Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder. Tremors, rigidity, slow movement, poor balance, and difficulty walking is called parkinsonian gait are characteristic primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Idiopathic Parkinson's disease is the most common form of Parkinsonism, which is a group of movement disorders that have similar features and symptoms. Parkinson's disease also is called idiopathic Parkinson's because the cause for the condition is unknown. In the other forms of Parkinsonism, a cause is known or suspected.
Cause Parkinson's results from the degeneration of nuclei dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brainstem. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that stimulates motor neurons, which are nerve cells that control the muscles. When dopamine production is depleted, the motor system nerves are unable to control movement and coordination. Parkinson's disease patients have lost 80% or more of their dopamine-producing cells by the time symptoms appear. In searching for a cause for Parkinson's disease, most of the attention has focused on areas of the brain called the substantia nigra and the locus coeruleus.
Symptoms of Parkinsonism
Treatment People who are only mildly affected by Parkinson's disease may need no treatment at first. As symptoms progress, various treatment approaches are available.
Medication: Levodopa, a substance normally found in the body in limited amounts, is usually the first medication prescribed. Taken orally, levodopa can be converted by the body into dopamine the body needs. Another class of drugs, dopamine agonists, is also useful at reducing symptoms and can be used singly or in conjunction with levodopa. Dopamine agonists were introduced 20 years ago. Agonists are chemical substances capable of combining with part of a cell and initiating a reaction or activity.
Surgery In severely affected patients, surgical treatments such as ablation, deep brain stimulation, and pallidotomy may control some symptoms.