Information on Parkinson's Disease from the National Library of Medicine
Parkinson's disease is a disorder that affects nerve cells, or neurons, in a part of the brain that controls muscle movement. In Parkinson's, neurons that make a chemical called dopamine die or do not work properly. Dopamine normally sends signals that help coordinate your movements. No one knows what damages these cells. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease may include: trembling of hands, arms, legs, jaw and face; stiffness of the arms, legs and trunk; slowness of movement; poor balance and coordination. As symptoms get worse, people with the disease may have trouble walking, talking or doing simple tasks. They may also have problems such as depression, sleep problems or trouble chewing, swallowing or speaking. Read more at the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
Information on Parkinson's Disease from Parkinson's Disease Clinic & Research Center, UC, San Francisco
Parkinson's disease is a condition whose main features are slowed movement, tremor, and gait or balance problems. At least 750,000 people in the United States have Parkinson's disease. Although it more commonly develops in people in their 60s or older, it can occur as early as age 20. Read more at the University of California, San Francisco Parkinson's Disease Clinic and Research Center.
Information on Parkinson's Disease at Baylor College of Medicine
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting about 1% of the population over the age of 60 years. While the typical age at onset is in the sixth decade of life (average 55 years), about 5% of patients with PD have onset of their symptoms before age 40. Men are slightly more frequently affected than women. Asymmetric onset of tremor usually present when the affected body part such as the hand or foot are otherwise at rest is one of the most common presenting features...Read more at Baylor College of Medicine Department of Neurology.
Parkinson's disease: Essentials at Consumer Reports
What is it? What are the symptoms? How is it diagnosed? How common is it? What will happen? Questions to ask.
Key points about treatments at Consumer Reports
Fact Sheet: Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's 30 years ago, today, and tomorrow. Presented at the National Institutes of Health.
Combating Depression in Parkinson's Disease
Depression is one of the major, and most common, challenges for people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Everyone feels sad from time to time and it is normal to experience sadness and stress when faced with a difficult disease such as Parkinson’s. However, the sadness that is part of being human can become a significant problem if it crosses into the realm of clinical depression and is left untreated. Read this informative brochure at the Parkinson's Disease Foundation.
Should You Consider Deep Brain Stimulation
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical treatment for the symptoms of advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD). The procedure has been performed in thousands of patients. Is it for you? Read this brochure at the Parkinson's Disease Foundation.
Video: Diagnosis Parkinson's Disease: You Are Not Alone
View a free 25 minute educational video that was created to provide some comfort and encouragement for a person who has just been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease presented by the Parkinson's Disease Foundation.
Podcast: Parkinson’s Disease - Advantages and Disadvantages of Deep Brain Stimulation Treatment
In this neurological health podcast, the program coordinator for the deep brain stimulation program for treatment of Parkinson’s disease, Vicky Salak, talks about both the advantages and potential adverse effects of deep brain stimulation for treating Parkinson’s disease. She identifies conditions for being a good candidate for this type of treatment, noting that not all patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease are eligible for treatment by deep brain stimulation. Listen to the podcast at the Medical University of South Carolina Podcast Library.
Driving and Parkinson’s Disease: The Crossroads of Independence & Safety
A 15 minute video on safe driving issues for those with Parkinson's disease presented by parkinson.org and produced by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston, MA)
Practice parameter: Initiation of treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
Does selegiline offer neuroprotection?
What is the best agent with which to initiate symptomatic treatment in de novo Parkinson's disease?
Is there a benefit of sustained release levodopa over immediate-release levodopa?
See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
Practice parameter: Diagnosis and prognosis of new onset Parkinson disease.
Which clinical features and diagnostic modalities distinguish Parkinson disease (PD) from other Parkinsonian syndromes? Which clinical features predict rate of disease progression? See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
Practice parameter: Neuroprotective strategies and alternative therapies for Parkinson disease.
Are there any therapies that can slow the progression of Parkinson disease [PD]? Are there any nonstandard pharmacologic or nonpharmacologic therapies that have been shown to improve motor function in PD? See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
Practice parameter: evaluation and treatment of depression, psychosis, and dementia in Parkinson disease (an evidence-based review). Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology.
What tools are effective to screen for depression, psychosis, and dementia in PD? What are effective treatments for depression and psychosis in PD? What are effective treatments for PD dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB)? See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
Abstract: Elevated serum pesticide levels and risk of Parkinson disease.
Exposure to pesticides has been reported to increase the risk of Parkinson disease (PD), but identification of the specific pesticides is lacking. Three studies have found elevated levels of organochlorine pesticides in postmortem PD brains. See Abstract at PubMed.
Abstract: Effects of optimism/pessimism and locus of control on disability and quality of life in Parkinson's disease.
PURPOSE: To assess optimism/pessimism and locus of control in a sample of Parkinson's disease patients and to evaluate their impact on disability and health-related quality of life. See Abstract at PubMed.
Abstract: Role of rasagiline in treating Parkinson's disease: Effect on disease progression.
Rasagiline is a second generation, selective, irreversible monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitor. It has demonstrated efficacy in monotherapy for early Parkinson's disease (PD) patients in one large randomized, placebo-controlled trial (TVP-1012 in Early Monotherapy for Parkinson's Disease Outpatients), and has shown ability to reduce off time in more advanced PD patients with motor fluctuations in two large placebo-controlled trials (Parkinson's Rasagiline: Efficacy and Safety in the Treatment of "Off", and Lasting Effect in Adjunct Therapy With Rasagiline Given Once Daily). Preclinical data abound to suggest potential for neuroprotection by this compound against a variety of neurotoxic insults in cell cultures and in animals. Full text available free through PubMed.
Abstract: Bilateral deep brain stimulation vs. best medical therapy for patients with advanced Parkinson disease: a randomized controlled trial.
Deep brain stimulation is an accepted treatment for advanced Parkinson disease (PD), although there are few randomized trials comparing treatments, and most studies exclude older patients. OBJECTIVE: To compare 6-month outcomes for patients with PD who received deep brain stimulation or best medical therapy. Full text available free through PubMed.
Abstract: Deep brain stimulation: how does it work?
Deep brain stimulation has significantly improved the motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and other movement disorders. The mechanisms responsible for these improvements continue to be explored. Full text available free through PubMed.
Abstract: Impulse-control disorders in Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by bradykinesia, rigidity, postural instability, and resting tremor. Increasingly, Parkinson's disease has been associated with a broad spectrum of non-motor symptoms, such as olfactory loss, sleep disorders, autonomic dysfunction, cognitive impairment, psychosis, depression, anxiety, and apathy. In addition, a minority of Parkinson's disease patients develop compulsive behaviors while receiving dopamine-replacement therapy, including medication hoarding, pathological gambling, binge eating, hyperlibidinous behavior, compulsive shopping, and punding. Full text available free through PubMed.
Abstract: Impact of newer pharmacological treatments on quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's disease is a common progressive neurodegenerative condition with multiple motor and nonmotor features contributing to impairment of health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). Pharmacological treatments have been directed primarily at dopamine replacement with levodopa and agents to improve its bioavailability, including DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitors, as well as synthetic dopamine agonists. See Abstract at PubMed.
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Podcast: Parkinson’s Disease - Advantages and Disadvantages of Deep Brain Stimulation Treatment
Source: Medical University of South Carolina
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