Events

Parkinson’s Disease as a “presumptive condition” for veterans, and why. Presumptive conditions are exempt from the standard proof requirements for service connection. Support for veterans through community groups. Our first and main speaker is Joy Kinney, MSR CCC-SLP. Joy Kinney is a Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in the treatment of adults with neurological disorders, including communication, swallowing, and cognitive symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke, Parkinson’s, and the after-effects of COVID-19. She treats adult patients and has worked in and directed therapy programs in skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities, as well as in the settings of home health, the acute care hospital, and outpatient therapy. She has presented at the national and state level regarding various treatment techniques, and she frequently discusses brain health during her treatment sessions.  Ms. Kinney is a member of the Board of Directors of the Columbia Parkinson's Support Group, and also a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is fully licensed to practice Speech-Language Pathology in the states of South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. Ms. Kinney is a 2005 graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina with a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and a 2003 graduate of Columbia College of […]

Did you know there are at least five types of depression? Come to this meeting to find out how to recognize depression in your spouse, learn about new treatment approaches, learn what you can do at home, and how to be supportive in healthy ways. Phil Steude M.D., with over 40 years as a board certified psychiatrist, will speak briefly on the subjects and then interact with you about specific concerns or questions you may have concerning depression in yourself or your loved one. Doctor Steude has practiced in the Columbia area, being well-versed in traditional psychiatry, medication management, and a leader in transcranial magnetic stimulation. He has been interested in how medicines work, not just what seems to work and in his practice enjoyed psychotherapy, including a focus on how depression can affect one's faith.  Currently retired, he has a strong interest in his grandchildren and in gardening.

Columbia Parkinson’s Support Group – Meeting June 21, 2026 Our support group historically does not meet in June, as the 3rd Sunday is Father’s Day. However, this year, our president, Karen Basso, has offered to be at our usual meeting location (Lexington Medical Park I Auditorium, 2728 Sunset Blvd., West Columbia, SC 29169) at 3 PM for anyone who might like to come and just talk with one another. This will not be structured, like our Open Forum meetings, it will simply be an opportunity for anyone who wishes to get together and talk about anything related to Parkinson’s Disease. As a reminder, our meetings are open to anyone with an interest in Parkinson’s Disease, and are always free to attend. 

MEDTRONIC - LEADING THE WAY IN DBS  For the one million people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the United States, Medtronic, a global leader in healthcare technology, proudly announces FDA approval of BrainSense™ Adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) and BrainSense™ Electrode Identifier (EI).  Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been transforming the lives of people with Parkinson's and other neurological disorders for more than 30 years. DBS is similar to a cardiac pacemaker, but for the brain. It uses a surgically implanted neurostimulator via a minimally invasive procedure to transmit electrical signals to specific parts of the brain affected by debilitating neurological disorders. Now Medtronic has enhanced its Percept™ DBS neurostimulators with exclusive BrainSense™ Adaptive technology, introducing aDBS for people living with Parkinson's. This feature personalizes therapy based on a patient's brain activity in real time – both in clinical settings and in daily life2. It provides enhanced therapy personalization for symptom control that automatically adjusts, minimizing the need for patients to manually adjust stimulation.  "Medtronic is the only company in the world to offer an adaptive DBS system that dynamically adjusts therapy in real time. This new era in Parkinson's care represents more than a decade of intentional innovation ushering in personalized neuromodulation at scale that responds to a patient's changing needs, equipping […]

Updates in Movement Disorders/Parkinson’s Disease Research at MUSC Our main speaker will be Dr. Christine Cooper. Dr. Cooper is an Associate Professor of Neurology and Movement Disorders specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). At MUSC, she is the director of the department’s Clinical Trials Unit, which focuses on bringing the latest, cutting-edge industry-sponsored research to South Carolina patients. Her own investigator-initiated research focuses on using neuroimaging and non-invasive brain stimulation devices to better understand and investigate Movement Disorders.  Dr. Cooper received her medical degree from the University of Florida with honors in Clinical Research. She went on to complete her neurology residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard University, followed by a fellowship in movement disorders at Pennsylvania Hospital/University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Cooper treats adult patients with Parkinson's disease, tremor, dystonia, dyskinesia, ataxia, tics, and chorea. As part of the treatments offered, Dr. Cooper performs botulinum toxin injections for movement disorders patients with dystonia and hemifacial spasm. She provides pre-surgical evaluations for deep brain stimulation and post-surgical programming for Parkinson's disease, tremor, and dystonia. We will discuss ongoing and upcoming research for Parkinson’s disease and Movement Disorders at MUSC and nationally. Research participation can vary from observational […]