About Parkinson’s Disease
It’s important to take the time to fully understand the diagnosis and symptoms of Parkinson’s in order for individuals, their families and caregivers to adapt to the unique challenges and progressions of the disease.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive movement disorder that effects the brain and nervous system. It causes nerve cells (neurons) in portions of the brain to weaken, become damaged, and die, leading to symptoms that include challenges with movement, tremor, stiffness, and impaired balance.
Parkinson’s disease occurs when brain cells that make dopamine, a chemical that coordinates movement, stop working or die. Because Parkinson’s disease can cause slowness, stiffness, tremor, walking and balance issues, it is referred to as a “movement disorder.” Constipation, depression, memory problems and other non-movement symptoms can also be challenges associated with Parkinson’s Disease. It is a lifelong and progressive disease, which means that symptoms, all be it slowly, worsen over time.
Each individuals experience of living with Parkinson’s Disease is unique. As symptoms and progression vary from person to person, it is difficult for you or your doctor to predict which symptoms you will face, when you will get those symptoms or how severe they will become. Although broad similarities are observed among individuals living with Parkinson’s Disease as the disease progresses, there are no certainties regarding what each person will experience based on others living with the disease.
Dopamine
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a central role in Parkinson’s Disease; it is involved in regulating the body’s movement. Without sufficient dopamine, the brain is unable to transmit signals to allow the body to correctly coordinate movements.
For individuals battling Parkinson’s disease, the loss of dopaminergic neurons leads to a reduction in dopamine levels. This reduction is what causes motor impairment and can also lead to cognitive challenges.
Parkinson’s Disease Statistics
- 1 million people in the U.S. live with Parkinson's disease
- 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed each year
- Men are twice as likely to have Parkinson’s Disease
- An estimated 52,000 Texans live with Parkinson’s Disease
- The annual economic cost of Parkinson’s Disease is $52 billion
- The annual cost per patient is between $8K - $10K
Causes of Parkinson’s Disease
There are no screening tests or biomarkers that indicate someone has Parkinson’s disease. However, the movement disorder community has shown that a myriad of factors are linked to the disease. It’s likely that Parkinson’s disease causes are a blend of genetics and environmental factors. In genetic cases, patients are either autosomal dominant (where you get one copy of a mutated gene from one parent) or autosomal recessive (where you get a copy of a mutated gene from each of your parents). A vast majority of cases are idiopathic, which means unknown. In these cases, the disease is likely caused by a combination of environmental factors and genetic makup.
Age. The greatest risk factor for developing Parkinson’s disease is advancing age. The average age of onset is 60 years old.
Gender. Men are twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than women.
Genetics. People with a parent or sibling who is affected by the disease have twice the chance of developing Parkinson’s disease.
Environmental causes. Experts believe that environmental causes help trigger Parkinson’s disease. Exposure to pesticides and herbicides, Vietnam-era exposure to Agent Orange, and working with heavy metals, detergents and solvents have all been implicated and studied with a clear link. However, it is unlikely that a majority of people who develop Parkinson’s disease do so because of exposure to environmental hazards.
Head Trauma. Repeated blows to the head, such as with boxers like Muhammad Ali, likely increases one’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.