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Common Symptoms |
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Typical hand tremor
Stooped posture
Short, shuffling gait with no associated arm movements
Tendency to fall over, either forwards or backwards
Difficulty both in starting to walk and in stopping
Difficulty getting in and out of a car or chair
Poorly coordinated hand use
Small handwriting
Soft speech
Drooling and difficulty swallowing
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Overview
Description
A person with Parkinson's disease slowly loses control of movements such as swallowing and walking. The most characteristic symptom is a tremor or shaking, along with the declining ability to move body parts. The disease starts so slowly that the condition may not be identified for months.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that stimulates motor neurons (nerve cells), and is necessary for organized, coordinated movement and maintenance of normal muscle tone. Parkinson's is caused by degeneration of nerve cells in the substantia nigra ("black substance") and the locus ceruleus ("blue location") where dopamine is produced and stored. Loss of dopamine causes neurons (cells in the brain) to fire out of control, leaving people unable to direct or control movement normally.
Parkinson's disease affects about one million people in the United States. The disease usually strikes people in their late 50s and older, but it can strike people as young as their 40s.
Prognosis
Parkinson's is progressive and does not have a cure. However, Parkinson's is treatable and can be managed with medication.
More on Parkinson's Disease What Is Parkinson's Disease?
In the Encyclopedia: Antiparkinson drugs
Antispasmodic drugs
Electrical stimulation of the brain
Movement disorders
Parkinson disease
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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