Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder of unknown cause that affects nearly 1.5 million people in the United States.

While there is no test that can clearly identify the disease, there are a variety of tests, such as brain scans, that can help doctors decide if a patient has true Parkinson’s disease or some other disorder that resembles it.

Parkinson’s disease belongs to a group of conditions called motor-system disorders. Parkinson’s and related disorders are the result of the loss of dopamine producing brain cells. Dopamine is a chemical messenger responsible for transmitting signals within the brain. Parkinson’s disease occurs when certain nerve cells, or neurons, die or become impaired. Normally, these neurons produce dopamine. Loss of dopamine causes the nerve cells to fire out of control, leaving patients unable to direct or control their movement in a normal manner.

The four primary symptoms of Parkinson’s are:

• tremor or trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face
• rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk
• bradykinesia, or slowness of movement
• and postural instability or impaired balance and coordination.

Patients may also have difficulty walking, talking, or completing other simple tasks. The disease is both chronic and progressive. Parkinson’s is not usually inherited. Early symptoms are subtle and occur gradually.

Reference: Parkinsonshope.org - Parkinson Research Foundation 2013

Reference:   Ministry of Health (MOH) - 2015