What Is Parkinson's
Parkinson's Disease |
Parkinson's FAQ's
Parkinson's Disease
In 1817, Dr. James Parkinson first described Parkinson’s Disease in his essay, “A Shaking Palsy”.
It is now recognized as one of the commonest neurological disorders to affect people over 55 years of age.
However, this condition also affects people in their 30’s and 40’s with 10% of all diagnoses being in
this age category.
Parkinson’s is a slowly progressive disorder caused by a loss of dopamine-producing cells in the substantia
nigra area of the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and functions to allow smooth transmission of impulses from
nerve cell to nerve cell. These nerve cells control voluntary muscle movement and when dopamine is reduced,
messages are not properly transmitted. It is estimated that prior to symptoms appearing, 50 to 80% of dopamine
producing cells have already been lost.
The four primary symptoms of PD are:
-
Tremor – This is the earliest symptom to appear in about 70%
of patients. It is a tremor that occurs in a limb when it is at rest. It starts in one arm or leg on one
side of the body and can progress to include all four limbs. Although socially distressing, the tremor does not
usually interfere with activities of daily life, as it tends to disappear or lessen with voluntary movement.
It is often not completely controlled by medications.
-
Rigidity - describes increased tone or stiffness in the
muscles. It can be experienced as small writing, a foot dragging when walking, lack of arm swing, or tightness in
the shoulders.
-
Bradykinesia (slowness of movement) or Akinesia –
describes slowness and poverty of movement. Fine movements become clumsy, it becomes difficult to begin a
movement (getting up from a chair), or there may be an arrest of ongoing movement. People may experience
difficulty when they are tying their shoelaces, cleaning their eyeglasses, putting the top on a bottle,
turning corners or going through doorways.
-
Postural instability, or impaired balance and coordination –
Changes in posture occur and the automatic balance reflexes become impaired leading to falls.
These postural difficulties usually appear later on with Parkinson’s disease.
Exercise can improve balance.
The symptoms that people experience and the rate at which Parkinson’s progresses varies from person to
person. So treatment and management of this disorder will require an individualized approach. It is important
not to compare yourself with others who have PD.
It is important to know that secondary symptoms may also be present and in addition to the above four primary
symptoms. A person with Parkinson’s may experience any of the following symptoms:
- fatigue
- anxiety
- depression
- short term memory loss
- sleep disruptions
- oily skin
- difficulty chewing or swallowing (in advanced PD)
- changes in quality of voice
- changes in bladder function
- constipation
There are currently no blood or laboratory tests that have been proven to help in diagnosing Parkinson’s
disease. Therefore the diagnosis is based on ruling out other causes and a clinical neurological examination.
Doctors may request brain scans to rule out other disorders.
Parkinson’s Related Disorders
Parkinson’s can be difficult to diagnose when initial symptoms can be somewhat vague.
Approximately 20% of people initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s will, as symptoms become more apparent
over time, receive a revised diagnosis belonging to a group of conditions called Parkinson Plus Disorders or
Parkinsonism. These disorders have characteristics which somewhat resemble Parkinson’s but with some
additional symptoms. Examples include:
There is a tremendous amount to learn about Parkinson symptoms, treatments, medication side effects and other
challenges. In order to meet your needs for information we have compiled a resource library of materials and our
staff is available to answers the questions you may have on your journey. Please do not hesitate to call or to
make an appointment to speak to someone about your own situation.
Please contact your nearest Coordinator.