The Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease
The symptoms of Parkinson's are often dismissed by patients as part of their natural aging. Additionally, the symptoms of Parkinson's can relate to other conditions, making it hard to diagnose effectively. That aside, there are a number of major symptoms which go some way to highlighting the presence of the condition.
In the initial stages of the condition, patients may feel easily tired, and slightly shaking in their movements. It may also be noticed that handwriting begins to waver, and the timbre of the voice changes and weakens. Patients may also feel difficulty in maintaining a train of thought, and may lose a word, or forget the next point of conversation. Although these symptoms are very subtle and can last for a number of years, they are good indicators of the presence of the condition, and should not be put down to the aging process, but rather reported to a doctor immediately.
Soon after, changes may start to occur in facial expression and movement, giving the patient the appearance of being static and stiff, with no animation in the face. This can usually be seen accompanying an overall change in mood, as well as the tell-tale sign of lack of movement, or remaining within the same position for long durations. As the condition develops, the more major symptoms such as the tremor begin to take effect, and the patient begins to find everyday physical tasks more and more difficult. It is the tremor which is the symptom which drives most patients for medical assistance for their condition.
The four major symptoms of Parkinson's which affect patients in different proportions are the tremor, bradykinesia, loss of balance and stability and muscular rigidity. The tremor usually has a characteristic three motions per second, and usually takes the form of the twitching of the thumb and forefinger, although a more general tremor can develop with time. The tremor normally begins in the patient's hand, although in some cases occurs in the patients jaw or their foot during the initial stages of the condition.
Bradykinesia is the overall slowing down of movement which many Parkinson's sufferers feel as their main debilitating symptom. It is particularly problematic due to its intermittent and unpredictable nature, that is the patient can freely move one minute but find movement slow and arduous the next.
The loss of balance and stability causes patients to regularly fall over and adopt a hunched posture. Patients may also find the need to walk with very quick steps to try and maintain balance, and may fall from a stationery position, simply down to a lack of balance brought on by the condition.
The rigidity which most patients report is as a result of the weakened relax and contract motions of muscles within the body. The corresponding weakening to contracting in the muscles is not as pronounced, leaving the patient's movements particularly small and jerky.
These disabling symptoms are progressive in the patients, that is they continue to get worse over time. Although there are treatments available to dampen the effects, the symptoms can be the most frustrating part of the condition for many active sufferers, who can no longer lead their lives as before.
Parkinson's disease news on the Web
Gene Therapy Helps Children With Rare, Incurable Brain Disease
Using gene transfer techniques pioneered by University of Florida faculty, Taiwanese doctors have restored some movement in four children bedridden with a rare, life-threatening neurological disease. The first-in-humans achievement may also be helpful for more common diseases such as Parkinson's that involve nerve cell damage caused by lack of a crucial molecule in brain tissue... |
Unravelling How Locomotion Starts
Scientists at the University of Bristol have shed new light on one of the great unanswered questions of neuroscience: how the brain initiates rhythmic movements like walking, running and swimming... |
Potential To Predict Parkinson's Disease Via Colonoscopy Or Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
Two studies by neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center suggest that, in the future, colonic tissue obtained during either colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy may be used to predict who will develop Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder of aging that that leads to progressive deterioration of motor function due to loss of neurons in the brain tha... |
Damaged Stem Cells Commit Suicide For The Good Of The Embryo
Embryonic stem cells - those revered cells that give rise to every cell type in the body - just got another badge of honor. If they suffer damage that makes them a threat to the developing embryo, they swiftly fall on their swords for the greater good, according to a study published online in the journal Molecular Cell... |
Once-Marginalized Parkinson's Disease Theory May Be Valid
The March issue of the FEBS Journal reports that scientists from the Californian University in San Diego have discovered new evidence for a theory that was once marginalized with regard to the underlying causes of Parkinson's disease, which conflicts with an older theory that Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases are caused by insoluble intracellular fibrils called amyloids... |
Strong Support Uncovered For Once-Marginalized Theory On Parkinson's Disease
University of California, San Diego scientists have used powerful computational tools and laboratory tests to discover new support for a once-marginalized theory about the underlying cause of Parkinson's disease. The new results conflict with an older theory that insoluble intracellular fibrils called amyloids cause Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases... |
Parkinson's Patients Might Respond To 19th Century Vibration-Chair Therapy
To relieve symptoms of Parkinson's disease, Jean-Martin Charcot, a famous neurologist in the 19th century developed a "vibration chair" that showed improvements in his patients. However, Charcot died soon afterwards, before being able to conduct a more comprehensive evaluation of his therapy... |
Parkinson's Protein Causes Disease Spread In Animal Model
Last year, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that small amounts of a misfolded brain protein can be taken up by healthy neurons, replicating within them to cause neurodegeneration... |
Understanding How Parkinson's Disease Starts And Spreads
Injection of a small amount of clumped protein triggers a cascade of events leading to a Parkinson's-like disease in mice, according to an article published online this week in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Progressive accumulation of clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease coincides with the onset of motor dysfunction... |
Easing Depression In Parkinson's Patients Without Worsening Other Symptoms
Today's anti-depressant medications can ease depression in Parkinson's patients without worsening other symptoms of the disease, according to a study published online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "Depression is the number-one factor negatively affecting the quality of life for people with Parkinson's disease," said Irene Hegeman Richard, M.D... |
Ocular Tremors Parkinson's Disease Link
A study, published Online First by Archives of Neurology, reveals that persistent eye tremors seem to be common in individuals suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD). Ocular tremors can prevent eye stability during fixation and results from the study indicate that precise oculomotor testing could provide an early physiological biomarker for diagnosing Parkinson's disease. George T... |
Eating Berries May Lower Men's Parkinson's Risk
Men who regularly consume foods rich in flavonoids, such as berries, apples, certain vegetables, tea and red wine, may significantly reduce their risk for developing Parkinson's disease, according to a study published in the journal Neurology this week that saw no such effect among women... |
Potential Strategy To Restore Motor And Cognitive Function In Parkinson's Disease
An agent under consideration for use in PET imaging combats neuronal death to relieve Parkinsonian symptoms in animal models, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. The movement-related symptoms of Parkinson's disease, including muscle rigidity and tremors, are caused by the loss of dopamine-secreting neurons in the brain... |
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