Parkinson's Café

A central focus of the first Parkinson Café of 2026, held on 13 January at De Groene Hoven was a scientific presentation by our ‘’Parkinson Vibrating Socks’’ researchers Janne Heijs,  Lorenzo Centamore, from the University of Twente. In front of ~25 participants they introduced the idea behind our project, and outlined our aim to investigate vibrating socks a non-pharmaceutical intervention for freezing of gait (FoG). They then presented preliminary evidence that suggest that the vibrating socks have measurable effects; however, further research is required to better understand their mechanisms, determine whether effects can be optimized, and identify potential predictors of individual response. At the end of the presentation, there was time allocated for them to address participants’ questions.

The Parkinson’s café is a meeting place for people with Parkinson's which takes place on a regular basis, with a varied program of informative, active or creative activities. Additionally, it offers space for scientific input, peer exchange and mutual support, over refreshments.

We thank Parkinson’s Café for inviting us to present our project, and look forward to the next chance we have to participate in a Parkinson’s Café.