Parkinson's Disease Causes

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Parkinson’s Disease?SymptomsDiagnosisTypesTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

What Is Parkinson’s Disease?

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Types

Treatment

Coping

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The causes of Parkinson’s disease come down to genetic and environmental factors that, in turn, produce changes in the brain’s chemical makeup, such as

Reduced dopamine levels.Parkinson’s disease can kill nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine.Dopamineis a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) that carries messages to the part of the brain that controls muscle movement.Low dopamine levelsare responsible for the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s.

Reduced norepinephrine levels.Anotherneurotransmitter, norepinephrine, is crucial to the function of the sympathetic nervous system. Low norepinephrine levels foster the nonmotor symptoms of this condition.

Accumulation of Lewy bodies.Many people with Parkinson’s disease developLewy bodies, abnormal deposits of alpha-synuclein, a protein, in the brain. This is a major area of focus among researchers.

Parkinson’s disease, a health condition that affects the brain andnervous system, It’s classified as a neurological movement disorder because it affects the brain’s ability to control movement. Signs and symptoms include tremors, muscle rigidity, and difficulties with movement, balance, and coordination.

Parkinson’s disease is progressive, meaning it gets worse over time. There’s no cure, but a person with Parkinsons typically can manage it with medication and surgery, often for a significant time. The average life expectancy of a person with Parkinson’s disease is similar to that of a person who does not.

Thesymptoms of Parkinson’s diseasefall into two groups: motor symptoms and nonmotor symptoms.

Motor Symptoms

Motor symptoms are movement-related problems that occur because thebraincannot send signals to the muscles the way it is supposed to.

These are some of the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease:

The movement-related symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can make daily activities such as bathing, getting dressed, walking, talking, writing, and driving difficult. They can also increase your risk of falling and injuring yourself.

Nonmotor Symptoms

Parkinson’s affects the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible forautonomic body functionssuch as digestion and circulation. Some of the nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are:

Nonmotor symptoms such as loss of smell, constipation, restless legs, and difficulty sleeping often appear before motor symptoms such as tremors and muscle stiffness become noticeable.

Diagnosing Parkinson’s diseasecan be tricky because there is no straightforward blood test or screening that can determine whether you have it. Instead, Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed clinically, which means a healthcare provider performs a physical and neurological exam.

Your healthcare provider will also review your medical history, family history of neurological diseases, and potential exposure to toxins and pesticides to determine your risk factors for Parkinson’s disease.

Labwork such as blood and urine tests and imaging scans such as MRI, CAT, and DaT scans can help rule out other possibilities.

Since diagnosing Parkinson’s disease relies heavily on clinical judgment, your primary care physician may refer you to a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders for an accurate diagnosis.

Risk Factors Associated With Parkinson’s DiseaseAge:This is the most significant risk factor for the condition since most people develop it after the age of 60.Family history:Having a family history of this condition can raise your chances of getting it.Sex:50% more men than women develop Parkinson’s disease.Exposure to pesticides and toxins:Air pollution, pesticides, and certain industrial pollutants are linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.Head injury:Having a head injury can lead to lower dopamine levels, particularly in people who have also been exposed to pesticides.

Risk Factors Associated With Parkinson’s Disease

Age:This is the most significant risk factor for the condition since most people develop it after the age of 60.Family history:Having a family history of this condition can raise your chances of getting it.Sex:50% more men than women develop Parkinson’s disease.Exposure to pesticides and toxins:Air pollution, pesticides, and certain industrial pollutants are linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.Head injury:Having a head injury can lead to lower dopamine levels, particularly in people who have also been exposed to pesticides.

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Parkinson’s disease falls into two broad categories, based on the age when the symptoms first appear:

Early-Onset Parkinson’sPeople with this type of Parkinson’s disease first see symptoms before the age of 50.This form of Parkinson’s may be inherited.Late-Onset Parkinson’sPeople with this type of Parkinson’s disease first see symptoms after the age of 60.Certain genetic mutations may also play a role in some cases of late-onset Parkinson’s.

Early-Onset Parkinson’sPeople with this type of Parkinson’s disease first see symptoms before the age of 50.This form of Parkinson’s may be inherited.

People with this type of Parkinson’s disease first see symptoms before the age of 50.

This form of Parkinson’s may be inherited.

Late-Onset Parkinson’sPeople with this type of Parkinson’s disease first see symptoms after the age of 60.Certain genetic mutations may also play a role in some cases of late-onset Parkinson’s.

People with this type of Parkinson’s disease first see symptoms after the age of 60.

Certain genetic mutations may also play a role in some cases of late-onset Parkinson’s.

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Treatment for Parkinson’s diseasecan help slow its progression and reduce its symptoms; however, it cannot cure the disease. Your healthcare provider can evaluate you and suggest a course of treatment, which may include medication and surgery.

Medication

Healthcare providers generally prescribe from this list to treat Parkinson’s disease:

Medication can make a significant difference in the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, especially in its early stages. Over time, however, it can become less effective, and the symptoms may start to reappear.

Surgery

Surgery may be an option for some people if medication is no longer helpful.

Deep brain stimulation is an FDA-approved procedure involving surgically implanted electrodes in the brain and an electrical device in the chest. The device emits painless electrical signals that stimulate the brain and block the irregular brain activity that causes the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s.

Pallidotomy and thalamotomy selectively destroy small parts of the brain responsible for symptoms such as tremors, muscle rigidity, and involuntary movements.

Parkinson’s Disease Causes

Approximately 90,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the United States every year, a significant increase over previous estimates.

These are some strategies that can help youcope with Parkinson’s disease:

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Summary

1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Willis, A.W., Roberts, E., Beck, J.C. et al.Incidence of Parkinson disease in North America. npj Parkinsons Dis. 8, 170 (2022). doi:10.1038/s41531-022-00410-yAdditional ReadingCleveland Clinic.Parkinson’s disease: causes, symptoms, stages, treatment, support.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Parkinson’s disease and dementia.Johns Hopkins Medicine.How Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed.National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Parkinson’s disease.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Parkinson’s disease: hope through research.National Institute on Aging.Parkinson’s Disease.Parkinson’s Foundation.Activities of daily living.Parkinson’s Foundation.Coping with a diagnosis.

1 Source

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Willis, A.W., Roberts, E., Beck, J.C. et al.Incidence of Parkinson disease in North America. npj Parkinsons Dis. 8, 170 (2022). doi:10.1038/s41531-022-00410-yAdditional ReadingCleveland Clinic.Parkinson’s disease: causes, symptoms, stages, treatment, support.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Parkinson’s disease and dementia.Johns Hopkins Medicine.How Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed.National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Parkinson’s disease.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Parkinson’s disease: hope through research.National Institute on Aging.Parkinson’s Disease.Parkinson’s Foundation.Activities of daily living.Parkinson’s Foundation.Coping with a diagnosis.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Willis, A.W., Roberts, E., Beck, J.C. et al.Incidence of Parkinson disease in North America. npj Parkinsons Dis. 8, 170 (2022). doi:10.1038/s41531-022-00410-y

Cleveland Clinic.Parkinson’s disease: causes, symptoms, stages, treatment, support.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Parkinson’s disease and dementia.Johns Hopkins Medicine.How Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed.National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Parkinson’s disease.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Parkinson’s disease: hope through research.National Institute on Aging.Parkinson’s Disease.Parkinson’s Foundation.Activities of daily living.Parkinson’s Foundation.Coping with a diagnosis.

Cleveland Clinic.Parkinson’s disease: causes, symptoms, stages, treatment, support.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.How Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Parkinson’s disease.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Parkinson’s disease: hope through research.

National Institute on Aging.Parkinson’s Disease.

Parkinson’s Foundation.Activities of daily living.

Parkinson’s Foundation.Coping with a diagnosis.

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