Movers and Shakers: a podcast about life with Parkinson's

One of the strangest symptoms of Parkinson's is the sudden appearance of unexplained figures – whether that's a cat or a small child, a barking dog or a fully clad Venetian – in your environment. There hallucinations can be benign, but they can also be unsettling, and this week we're trying to find out what's causing them. Are they related to night terrors? Can they always be rationalised? And are there any potential treatment pathways for people struggling with hallucinatory visions? As ever, we're aided in our quest of understanding by a top expert.

Movers & Shakers is brought to you in partnership with Cure Parkinson's.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.
Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.
Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.
Music by Alex Stobbs.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're returning to one of the most contentious subjects in Parkinson's world: what causes the condition? Research has increasingly focused on the role of pesticides – particularly one called Paraquat – which are routinely used in agriculture yet are severely toxic to humans. Could investigations into the role of Paraquat prove a connection to PD? And, if so, does that mean that we could, eventually, arrest the spread of the illness? To discuss this subject, the Movers and Shakers are joined in the pub by a filmmaker, Sarah Teale, who has been working with international experts on a new film that tries to unravel this link.

Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.
Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.
Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.
Music by Alex Stobbs.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year was a landmark year for the Movers & Shakers team, as our Parky Charter project reached 100,000 petition signatories and generated a parliamentary debate. So how will we be following it up in 2026? To debate the possible campaigns we could embark on this year, the gang are joined by Mark 'Crippo' Cripps, our marketing guru, to try and come up with an impactful, yet achievable, proposition. As ever, you can send your thoughts and suggestions to us on social media or via email here.

Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.
Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.
Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.
Music by Alex Stobbs.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If certain windsurfing former Judges are to be believed, there's nothing quite like a bout of vigorous exercise for easing the symptoms of Parkinson's. But does the medical evidence support this? Cramped into their booth in the Notting Hill pub, the Movers & Shakers pick over the verifiable scientific facts behind the assumption that exercise can alleviate PD symptoms. Is it possible to fairly analyse the impact of exercise? Could the effect be more psychological than physical? And might exercise, one day, be prescribed by your neurologist? We're discussing all this (and more) with top experts and the gang.

Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.
Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.
Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.
Music by Alex Stobbs.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freezing is one of PD's most unusual symptoms. Whether it's a threshold, a zebra crossing or just getting out of bed, the sudden inability to move can strike at any moment. Why does it happen? And is there anything that can be done to combat this mysterious immobilisation? The Movers and Shakers – who have experienced very different types of freezing – squeeze into the Notting Hill pub (and hopefully don't freeze in place) with top experts on what's known as Freezing of Gait (FOG) or, here at M&S Towers, Freezing of Everything (FOE).

Movers & Shakers is brought to you by Cure Parkinson's.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.
Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.
Sound mixing by Ewan Cameron.
Music by Alex Stobbs.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.