MedicineNet.com
About Us | Privacy Policy | Site Map
September 9, 2010
MedicineNet home Picture Slideshows Diseases and conditions Symptoms and signs Procedures and tests Medications Picture Image Collection MedTerms medical dictionary Pet Health
Font Size
A
A
A


Parkinson's Disease

Medical Author: Sietske N. Heyn, PhD
Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Parkinson's Disease Symptoms

Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

The primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease are all related to voluntary and involuntary motor function and usually start on one side of the body. Symptoms are mild at first and will progress over time. Some individuals are more affected than others. Characteristic motor symptoms include the following:

  • Tremors: Trembling in fingers, hands, arms, feet, legs, jaw, or head.

  • Rigidity: Stiffness of the limbs and trunk, which may increase during movement. Rigidity may produce muscle aches and pain.

  • Bradykinesia: Slowness of voluntary movement.

  • Postural instability: Impaired or lost reflexes can make it difficult to adjust posture to maintain balance.

  • Parkinsonian gait: Individuals with more progressive Parkinson's disease develop a distinctive shuffling walk with a stooped position and a diminished or absent arm swing.

Secondary symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Some of the secondary symptoms include:

  • anxiety, insecurity, and stress,

  • confusion, memory loss, and dementia (more common in elderly individuals),

  • constipation,

  • depression,

  • male erectile dysfunction...

Read more in-depth information about the symptoms of Parkinson's disease »

What is Parkinson's disease?

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and the most common movement disorder. It is characterized by progressive loss of muscle control, which leads to trembling of the limbs and head while at rest, stiffness, slowness, and impaired balance. As symptoms worsen, it may become difficult to walk, talk, and complete simple tasks.

The progression of Parkinson's disease and the degree of impairment vary from individual to individual. Many people with Parkinson's disease live long productive lives, whereas others become disabled much more quickly. Premature death is usually due to complications such as falling-related injuries or pneumonia.

In the United States, about 1 million people are affected by Parkinson's disease and worldwide about 5 million. Most individuals who develop Parkinson's disease are 60 years of age or older. Parkinson's disease occurs in approximately 1% of individuals aged 60 years and in about 4% of those aged 80 years. Since overall life expectancy is rising, the number of individuals with Parkinson's disease will increase in the future. Adult-onset Parkinson's disease is most common, but early-onset Parkinson's disease (onset between 21-40 years), and juvenile-onset Parkinson's disease (onset before age 21) also exist.

Descriptions of Parkinson's disease date back as far as 5000 BC. Around that time, an ancient Indian civilization called the disorder Kampavata and treated it with the seeds of a plant containing therapeutic levels of what is today known as levodopa. Parkinson's disease was named after the British doctor James Parkinson, who in 1817 first described the disorder in great detail as "shaking palsy."

What causes Parkinson's disease?

A substance called dopamine acts as a messenger between two brain areas - the substantia nigra and the corpus striatum - to produce smooth, controlled movements. Most of the movement-related symptoms of Parkinson's disease are caused by a lack of dopamine due to the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the substantia nigra. When the amount of dopamine is too low, communication between the substantia nigra and corpus striatum becomes ineffective, and movement becomes impaired; the greater the loss of dopamine, the worse the movement-related symptoms. Other cells in the brain also degenerate to some degree and may contribute to non-movement related symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Although it is well known that lack of dopamine causes the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, it is not clear why the dopamine-producing brain cells deteriorate. Genetic and pathological studies have revealed that various dysfunctional cellular processes, inflammation, and stress can all contribute to cell damage. In addition, abnormal clumps called Lewy bodies, which contain the protein alpha-synuclein, are found in many brain cells of individuals with Parkinson's disease. The function of these clumps in regards to Parkinson's disease is not understood. In general, scientists suspect that dopamine loss is due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.



Next: What genes are linked to Parkinson's disease? »

Share | | | | | More

Parkinson's Disease: What Age of Onset and Symptoms

The MedicineNet physician editors ask:

At what age did Parkinson's first appear, and what were the symptoms?

Comment submissions for this question have ended. Patient Discussions FAQs
See 24 Viewer Comments

View Comments

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors
MedicineNet Doctors
  • ropinirole-oral, Requip - Consumer information about the medication ROPINIROLE - ORAL (Requip), includes side effects, drug interactions, recommended dosages, and storage information. Read more about the prescription drug ROPINIROLE - ORAL.
  • Deep Brain Stimulation - Consumer medical information on deep brain stimulation used to inactivate the parts of the brain that cause Parkinson's disease.
  • Muscle Cramps - Get information on muscle cramps causes (vitamin deficiency, drugs, lactic acid, dehydration, low calcium, potassium or magnesium), treatment and prevention.

Latest Medical News

WebMD Daily

Get breaking medical news.



Your Guide to Symptoms & Signs: Pinpoint Your Pain



Parkinson's Disease

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is the inability to achieve or sustain an erection for satisfactory sexual activity. Erectile dysfunction is different from other conditions that interfere with male sexual intercourse, such as lack of sexual desire (decreased libido) and problems with ejaculation and orgasm (ejaculatory dysfunction). This article focuses on the evaluation and treatment of erectile dysfunction.

How common is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction (ED, impotence) varies in severity; some men have a total inability to achieve an erection, others have an inconsistent ability to achieve an erection, and still others can sustain only brief erections. The variations in severity of erectile dysfunction make estimating its frequency difficult. Many men also are reluctant to discuss erectile dysfunction with their doctors due to embarrassment, and thus the condition is unde...

Read the Erectile Dysfunction (Impotence) article »








Find a Local Pharmacy: including 24 hour pharmacies

Find a Local
Pharmacy
on RxList.com

including
24 hour
pharmacies





Health categories:

Slideshows | Diseases & Conditions | Symptoms & Signs | Procedures & Tests | Medications | Image Collection | Medical Dictionary | Pet Health

Popular health centers:

Allergies | Arthritis | Blood Pressure | Cancer | Chronic Pain | Cold & Flu | Diabetes | Digestion | Eyesight | Health & Living | Healthy Kids

Hearing & Ear | Heart | Infectious Disease | Men's Health | Mental Health | News & Views | Pregnancy | Sexual Health | Skin | Women's Health | More...

MedicineNet.com:

Privacy Policy | Newsletters | RSS | Contact Us | Site Map | WebMD Corporate | WebMD® | Medscape® | eMedicine® | eMedicineHealth® | RxList®

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. This site complies to the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.

©1996-2010 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.
MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.

This website is certified by TRUSTe. Click to verify.