Opinion: President Biden has Parkinson’s Disease

By Ahimsa Porter Sumchai MD: Parkinson’s Disease is a brain disease caused by the death of nerve cells in areas that control movement and neurological function. There are no simple blood tests or imaging tests that detect early Parkinson’s. The diagnosis is made by doctors, patients, caregivers and family members by simple observation.The most common early signs and symptoms are slowed movements, muscle stiffness and changes in speech and posture. The characteristic “pill rolling” tremor seen in Parkinson’s is not seen in over 25% of patients.I believe President Biden demonstrates multiple signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and dementia. And I believe the White House and those who surround him and claim to love him must recognize and acknowledge the constellation of signs and symptoms that threaten his life and the security of our nation.One of the characteristic signs of Parkinson’s on display at the Presidential Debate is called a vocal tic. Vocal tics are involuntary sounds as simple as repeated coughing or throat clearing, or more complex like repeating, words or phrases.Biden exhibited evidence of vocal tics during a segment of his speech in which he demonstrated word finding difficulty and repeated phrases similar to “a broken record.”This is...