When thinking of the children’s game Hungry Hippos, it divides us into two categories of people: those that just think of a fun plastic kids game, and those that don’t. I’ve become the second type of person who uses the simple game to explain a really complicated subject of Parkinson’s medicine.
The balls represent dopamine, and some drugs help replace the dopamine that is being lost in a pd patient. The hippos represent the receptors in the brain that some drugs help to work better to make the most of the dopamine available.
Who knew that such a childish game could end up being re-appropriated to explain in simple terms what will become their new obsession – what meds they are on.
