People with Parkinson's disease are mainly affected by muscle twitches or trembling called tremors. These tremors could occur in the hands, arms, legs, or face. Other major symptoms include impairments in mobility, balance, or coordination.

Parkinson's Disease is a chronic condition, which means people have it for a long time. It is also a progressive disease, meaning that it gets worse over time. In the later stages of the disease, memory loss and other mental deterioration can become problems resulting from the disease. (Kurland & Lupoff, 1999, p. 84).

Cause

Parkinson's is the result of neurological deterioration in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra. The actual cause is unknown.

Symptoms

A person with Parkinson's may experience muscle tremors, muscle stiffness, or problems with posture. It usually comes on gradually. At first, symptoms come and go, but in later stages, the face becomes expressionless, the eye blinks infrequently, and speech is speech is slowed. The patient may even have trouble standing up straight.

Treatment

Medicine such as levodopa (Sinemet) can delay symptoms, but not block them.

HD & Memory Loss

Approximately 25%-30% of Parkinson's patients develop dementia . It is not known whether this is a side effect of the disease, or whether these patients are coincidentally more susceptible to develop Alzheimer's disease.