Parkinson’s Disease

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative condition essentially characterised by a reduction of dopamine – a neurotransmitter responsible for controlling movement – in the brain. It is a progressive and chronic disease, which means that the symptoms appear gradually and get worse over time.

The symptoms associated with this disease can vary, but the diagnosis is essentially based on the presence of a few cardinal symptoms: tremor, muscle rigidity and slow movement (bradykinesia). These symptoms are related to movement and are thus called motor symptoms. Many people with Parkinson's also suffer from other problems not related to movement, such as pain, anxiety and depression. These are called non-motor symptoms.

Clinical manifestation of the disease appears more frequently after the age of 60, however, younger people can also suffer from PD. Epidemiological evidence points to a prevalence of this disease in around 6.2 million people worldwide, however the true figure could be considerably higher due to the potential existence of many undiagnosed cases.

 

References:
Parkinson’s Europe. What is Parkinson’s? Available from: https://www.parkinsonseurope.org/about-parkinsons/what-is-parkinsons/. Accessed 2024.01.03

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