inches). If you can find one of that depth, then you are saved a lot of cutting and fiddling. If you can only find buckets that are much deeper than that, like the one in the pic above, then brace yourself for some cutting and fiddling.
  • Colour of your choice. If it is close to Christmas, red could be nice.