Parkinson’s Disease at a Glance

Parkinson’s disease, which robs people of control over their movements, usually starts in middle or late life and develops slowly. It is both chronic, meaning it persists over a long period of time, and progressive, meaning its symptoms grow worse over time.

The degenerative condition can include such symptoms as tremor, slow movement, slurred speech, a shuffling gait, stiff limbs and difficulty in keeping balance. Symptoms may appear on one or both sides of the body.

Parkinson’s itself does not kill, but eventually – when medication loses its effect – a patient can become bedridden and could die from complications.

Parkinson’s disease occurs when a group of brain cells that produce dopamine begin to malfunction and eventually die. Symptoms occur once 80 percent of the cells have died.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, that transports signals to the parts of the brain that control movement initiation and coordination. When Parkinson’s disease occurs, these cells begin to die at a faster rate and the amount of dopamine produced in the brain decreases.