LIVING WITH PARKINSON'S

WHAT IS PARKINSON'S DISEASE?

Parkinson's disease is named after the English doctor James Parkinson who published the first detailed description in an essay in 1817.
It is a progressive neurological condition with mild symptoms that advance over time.  In the early stages symptoms can be so subtle that they go unnoticed leaving the disease undiagnosed for years.  For patients with Parkinson's there is a reduction m the brain chemical dopamine which controls movement and mood - so simple activities like walking. talking and writing can be affected.
Dopamine is an important chemical messenger in the brain that helps to initiate movement.  We don't know why the loss of dopornine occurs.  This loss does not cause a dramatic change as in the case of a stroke.  With Parkinson's you slowly lose the ability to do things you previously took for granted. The effect is most noticeable in movement which is why Parkinson's is also called a movement disorder.  There is no known cause of Parkinson's.  Investigations into environmental factors such as contaminants in food. water and and exposure to poisonous chemicals have all failed to produce an answer.