Parkinson's, a progressive neurological condition

What is Parkinson's?

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition affecting movements such as walking, talking, and writing. It is named after Dr. James Parkinson (1755-1824), the London doctor who first identified Parkinson's as a specific condition. Parkinson's occurs as result of a loss of nerve cells in the part of the brain known as the substantia nigra. These cells are responsible for producing a chemical known as dopamine, which allows messages to be sent to the parts of the brain that co-ordinate movement. With the depletion of dopamine-producing cells, these parts of the brain are unable to function normally.

What is parkinsonism?

The main symptoms of Parkinson's can also be symptoms of other disorders. Conditions that produce these symptoms are known collectively as parkinsonism. Parkinson's is the most common form of parkinsonism and is often referred to as "idiopathic Parkinson's disease" (this means of unknown cause). Other, less common, forms of parkinsonism include:

multiple system atrophy (MSA)
progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)
drug-induced parkinsonism.

If you have one of these rarer conditions, the Parkinson's Disease Society can provide you with support and may be able to put you in touch with specific organisations that support people with these conditions.

Signs and symptoms

The symptoms of Parkinson's can be classified as motor and non-motor. Motor symptoms define Parkinson's, with three primary features:

Tremor - which usually begins in one hand. This is the first symptom for 70 percent of people with Parkinson's.
Slowness of movement (bradykinesia) - people with Parkinson's may find that they have difficulty initiating movements or that performing movements takes longer.
Stiffness or rigidity of muscles - problems with activities such as standing up from a chair or rolling over in bed may be experienced.

Various non-motor symptoms may also be experienced, for example:

sleep disturbances
constipation
urinary urgency
depression

How many people have Parkinson’s?

It is currently impossible to predict who will get Parkinson's disease or to prevent it from occurring. Parkinson's is found all over the world. Exact global figures are not always available. However, it is estimated that four million people worldwide have Parkinson's.

Generally, in the UK:

one in 500 people, around 120,000 individuals have Parkinson's
about 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed each year
symptoms first appear, on average, when a patient is older than 50
one in 20 of those diagnosed each year will be aged under 40 years
statistically, men are slightly more likely to develop Parkinson's than women.

What causes Parkinson’s?

Substantia nigraParkinson's is a progressive neurological condition affecting movements such as walking, swallowing and writing. There is a loss of nerve cells in the part of the brain known as the substantia nigra. These cells are responsible for producing a chemical known as dopamine, which allows messages to be sent to the parts of the brain that co-ordinate movement. With the depletion of dopamine-producing cells, these parts of the brain are unable to function normally. When about 80 percent of the dopamine has been lost, the symptoms of Parkinson's appear and the level of dopamine will continue to fall slowly over many years. The reason why the loss of dopamine occurs in the brains of people with Parkinson's is currently unknown. Most researchers believe it is likely that many factors play a role in causing Parkinson's. Areas of research into the cause include genetics and environmental factors.

Genetic research

Scientists have to date identified nine genes linked to Parkinson's, of which the parkin gene is most commonly associated with the familial form of Parkinson's. Abnormalities in this gene are particularly prevalent read more