Learning the facts about Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month is putting a spotlight on a neurological disorder affecting more than one million Americans and an estimated 7 to 10 million people worldwide.
Parkinson’s Disease (or PD) is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system that gradually affects patients’ movements through tremors, stiffness or slowing of movement. PD impacts nerve cells in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra impairing the cells’ ability to produce and deliver the neurotransmitter dopamine to other cells. In fact, by the time early Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed, it is estimated the person has lost 70 percent of the cells that produce dopamine.