Parkinsons Disease

A disorder of central nervous system that is characterized by tremor, muscle rigidity, stiffness, difficulty beginning to walk, walking with small steps, loss of balance and frequent falls. Depression and dementia? usually accompany the disease.

Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the [extrapyramidal system]?, which controls and adjusts our movements. The disease is caused by deficient production of dopamin? in the pathway projecting from [substantia nigra]? to [globus pallidus]? both of which are major components of the extrapyramidal system. There is no definite cure for the disease and medications are usually used to control the symptoms and to improve the quality of life. The drugs used for this purpose aim at replacing the lacking dopamin and are either its precursor (levodopa) or agonists (substances that bind to the same receptors with dopamin and evoke similar effects).

Secondary parkinsonism is a term used for a symptom constellation that is similar to that of Parkinson's disease but is caused by other disorders or medications. Major reasons for secondary parkinsonism are stroke, encephalitis?, narcotics, toxins and [carbonmonoxide poisoning]?. There are other idiopathic (of unknown cause) conditions as Parkinson's disease that may cause parkinsonism. In these conditions the problem is not the deficient production of dopamin but the inefficient binding of dopamin to its receptors located on [globus pallidus]?.