An Overview of Parkinson’s Disease

by djtomdog under CC BY  with wpseopix.com

Michael J. Fox

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What do Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali, Pope John Paul II and the Reverend Billy Graham have in common? Aside from the obvious answer that they're famous people, they all share a common diagnosis – Parkinson's Disease. It's a diagnosis that they share with millions of adults around the world. According to the National Institutes of Health, Parkinson's Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease affecting American adults – right after Alzheimer's Disease.

Symptoms resembling Parkinson's Disease have been described by writers of the Ayurveda in 5,000 B.C., and in the first Chinese medical text nearly 2,500 years ago, but the disease is named for Dr. James Parkinson, who first described the condition formally in 1817, in an essay called "An Essay on the Shaking Palsy".

Parkinson's affects approximately 1 in 100 people over the age of 60 – nearly 500,000 people in the United States, with another 50,000 cases reported every year. While Parkinson's usually affects those over 60, about 5-10% of those new diagnoses – up to 5,000 cases per year – will be in adults under the age of 40.

Parkinson's is particularly devastating to its victims and their families. It usually begins with a barely noticed tremble or stiffness in one limb. More often than not, that first warning tremble is ignored. Most adults who are diagnosed with Parkinson's wait nearly a year, after the initial onset of symptoms, before seeing a doctor for a diagnosis. Eventually, Parkinson's can render its sufferers completely immobile, through paralysis that takes over the body in minute increments.

The symptoms of Parkinson's include a tremor of one or more limbs, especially when the body is at rest, slowed movements (known as bradykinesia), inability to move (akinesia) and rigid limbs. As the symptoms progress, they may lead to a shuffling gait, loss of balance and stooped posture. Eventually, Parkinson's may affect speech, movement, facial movement, mood (depression is common among Parkinson's patients) and mental health (dementia is one long term effect of Parkinson's).

While there are many theories about what causes Parkinson's Disease, none have yet been proven. There seems to be a genetic link – in about 1% of all Parkinson's cases there is a strong family history of the disease. There have been a number of reported cases related to exposure to an illegal drug contaminated with MPTP, and in those who contracted a severe form of influenza in the early 1900s. Most doctors agree that there is a genetic component to the disease, most likely an inherited susceptibility that may be triggered by environmental factors.

In addition to Parkinson's Disease, there are a number of conditions that have many of the symptoms. These include medication-induced parkinsonism, vascular-induced parkinsonism and atypical parkinsonism. It's nearly impossible to differentiate between the conditions in the early stages of Parkinson's, but there are some clues that doctors can use to make a definitive diagnosis.

The prognosis for those diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease is bleak. While there is a great deal of ongoing research into causes and cures, as of now there is no treatment that is 100% effective in slowing or halting the progress of the disease. Instead, most current treatments focus on treating the symptoms of Parkinson's and contributing to the best possible quality of life. Those treatments include medication, surgery, lifestyle changes and adjustments, and alternative therapies.

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An Overview of Parkinson’s Disease related articles from the blogosphere…

Parkinson’s Disease

This work was made to explain Parkinson’s Disease by Abraham Adberstein.

Parkinson's Disease: Case Study

www.dallasbrainchangers.com2/4/12

Parkinson's Disease: Case Study. Neurofeedback can reduce symptoms of Parkinson's. Dallas Brain Changers: Call Today! 214-642-3976.

Rat research aids stroke and Parkinson's disease cures | ASU News …

www.statepress.com2/3/12

ASU professor and student researchers experiment on rats to find a cure for Parkinson's disease and treatment for stroke patients.

Parkinson's disease: When proteins go rogue

digitaljournal.com1/26/12

Scientists discover that a protein responsible for smooth movement does just the opposite when dopamine levels decrease. This knowledge could lead to new treatments for Parkinson's disease.

Could toxic chemical be source of tics in NY town – CNN.com Blogs – –

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/11h ago

Goldman, who published a small study about TCE and its possible link to Parkinson's disease, said he received e-mails from people living nearby Le Roy who have concerns about TCE.