Parkinson’s Disease
What is Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition that primarily affects dopamine-producing (“dopaminergic”) neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain. Symptoms usually appear gradually over time. Because of the variability of the condition, the course of symptoms varies from one person to the next.
Signs & Symptoms
- Tremor, mainly at rest and described as pill-rolling tremor in hands. Other forms of tremor are possible
- Bradykinesia
- Limb rigidity
- Gait and balance problems
Parkinson’s symptoms can include both movement-related (“motor”) and non-motor (“non-motor”) symptoms. Non-motor symptoms often have a greater impact on people with Parkinson’s disease than motor symptoms. Examples of non-motor symptoms:
- Apathy
- depression
- constipation
- sleep behavior abnormalities
- loss of smell
- cognitive impairment