Parkinson's Disease

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• Parkinson's Disease Overview
• Parkinson's Disease Causes
• Parkinson's Disease Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Parkinson's Disease Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Medications
• Surgery
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Outlook
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Related Parkinson's disease articles:
  Parkinson's disease - on WebMD
  Parkinson's disease - on MedicineNet
• Read more on Parkinson Disease from Healthwise
• Viewer Comments: Parkinson's Disease - Effective Treatment
• Viewer Comments: Parkinson's Disease: What Age of Onset and Symptoms

Parkinson's Disease Overview

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related deterioration of certain nerve systems, which affects your movement, balance, and muscle control.

• Parkinson's disease is one of the most common movement disorders, affecting 1% of people older than 60 years. PD is about 1.5 times more common in men than in women, and it becomes more common as you age.
  
  
• The average age of onset is about 60 years. Onset before age 40 years is relatively uncommon, but the recent diagnosis of actor Michael J. Fox shows that younger people are also vulnerable.
  
  
• In PD, brain cells deteriorate (or degenerate) in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra. From the substantia nigra, specific nerve cell tracts connect to another part of the brain called the corpus striatum, where the neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger in the brain) called dopamine is released. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter and alterations in its concentration can lead to different medical problems.
  
  
• The loss of these specific brain cells and decline in dopamine concentration are the cornerstone of signs and symptoms of PD as well as the target for treatment. The biological mechanism responsible for the brain cell loss has not been identified.