Holding a guitar pick is as natural as breathing to Seamuis Strain, the leader of the longtime Houston Celtic punk act The Dead Rabbits. When Strain, 50, began having trouble doing so, he realized something was amiss. Strain was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson's disease this spring. He told the Houston Press how his music career has been pivotal to his diagnosis as he prepares for the Rabbits' return to live music Sept. 22 at 1810 Ojeman.
Parkinson's disease, characterized by various motor dysfunctions, is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the world. It is known that specific gene mutations that are passed down through families are responsible for some cases of Parkinson's disease.