About Parkinson''s disease

11 February 2000

Parkinson's disease is a common progressive neurological disorder that results from the degeneration of nerve cells, or neurons, in a region of the brain that controls the body's movement.

This degeneration is known to create a shortage of the brain-signalling neurotransmitter dopamine, causing impaired movement. Dopamine is a chemical that transmits electrical signals to and from the brain. With old age the dopamine secretions get depleted, causing involuntary body movements and impair coordinated movements of the limbs.

The symptoms and potential therapies find their mention in Ayurveda, a system of medicine practiced in India as early as 5000 BC, and in the first Chinese medical text, Nei Jing, which appeared 2,500 years ago.

The most obvious symptom of Parkinson's disease is tremor of a limb, especially when the body is at rest. Bradykinesia (slow movement), akinesia (inability to move), stooped posture, and rigid limbs are some of the common symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease.

The symptoms first appear between ages 50 and 65 years and tend to worsen over time. Occasionally, the disease also causes depression, personality changes, dementia, sleep disturbances, speech impairments, or sexual difficulties.

According to estimates, the disease affects one million people and is found all over the world. It is more common in men than in women.