An interview with Dr. José Cabassa from the Moving Brains Foundation on July 18, 2023 by George Ackerman, Ph.D, J.D.
Biography
I am a Parkinson specialist, former assistant professor of Neurology at SUNY Downstate, run a private practice, Moving Brains Neurological Care, and am the president of Moving Brains Foundation, a physician-monitored, moderate to high-intensity, skill-based, exercise fitness program run by professional athletes/trainers. The goal is for Parkinson patients to receive comprehensive care to improve quality of life, stop Parkinson progression and decrease falls and/or injuries. The program has been safely running for more than 3 years in East Harlem, NYC.
Please tell me a little about your background.
I am originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico, and my grandmother was the first person I knew who had Parkinson disease. She was a typical loving grandmother and master at making birthday cakes. In my childhood recollections, she was always smiling and laughing, even though she hated being in pictures. She could not smile, and always had a stare. She was later diagnosed with Parkinson, and slowly declined throughout my adolescence and early adulthood. She passed while I was in medical school. I listened to my mother and her struggles taking care of my grandmother at home, in and out of hospitals and in a nursing home, and I know they both suffered.
Can you tell me more about your organization?
Moving Brains Foundation is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) charitable organization created to provide free, optimal care for people affected with Parkinson at any stage of their disease in NYC, while creating a platform to support and conduct clinical research and further community outreach. It is a direct link between doctors, patients, and athletes. It aims to cut off some of the healthcare organizational bureaucracies that mainly focus on pharmaceutical research and their own bottom lines, but do not solve the problem of how to facilitate and deliver medicine, in the form of consistent and high-quality exercise for people with Parkinson.
The foundation currently runs a free, weekly fitness program, supervised by myself, run by professional athletes and trainers, and specifically designed for Parkinson patients by us to address important areas where traditional medications, physical therapy and even advanced therapies do not fully help, like balance and posture for fall prevention.
*We do not discourage using traditional Parkinson’s medicines as they are necessary, work with patients with deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery and other advanced therapies and encourage participation in physical and other therapies and/or Parkinson fitness programs.
What is your passion and how did you get involved in Parkinson’s awareness and hope for a cure?
My passion is helping people now, today! I took the traditional route, became a physician, then a neurologist, then a Parkinson specialist. I entered academia, I did research and lectured people, but it was not enough. This would not have been enough to take care of my grandmother. So, in 2019, I decided to both profess AND facilitate targeted and high-quality exercise and we created Moving Brains Fight Club, which later grew into a larger umbrella called Moving Brains Foundation. Our hopes are this program delivers the best comprehensive Parkinson care, improving quality of life to all affected now, and prevent their Parkinson from significantly progressing.
What type of goals do individuals with Parkinson’s have when working with you?
Our general goals for our fighters are simple: show up, work hard and have fun. If you have pain, any other symptom, like dizziness, or a Parkinson-related issue, like wearing off, stop and call the doctor!
What type of training and how long are the programs?
The training is based on the professional traditional boxing technique, focusing on correct footwork and stance, that provide a solid base for fall prevention. After warmups, the sessions start with shadowboxing, reviewing different patterns and combinations of leg movements and punches, and repetition, repetition, repetition. Then the sessions require exercising at more intense levels, recalling patterns of movements, and requiring faster reaction speed, with physician supervision, and with medical and Parkinson expertise assistance as necessary. The goal is to complete the entire 2-hour class each week and remain injury-free!
What effect can it have on an individual with Parkinson’s?
Benefits are the fruits of your labor. The more consistently a person participates, the more we expect their Parkinson disease motor and non-motor symptoms to improve and/or be easier to manage. Medication will work better, and less adjustments and medication increases will be necessary. So far, no injuries have occurred in the class with physician-supervision, and we expect that the risk for falls will decrease with improved balance at home. We have reviewed many of the exercise and fitness studies for Parkinson, dementia, and aging, showing their multiple, across-the-board health benefits, and the potential for slowing down disease progression. We’ve also decided to implement these protocols and provide them to Parkinson fighters for free.
What would you like to see as a future goal for your programs?
Our future goals are to enhance and expand. We have a treatment model that offers results and running the weekly class for more than 3 years has given us insights into some of its challenges. Enhance by improving transportation for fighters, by creating a mobile medical unit for gyms, by incorporating research and growing the “movement lab” platform, and by formalizing the volunteer program for pre-med and medical students. Expand by offering the same program to other gyms in different locations across NYC and the country, by expanding the model into other fitness modalities, like dance, and by training other medical professionals interested in helping us expand our vision of integrated Parkinson care.
What events do you participate in?
In addition to running the fitness program, I am a PMD Alliance ambassador, and working with them on an upcoming online program: “Parkinson disease and blood pressure management considerations”. I have a collaborative agreement with Mt. Sinai department of Neurology and Dr. Rachel Saunders-Pullman, who works on the genetics of Parkinson disease. I am also a USA boxing ringside physician, supervising amateur boxing, Muay Thai and mixed martial arts competitions in the NY metro area.
How can someone get in touch? What is your website?
Contact us at info@movingbrainsneuro.com, or call 646-952-0007 and leave a message. We are a small group with big dreams, so we will respond asap. Our website is movingbrainsfoundation.org.
If you had one final statement or quote you could leave for the Parkinson’s community, what would it be?
If you have Parkinson disease and can safely make it to our gym, you need to bring a physician’s clearance to exercise and comfortable exercise clothes, and you are in! We can later review your PD medications and start designing a fitness program to address your more specific needs once you get through the basics.
If you are a private or corporate donor, please contact us! We have many opportunities and platforms to expand and grow our programs but need your help! Your donations will have a tangible, demonstrable and direct impact on Parkinson care, including to your hopefully participating friends and family affected by the disease.
If you want to be a volunteer and are a medical or pre-med student in the New York City metro area, please contact us! We need and appreciate your help!