Abbreviations you need to know

Parkinsons Caretaker Terms and Abbreviations

It took me a while to understand what everyone was saying in Facebook groups or articles – simply from the terms being used and the abbreviations flying around.  Here is a short list of some terms you will want to be familiar with.

TPC: The Parkinson’s Caregiver.  That’s our site.

PD: Parkinson’s Disease

PWP: Person with Parkinson’s

MWP: Mother with Parkinson’s (I use this one a lot!)

HWP: Husband with Parkinson’s

WWP: Wife with Parkinson’s


C/L: Carbidopa / Levodopa.  This is the medication used to treat Parkinson’s Disease.  Brands include Rytary and Sinemet (we use both)

DBS: Deep Brain Stimulation – a surgical treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

PDQ: Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire

MJF: Michael J. Fox – an actor and Parkinson’s disease advocate.

PDR: Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale

NIH: National Institutes of Health

NPF: National Parkinson Foundation

YOPD: Young-onset Parkinson’s Disease

Any other good abbreviations other caregivers should know?  Let us know!