Parkinson’s Doctor Tells NBC Biden Has ‘Classic Features’ of Disease: ‘I Could Have Diagnosed Him from Across the Mall’

RUSH TRANSCIRPT LLAMAS To ░░░░░░░░ more about those eight ░░░░░░░░ House visits to the ░░░░░░░░ s expert I want ░░░░░░░░ talk now to Dr ░░░░░░░░ Pitts he s a ░░░░░░░░ board certified neurologist he ░░░░░░░░ patients with Parkinson s ░░░░░░░░ the time diagnoses it ░░░░░░░░ want to be completely ░░░░░░░░ here you have never ░░░░░░░░ President Biden to my ░░░░░░░░ You have never spoken ░░░░░░░░ to President Biden We ░░░░░░░░ just use what we ░░░░░░░░ so far which is ░░░░░░░░ we have seen the ░░░░░░░░ s interviews and the ░░░░░░░░ coming out of the ░░░░░░░░ House So my first ░░░░░░░░ to you as someone ░░░░░░░░ is a neurologist what ░░░░░░░░ have seen from the ░░░░░░░░ over the last two ░░░░░░░░ what you saw at ░░░░░░░░ debate the last few ░░░░░░░░ the way he speaks ░░░░░░░░ way maybe he walks ░░░░░░░░ you noticed anything that ░░░░░░░░ you a red flag ░░░░░░░░ a doctor LLAMAS Oh ░░░░░░░░ I see em 20 ░░░░░░░░ a day in clinic ░░░░░░░░ mean it s ironic ░░░░░░░░ he has just this ░░░░░░░░ features of neurodegeneration I ░░░░░░░░ word finding difficulties and ░░░░░░░░ s not Oh I ░░░░░░░░ t find the word ░░░░░░░░ s from degeneration of ░░░░░░░░ word retrieval area PITTS ░░░░░░░░ s also overcome stuttering ░░░░░░░░ Could could that could ░░░░░░░░ be part of that ░░░░░░░░ LLAMAS No this is ░░░░░░░░ a palatal issue or ░░░░░░░░ speech discrepancy which is ░░░░░░░░ different from a liminal ░░░░░░░░ actual word retrieval where ░░░░░░░░ pick a similar question ░░░░░░░░ talk around the issue ░░░░░░░░ the rigidity monotone voice ░░░░░░░░ Wait go back to ░░░░░░░░ the rigidity What do ░░░░░░░░ mean LLAMAS Oh rigidity ░░░░░░░░ of arm swing standing ░░░░░░░░ lordotically You notice when ░░░░░░░░ turned it s kind ░░░░░░░░ n block turning It ░░░░░░░░ not a quick turn ░░░░░░░░ that s one of ░░░░░░░░ hallmarks of Parkinson s ░░░░░░░░ rigidity and bradykinesia slow ░░░░░░░░ and he has that ░░░░░░░░ especially with the low ░░░░░░░░ that was a cold ░░░░░░░░ a small monotone voice ░░░░░░░░ this over time is ░░░░░░░░ hallmark of Parkinsonism I ░░░░░░░░ have diagnosed him from ░░░░░░░░ the mall PITTS Here ░░░░░░░░ are some of the ░░░░░░░░ from from Parkinson s ░░░░░░░░ just had him up ░░░░░░░░ on the screen We ░░░░░░░░ put them back What ░░░░░░░░ the movement Some people ░░░░░░░░ pointed out the way ░░░░░░░░ walks sometimes it s ░░░░░░░░ very fast small steps ░░░░░░░░ that something that that ░░░░░░░░ common in people who ░░░░░░░░ battling a disease like ░░░░░░░░ s LLAMAS Yeah it ░░░░░░░░ a hallmark Shuffling gate ░░░░░░░░ call that it s ░░░░░░░░ steps loss of arm ░░░░░░░░ from the rigidity when ░░░░░░░░ walk we have a ░░░░░░░░ cadence You notice he ░░░░░░░░ t really swing his ░░░░░░░░ and n block turning ░░░░░░░░ he kind of pivots ░░░░░░░░ his foot If you ░░░░░░░░ Hey President Biden he ░░░░░░░░ t go like this ░░░░░░░░ yeah it s clinic ░░░░░░░░ But I also know ░░░░░░░░ also know tell me ░░░░░░░░ I m wrong here ░░░░░░░░ s very hard to ░░░░░░░░ Parkinson s isn t ░░░░░░░░ It s it s ░░░░░░░░ it s not simple ░░░░░░░░ mean I ve heard ░░░░░░░░ it can be I ░░░░░░░░ LLAMAS It s it ░░░░░░░░ one of the one ░░░░░░░░ the easier movement disorders ░░░░░░░░ diagnose actually PITTS Right ░░░░░░░░ LLAMAS It s so ░░░░░░░░ There s there s ░░░░░░░░ little and I m ░░░░░░░░ know I m a ░░░░░░░░ I always say when ░░░░░░░░ comes to this PITTS ░░░░░░░░ right LLAMAS It s ░░░░░░░░ like this guy is ░░░░░░░░ a hard case PITTS ░░░░░░░░ I ve had I ░░░░░░░░ had relatives who have ░░░░░░░░ through issues neurological issues ░░░░░░░░ and I ve heard ░░░░░░░░ sometimes Parkinson s is ░░░░░░░░ very easy to nail ░░░░░░░░ have to take a ░░░░░░░░ of tests There s ░░░░░░░░ lot I mean LLAMAS ░░░░░░░░ on if you re ░░░░░░░░ present with like hallucinations ░░░░░░░░ could be a variety ░░░░░░░░ things or just the ░░░░░░░░ problems that could be ░░░░░░░░ s verse Parkinsonism and ░░░░░░░░ becomes a little nebulous ░░░░░░░░ once you start manifesting ░░░░░░░░ hallmark motor symptoms PITTS ░░░░░░░░ LLAMAS slow movement rigidity ░░░░░░░░ faces hypophonia I mean ░░░░░░░░ a med student did ░░░░░░░░ pick Parkinson s on ░░░░░░░░ test they d be ░░░░░░░░ PITTS So so let ░░░░░░░░ ask you if you ░░░░░░░░ if you had you ░░░░░░░░ and I know you ░░░░░░░░ t you have no ░░░░░░░░ what happened in the ░░░░░░░░ House but a neurologist ░░░░░░░░ eight times in eight ░░░░░░░░ does that tell you ░░░░░░░░ Is that is that ░░░░░░░░ mean I know you ░░░░░░░░ just you re just ░░░░░░░░ Yeah PITTS sort of ░░░░░░░░ here but does that ░░░░░░░░ you anything or no ░░░░░░░░ Well I mean I ░░░░░░░░ t know if they ░░░░░░░░ like the best of ░░░░░░░░ or something but that ░░░░░░░░ a very specific you ░░░░░░░░ he has a movement ░░░░░░░░ That s a subspecialist ░░░░░░░░ what he has and ░░░░░░░░ s very few young ░░░░░░░░ like a Marine Guard ░░░░░░░░ people would be med ░░░░░░░░ out for any type ░░░░░░░░ movement disorder at a ░░░░░░░░ age Like if you ░░░░░░░░ Huntington s Korea early ░░░░░░░░ Parkinson s dystonia bad ░░░░░░░░ tremor You re usually ░░░░░░░░ boarded out So I ░░░░░░░░ doubt there is PITTS ░░░░░░░░ does that mean med ░░░░░░░░ out LLAMAS Med boarded ░░░░░░░░ the military would not ░░░░░░░░ you if you have ░░░░░░░░ for example you cannot ░░░░░░░░ be in the military ░░░░░░░░ is you are medical ░░░░░░░░ out PITTS So you ░░░░░░░░ saying you re saying ░░░░░░░░ don t necessarily believe ░░░░░░░░ they re not saying ░░░░░░░░ but LLAMAS Right PITTS ░░░░░░░░ said there s thousands ░░░░░░░░ military members that go ░░░░░░░░ the White House LLAMAS ░░░░░░░░ PITTS that are treated ░░░░░░░░ for for health reasons ░░░░░░░░ Yeah PITTS You re ░░░░░░░░ buying that that that ░░░░░░░░ a random military person ░░░░░░░░ No that would be ░░░░░░░░ odd to just see ░░░░░░░░ random movement disorder case ░░░░░░░░ the White House You ░░░░░░░░ especially a young guard ░░░░░░░░ aren t many young ░░░░░░░░ that have movement disorders ░░░░░░░░ could be in the ░░░░░░░░ PITTS And then you ░░░░░░░░ a lot of people ░░░░░░░░ called for a cognitive ░░░░░░░░ What exactly would that ░░░░░░░░ What does that mean ░░░░░░░░ You know that s ░░░░░░░░ key Because word finding ░░░░░░░░ doesn t necessarily mean ░░░░░░░░ don t know what ░░░░░░░░ want to say What ░░░░░░░░ cannot comment on is ░░░░░░░░ ability to make good ░░░░░░░░ His motor symptoms are ░░░░░░░░ He has Parkinsonism That ░░░░░░░░ a fact You know ░░░░░░░░ has degeneration of the ░░░░░░░░ Show me the MRI ░░░░░░░░ me he doesn t ░░░░░░░░ know put put your ░░░░░░░░ where your mouth is ░░░░░░░░ definitely has it But ░░░░░░░░ problem is when you ░░░░░░░░ at his situation you ░░░░░░░░ t say Oh I ░░░░░░░░ for a fact that ░░░░░░░░ he didn t retrieve ░░░░░░░░ word he didn t ░░░░░░░░ what he wanted to ░░░░░░░░ And that s why ░░░░░░░░ him and Trump should ░░░░░░░░ the four hour neuropsychological ░░░░░░░░ which is the hallmark ░░░░░░░░ for cognitive performance LLAMAS ░░░░░░░░ you do in this ░░░░░░░░ PITTS A lot of ░░░░░░░░ So for example they ░░░░░░░░ have you say like ░░░░░░░░ as many words as ░░░░░░░░ can in a minute ░░░░░░░░ starts with an F ░░░░░░░░ building retrieval I may ░░░░░░░░ cup and have you ░░░░░░░░ it three minutes later ░░░░░░░░ drawing these are done ░░░░░░░░ a professional a PhD ░░░░░░░░ neuropsychology it has nothing ░░░░░░░░ do with psychiatry and ░░░░░░░░ can tell if you ░░░░░░░░ LLAMAS And it s ░░░░░░░░ hours long PITTS Yes ░░░░░░░░ s a full day ░░░░░░░░ tell people bring a ░░░░░░░░ It is a full ░░░░░░░░ And that s not ░░░░░░░░ MOCA which was a ░░░░░░░░ test that President Trump ░░░░░░░░ These are tests that ░░░░░░░░ screening tests If you ░░░░░░░░ There is no way ░░░░░░░░ lie in this test ░░░░░░░░ sort of ace it ░░░░░░░░ though you re PITTS ░░░░░░░░ way This one will ░░░░░░░░ will come out in ░░░░░░░░ Wash For example if ░░░░░░░░ do a bedside exam ░░░░░░░░ an accountant and I ░░░░░░░░ them What is 100 ░░░░░░░░ 7 even a words ░░░░░░░░ patient if they worked ░░░░░░░░ a high education level ░░░░░░░░ something like that is ░░░░░░░░ to get that right ░░░░░░░░ in a four hour ░░░░░░░░ it will come out ░░░░░░░░ Finally you said you ░░░░░░░░ Democrat you are a ░░░░░░░░ you sound like you ░░░░░░░░ frustrated with what the ░░░░░░░░ House is saying PITTS ░░░░░░░░ LLAMAS Why PITTS Because ░░░░░░░░ know I am an ░░░░░░░░ before everything And I ░░░░░░░░ and see when I ░░░░░░░░ to see Russia Soviet ░░░░░░░░ North Korea where they ░░░░░░░░ make outrageous things you ░░░░░░░░ like when North Korea ░░░░░░░░ t keep the lights ░░░░░░░░ they say Oh it ░░░░░░░░ some faulty power thing ░░░░░░░░ kind of hate that ░░░░░░░░ of stuff They had ░░░░░░░░ years my own party ░░░░░░░░ four years you know ░░░░░░░░ was a wreck in ░░░░░░░░ motion and they had ░░░░░░░░ years to find out ░░░░░░░░ 350 million Americans one ░░░░░░░░ that can take the ░░░░░░░░ And here we are ░░░░░░░░ day before school trying ░░░░░░░░ do the homework and ░░░░░░░░ a guy who has ░░░░░░░░ neurodegenerative disease LLAMAS Dr ░░░░░░░░ we thank you for ░░░░░░░░ Top Story And again ░░░░░░░░ know you have never ░░░░░░░░ President Biden I want ░░░░░░░░ say you ve never ░░░░░░░░ to President Biden but ░░░░░░░░ re going off of ░░░░░░░░ you ve seen on ░░░░░░░░ and interviews and all ░░░░░░░░ your expertise.”