Introduction to Parkinson's Science/Q Page 40

What are the symptoms of Parkinson's disease?
This page needs revision because it follows on from Introduction to Parkinson's Science/Q Page 2 and Introduction to Parkinson's Science/Q Page 3 and is linked to from Introduction to Parkinson's Science/Q Page 50. It should be headed: What are the other symptoms of Parkinson's disease? Some of the material is worth preserving but probably elsewhere. See Talk page. Parkinson’s Disease symptoms vary from patient to patient. They can come about in a number of ways:-

 Dopamine deficiency Primary symptoms 

Movement disorders arise through a reduction in the brain’s capacity to manufacture a consistent supply of this neurotransmitter. Typical of these are uneven gait, stiffness, difficulty in maintaining balance, a resting tremor in the limbs or jaw.

 Dopamine deficiency Secondary symptoms 

These are derivative of primary symptoms.

For example drooling is the consequence of a build up of saliva in the mouth.

This is a consequence of a reduced rate of swallowing.

This is a consequence of reduced autonomic movements.

 Side effects of therapy 

An example is dyskinesia – uncontrolled jerking about of the heed and shoulders arising from prolonged use of levodopa.

Symptoms in the second two categories are treatable, even curable without recourse to dopamine replacement therapy. The implication for researchers is that it is worthwhile to evaluate indivdual symptoms, for diagnosticians that each PD patient should be treated as an individual rather than a phenotype, and for patients that all symptoms should be declared in order to optimse diagnosis and treatment.

The following list of PD  symptoms is a synthesis from the following sources:-

Dr. Oliver Sachs Awakenings http://www.acamedia.info/literature/alexanders_feast/awakenings/excerpts.htm

Parkinson’ UK		http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/default.aspx?page=9739

Web MD		http://www.webmd.com/parkinsons-disease/parkinsons-glossary

Michael J. Fox Foundation	https://www.michaeljfox.org/glossary.php

National Parkinson Foundation	http://www.parkinson.org/Parkinson-s-Disease/Glossary

Readers are invited to improve on individual entries.