Parkinson's Disease - The Shaking Palsy

Who is at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease? In spite of much research, the cause of Parkinson’s is still unknown. Risk factors include the following: Most common in old age, above 60 years More common in men More common when there’s a family history of the disease People exposed over long periods to certain chemicals and pesticides used to kill weeds and fungus People with prolonged exposure to manganese, such as in steel industries

Symptoms vary from person to person. Four main movement related symptoms are: Tremors: Shaking or back and forth movements of hands and legs. Can affect jaws and head in severe condition. Occurs only during rest. Postural Instability: Difficulty balancing in sitting or standing position. Increased risk of falling. Bradykinesia: Slowness of movement, speech difficulty, slowness and difficulty in doing simple tasks like buttoning shirt, brushing teeth. Muscular Rigidity: Stiffness of muscles in…

Dopamine is a Brain Chemical that helps to control muscle movement. In Parkinson's Disease the brain cells that make dopamine slowly die. The resultant lack of dopamine in body leads to physical symptoms such as slowness of movement, unusual stiffness in body, tremors and loss of balance. Depression, anxiety, constipation, speech-swallowing problems are some of the many other affections of Parkinson's Disease.          

Dr. Pettarusp Wadia, Consultant Neurologist and Movement Disorder Specialist, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, speaks to Dr Shital Raval about the latest treatments to manage Parkinson’s Disease.  Is Parkinson's a genetic condition? In about 5% of the adult population and 25% of the young-onset Parkinson's disease population, a single gene can be identified. However research is on to identify if certain genes make a person more susceptible to develop…

Mrs Balasubramaniam has been looking after her husband, 83, who has Parkinson’s Disease, for more than a decade. She shares symptoms, treatments and caregiving tips.   When was your husband diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease? My husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease about 10 to 12 years back, but he probably had symptoms much before that were not very noticeable, such as mild abnormality of gait or sticking out his tongue occasionally. What were the early…

Deep brain stimulation is becoming very precise. This technique allows surgeons to place electrodes in almost any area of the brain, and turn them up or down — like a radio dial or thermostat — to correct dysfunction. Andres Lozano offers a dramatic look at emerging techniques, in which a woman with Parkinson's instantly stops shaking and brain areas eroded by Alzheimer's are brought back to life. The multi-disciplinary approach of medicine and engineering has resulted in greater precision of…

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder caused by malfunction and death of nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. Because of the death of nerve cells, people with Parkinson’s don’t have enough of the chemical Dopamine. This causes their movements to slow down. Symptoms get worse over time. An estimated 7 to 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s Disease. These numbers are projected to escate sharply as more people live longer.    Can Parkinson’s…

Depression is known to be a common symptom of Parkinson's disease, but remains untreated for many patients, according to a new study by Northwestern Medicine investigators in collaboration with the National Parkinson's Foundation (NPF). http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/281162.php