PARKINSON'S DISEASE Q&A

PARKINSON'S DISEASE

This is a degenerative disease of the basal ganglia of the brain. It essentially affects movement and dexterity. The classic symptoms are tremor, stiffness, gait difficulty and in general, slowing down. This is due to deficiency of dopamine in the deep structures of the brain. Typically, it begins in the sixth or seventh decade and is a gradually progressive disease. There have been numerous advances in the treatment, but the Gold standard is replacement of dopamine. Currently, there are other medicines, which can mimic the action of dopamine and are known as dopa agonists. There are some medications which can actually slow down the progression of disease, but there is no cure as such. In the past decade or so, advancements have been made in the surgical treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Deep brain stimulation is a technique which is used to potentially slow down the disease progression as well as decrease the need for medications.