|
What is Parkinson's disease?
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder affecting approximately 1 million people in the United States.
What are its symptoms?
Its symptoms include:
- Tremors
- Muscle stiffness or rigidity
- Slowness of movement or bradykinesia
- Gait problems such as shuffling, freezing or falling
What causes Parkinson's?
Despite the fact that the Parkinson's disease was first described nearly 200 years ago, its cause remains a mystery. We do know that this disease is associated with a loss of the neurochemical dopamine in the brain. The dopamine producing cells, particularly in a region of the brainstem called substantia nigra, progressively die off for reasons that remain unknown. This progressive loss of cells leads to increasing disability over time.
How is Parkinson's treated?
Medical Treatments
Currently, there are many medical treatments available that control the symptoms of this disorder by replacing the lost dopamine in the brain. These include:
- Levodopa
- Dopamine agonists (pramipexole, ropinirole, pergolide, apomorphine)
- Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors (entacapone, tolcapone)
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (selegiline and rasagiline)
- Amantadine
Surgical Treatments
In the last 15 years, seven drugs have been developed for the treatment of Parkinson's disease but despite that, patients still face the prospect of a progressive neurological deficit that will ultimately disable them. Recently, new surgical treatments such as deep brain stimulation have been developed. These are used for more advanced patients who can no longer control their symptoms with medications.
Make an Appointment
With the Emory Movement Disorders Center
|
