Parkinson's is a progressive disease of the central nervous system that involves the death or impairment of vital nerve cells (neurons) in an area of the midbrain called the substantia nigra, which normally produces the chemical dopamine. Loss of dopamine causes critical nerve cells in the brain (neurons) to fire uncontrollably, leaving patients unable to direct or control their movement in a normal manner. The condition is associated with aging, affecting a growing segment of the population above the age of 55.
Parkinson's Disease has been around since ancient times. English doctor, James Parkinson, first described it extensively in 1817. The thoroughness of his analysis is such that researchers and clinicians are still urged to read his original notes on the condition.
Everyone loses dopamine as they grow older; with Parkinson's, though, the rate of loss is much higher.
Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease often appear gradually and then increase in intensity. They may include:
- Tremors or trembling
- Difficulty maintaining balance and gait
- Rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk, and
- General slowness of movement (also called bradykinesia).
Patients may also eventually have difficulty walking, talking or completing other simple tasks.
Because Parkinson's has a wide range of early symptoms that are similar to other neurological conditions, diagnosis is often difficult unless the clinician has expertise in the field.
More than 1 million, and perhaps closer to 1.5 million people in the United States have Parkinson's Disease, making it the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the States (after Alzheimer's).
Parkinson's affects about 1 in 100 Americans over the age of 60, with the average age of onset at 60. However, 5-10% of those diagnosed with Parkinson's are less than 40 years old.
The disease affects men and women equally, with only a slight predominance in males.
Parkinson's crosses social, ethnic, economic and geographic boundaries.
Some people in the early stages assume their symptoms are "normal aging." Early symptoms are often subtle and sometimes fleeting.
Although no cure currently exists for Parkinson's, research at the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Northwestern is leading the industry to improve treatments and may ultimately reveal the cause of – and cure for – this disease.
The Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Northwestern has an experienced, multidisciplinary team dedicated to fulfilling its three-fold mission of education, patient care and research, and upholding Northwestern's position of leadership in medical teaching, practice and research. The Center is directed by Tanya Simuni, MD, movement disorders specialist and Neurology Residency Program Director.
The Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center is recognized by the National Parkinson Foundation as 1 of 38 worldwide Centers of Excellence, of which 27 are national.
Additionally, Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine was selected by the National Institutes of Health as 1 of only 13 Morris K. Udall Centers of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research. Northwestern's Udall Center is directed by Dr. D. James Surmeier.
The Center's physicians are national leaders in their field and are dedicated to patient care and innovative research.
Neurology at Northwestern ranks among the nation's leading centers of neurological teaching, research and patient care. In collaboration with the Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern Memorial's neurology program is consistently ranked among "America's Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report, ranking 13th nationally in 2007.