What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the dopamine neurotransmitter system, which is important for motor control and cognition.  

Symptoms

Symptoms normally start slowly and get severe over time. People with Parkinson’s disease may have trouble walking and speaking as the disease advances. When nerve cells in the basal ganglia, a part of the brain that controls movement, become affected or die, the most obvious signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease appear. When neurons die or become compromised, they create less dopamine, which results in the disease’s movement issues.

Parkinson’s Disease has four primary symptoms:

• Tremor in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head
• Muscle stiffening, which occurs when a muscle is strained for a prolonged period of time
• Reduced balance and coordination, that can lead to accidents

Other signs and symptoms may include:

• Anxiety, depression, and other mood swings
• Ingesting, chewing, and speech impairment
• Digestion or urinary difficulties
• Skin problems

 

 

Treatments

Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, medications, surgical intervention, and other therapies can help to alleviate some of the effects.t Levodopa is the most common Parkinson’s treatment-  to restore the brain’s diminishing supply of dopamine, nerve cells employ levodopa to create it.

Deep brain stimulation may be recommended for persons with Parkinson’s disease who do not react well to treatments. A doctor inserts electrodes into a portion of the brain and links them to a small electrical device implanted in the chest during a surgical procedure. The gadget and electrodes gently stimulate certain parts of the brain that control movement, potentially alleviating several of Parkinson’s disease’s movement-related symptoms like tremor, slowness of movement, and tightness.

 

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MORE INFORMATION:

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
800-352-9424

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
919-541-3345

 

 

DONATE:

Davis Phinney Foundation
866-358-0285

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
212-509-0995

 

 

GET HELP NOW:

American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA)
800-223-2732

Parkinson’s Resource Organization
877-775-4111

Parkinson’s Foundation
800-473-4636