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Parkinson's Disease
What is Parkinson's Disease?
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder that is chronic and progressive, meaning that symptoms continue and worsen over time. It is also a neurodegenerative disease which can be explained by the degeneration of tissue in the body. Over 100,000 Canadians and almost 1 Million people in the US are living with Parkinson's disease.
There is no known cure for Parkinson's.
Parkinson's disease occurs when a group of cells in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra begin to malfunction and die. ese cells in the substantia nigra produce a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, that sends information to the parts of the brain that control movement and coordination.
When a person has Parkinson's disease, their dopamine-producing cells begin to die and the amount of dopamine produced in the brain decreases. Messages from the brain telling the body how and when to move are therefore delivered more slowly, leaving a person incapable of initiating and controlling movements in a normal way.
Symptoms
All persons with Parkinson's do not develop the same symptoms and the symptoms change over time as the disease progresses. The primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease are:
| Motor Symptoms Tremor Bradykinesia Rigidity and freezing in place Stooped, shuffling gait Decreased arm swing when walking Difficulty arising from a chair Micrographia (small handwriting) Lack of facial expression Slowed activities of daily living Postural instability Difficulty turning in bed |
Nonmotor Symptoms Diminished sense of smell Low voice volume Painful foot cramps Sleep disturbance Depression Constipation Drooling Increased sweating Urinary frequency/urgency Male erectile dysfunction |
Stages
Parkinson's can progress at a different rate for each person. As symptoms change, medication will need to be adjusted. As the disease progresses, non-motor symptoms may also appear, such as depression, difficulty swallowing, sexual problems or cognitive changes. It is important to find a doctor who is knowledgeable about Parkinson's, ideally a neurologist. By working with a health-care team, a treatment plan can be created that will meet the person's individual needs.
According to the Hoehn and Yahr scale, Parkinson's disease has the following five stages:
Stage I: Symptoms are only on one side of the body
Stage II: Symptoms are on both sides of the body
Stage III: Balance is impaired
Stage IV: Assistance is required to walk and other symptoms are severe
Stage V: Wheelchair bound
Treatment
Parkinson's disease is a progressive disease and there is no permanent cure. There are however several medications which can control the symptoms effectively in most patients. However, the effectiveness of different types of drugs varies from patient to patient.
