Parkinson’s disease

The English doctor and pharmacist James Parkinson described the signs of a disease in the year 1817 that has since been known as Parkinson’s disease. Today it is known that Parkinson’s disease is not a shaking palsy, as was first assumed.

Parkinson’s disease doesn’t really have anything to do with palsy in the true sense of the word. Rather the disease is elicited by a lack of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a transport substance that is required for the smooth flow of motor processes. In contrast, other transport substances are increased, causing an imbalance of these substances in the brain.

Typical symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

The result of this is that the movements and posture of the patient are increasingly impaired and also speech and facial expression are altered. The Parkinson’s patient is characterised primarily by three main symptoms: trembling (= tremor), stiffness (= rigor), and inability to move (= akinesia). In addition to this, mood perception such as joy and fear, comfort and discomfort are influenced via the affected regions in the brain.

200,000 Parkinson’s patients in Germany

Approximately 200,000 people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease live in the Federal Republic of Germany. The disease usually occurs in old age. The life expectancy of Parkinson’s patients is scarcely shortened in comparison with the healthy population. Parkinson’s patients are often somewhat more susceptible to other diseases, however.