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Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is a central nervous system (brain) disorder which commonly manifests as difficulty in body movement. The exact cause of Parkinson's disease is unknown. Patients with Parkinson's disease have been shown to have an occurrence of chemical changes in one specific area of the brain. These chemical changes are responsible for the Parkinsonian symptoms. This disease is most prevalent in elderly males, with peak age of onset between 55 and 65 years. Some medications can cause Parkinsonian symptoms; Common symptoms include: shuffling gait, slumped forward body stance, a resting tremor (hands shake at rest), and an eventual slowing of mental processes. Muscular rigidity in the limbs is observed by the examiner when attempting to put the patient's arm or leg through an unresisted range of motion. Parkinson patients have stiff postures, reduced spontaneity of facial expression, and a tendency to remain in an unchanged posture for unusually long periods of time. Evaluation is through history and physical examination by a Neurologist. CT-scanning of the head or MRI are used to rule out other serious problems that have a similar presentation. The trial use of anti-Parkinsonian medication can be diagnostic. Signs of improvement with these medications support the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
Treatment is with medications that counteract the symptoms of the disease. There are no known cures. Many new medications (Eldepryl) are available for this problem and are prescribed by the Neurologist who is the expert in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. The patient with Parkinson's disease will need to take these medications indefinitely.
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