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Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative, progressive brain disorder that causes a loss of muscle control due to a lack of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine, an essential chemical that transmits electric signals between nerves, is made by specialized cells in the brain. When a person has Parkinson's disease, these specialized cells stop working properly or die, and insufficient dopamine is produced. Without it, the brain can’t communicate neurologically with the muscles.
People with Parkinson's disease often experience tremors or might “freeze up” because they have difficulty initiating movement. Other common symptoms include slowness, stiffness, difficulty maintaining balance and other problems that may or may not be related to muscle movement. Reasons why the specialized brain cells stop producing dopamine is unknown and may be related to genetic and/or environmental factors.
There is no cure for Parkinson's disease, but many patients respond to a variety of treatments, including medications, surgical procedures and other therapies.
People with elevated risk of developing Parkinson's disease include those with one or more family members diagnosed with the disorder and those who are exposed to pesticides and herbicides on an ongoing basis. Initial symptoms usually appear when the patient is in his or her 50s or 60s, and the risk of developing Parkinson's disease increases as a person grows older.
Some of the medical complications often seen in patients with Parkinson's disease include depression, constipation, sexual dysfunction as well as problems urinating, sleeping, chewing or swallowing.
The signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease usually progress quite slowly over the course of months or even years. They may start on one side of the body and typically remain more pronounced on that side as the condition worsens. For most patients, the disorder is characterized by four main kinds of symptoms:
Tremors might start with shakiness in a hand and may also take the form of "pill-rolling," or rubbing the thumb and forefinger together. Not all patients with Parkinson's disease have the same degree of tremors. This is the symptom most often associated with the disorder.
Bradykinesia can make it difficult for a patient to initiate movement, such as raising an arm, getting up from a resting position or taking a first step when trying to walk.
Stiffness, especially in the neck, arms or legs. Muscles often become rigid as if they are locked in a particular position. This can become painful and limit a patient’s range of motion.
Difficulty maintaining balance: Many patients start to lose the ability to maintain normal posture and balance when sitting or walking. This symptom may be relatively mild at first before growing more severe in later stages of the disease.
Other symptoms of Parkinson's disease can include:
Not every patient experiences these symptoms. Some symptoms can be caused or exacerbated by medications commonly prescribed for Parkinson's disease, and measures can be taken to minimize these effects.
If you are concerned that you or a loved one might be experiencing the possible initial symptoms of Parkinson's disease, contact Baptist Neurology Group for an evaluation. Read about the diagnostic procedures we use to identify Parkinson’s disease as well as the treatment options available.
There is no single definitive lab test to confirm Parkinson’s disease. To diagnose the disease, doctors perform a thorough neurological exam and analyze the patient’s medical history. They may ask family members about specific symptoms they have observed in the patient.
The neurological exam usually involves a series of complex motor and balance tasks, such as walking around a room, as well as some tasks requiring the use of the hands. Muscle strength and vision will also be checked for possible abnormalities and weakness.
The patient may also undergo one or more imaging tests such as a Computed Tomography (CT) or Positron Emissions Tomography (PET scan) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test to see if symptoms are the result of a stroke, brain tumor or other condition whose indications can be similar to Parkinson's disease.
In some cases, it helps doctors to know if symptoms improve when the patient tries one or more of the medications commonly prescribed for the disorder.
As doctors move toward establishing a diagnosis, they are careful not to confuse Parkinson's disease with Parkinsonism, a broad term for conditions that mimic the symptoms of the disease itself. Parkinsonism might be the result of:
A final diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is most likely if the patient exhibits:
If it turns out that Parkinson's disease is positively identified, there are many effective treatment options available to help the patient control symptoms and live independently as long as possible. To explore these or for answers to any other questions about Parkinson’s disease, we invite you to contact us at any of our locations throughout Jacksonville.