Parkinson's Disease- Symptoms, Treatments, and Perhaps Some Hope

Parkinson's disease, a condition that was first described by Dr. James Parkinson in 1817, affects about two out of every one thousand adults. Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the brain, where the nerve cells that control muscle movement are gradually destroyed. Parkinson's disease usually manifests itself after the age of sixty, but there are some adults considerably younger that develop this condition. Parkinson's disease is currently incurable, with the only treatment being to try to control the symptoms, which include tremors, difficulty walking, loss of coordination, and many others. But stem cell research may be the key to helping those with Parkinson's lead normal lives.

Parkinson's is a progressive disorder; over the course of time the symptoms will worsen. Both men and women are subject equally to Parkinson's disease, which can affect one or both sides of the individual's body. Researchers have discovered that Parkinson's disease is brought on by the damage and destruction of certain nerve cells in the brain area known as the substansia nigra. These cells release a chemical known as dopamine, responsible for transmitting signals from that region of the brain to another called the corpus striatum. This process causes your muscles to have the ability to make controlled movements. Everyone is subject to the loss of some of these dopamine manufacturing cells, or neurons, but Parkinson's sufferers lose a much larger amount of these cells, with the result being the symptoms of the condition. Scientists are of the belief that a combination of environmental and genetic factors play a role in Parkinson's arising in a patient, but cannot put a finger on the exact cause for it.. Long known is that people who have a parent, sibling, or child with Parkinson's are more likely to acquire the condition than those who do not.