Parkinson's Diseas
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that most commonly develops between the ages of 55 and 65. It affects individuals who are in the middle of productive working lives, the age of onset is usually 55-60 years. Around 1% of those older than 65 years are affected.
PD's cardinal features are difficulty in initiating movement, muscular stiffness, and tremors. As the disease progresses the symptoms may cause difficulty in walking, talking and writing. Most people respond excellently to drug treatment for the first three to five years, but after this it is common that patients start to suffer from drug-related complications, especially "wearing off" of drug effects and involuntary movements.
PD is one of the best-understood neurodegenerative disorders. The disease is caused by a degeneration of a small group of dopamine-producing neurons in a part of the brain stem. Loss of dopamine causes nerve cells to fire abnormally and excessively, which disrupts the functioning of other portions of the motor system that are directly responsible for movement.
Although there is no cure for PD, patients can be treated effectively for many years with medication, physical exercise, and conditioning. Surgical approaches provide new hope for those whom drugs no longer control the symptoms adequately. The goal of these treatments is to maintain active functioning and quality of life.