Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder that mainly affects people after 50 years of age, but can present as juvenile Parkinson's that affects people before their 40's of which Michael J. Fox suffers from. Components in the brain involved with regulating movement are faulty due to a lack of neurotransmitter called dopamine. Deregulation of movement presents as a resting tremor, rigidity of arm movement, a shuffling gait and loss of facial expression. The disease is influenced by genes, age, and environment. Medications to replace the dopamine or prevent its early destruction have been successful in preventing disability and surgery can also be offered to some sufferers.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by About

Related Disease Topics:

• Parkinson's disease
• Juvenile Parkinson's
• Movement disorder

Related Symptom Topics:

• Resting tremor
• Rigidity of arm movement
• Shuffling gait
• Loss of facial expression

Article Source Details

About: Parkinson's disease

Date: 2005

Source: About

Author: Mary Krugler

URL: http://rarediseases.about.com/od/rarediseasesp/a/060700.htm

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Cause of Parkinson's disease
• Cause of juvenile Parkinson's disease
• Cause of movement disorder
• Cause of resting tremor
• Cause of rigidity of arm movement
• Cause of shuffling gait
• Cause of loss of facial expression
• Cause of deregulation of movement
• Cause of movement difficulties
• Cause of disability
• Cause of elderly illness
• Cause of dependence
• Diagnosis
• Diagnosis and resting tremor
• Diagnosis and rigidity of arm movement
• Diagnosis and shuffling gait
• Diagnosis and loss of facial expression
• Diagnosis and Parkinson's disease
• Diagnosis and juvenile Parkinson's disease
• Diagnosis and movement disorder
• Medication
• Medication and Parkinson's disease
• Medication and juvenile Parkinson's disease
• Medication and movement disorder

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