Parkinson's Disease: the causes and symptoms

Around 1 in 500 people are affected by Parkinson’s disease, with men more likely to be affected than women.

The majority of people with Parkinson's start to develop symptoms when they are over 50, although around 1 in 20 people with the condition first experience symptoms when they are under 40.

What is Parkinson's Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a condition in which part of the brain become progressively damaged over many years.

The three main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are:

• tremor (involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body)

• slow movement

• stiff and inflexible muscles

A person with Parkinson’s disease can also experience a wide range of other physical and psychological symptoms, including depression, constipation, insomnia, loss of sense of smell and memory problems.

What causes Parkinson's Disease?

The disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in part of the brain called the substantia nigra. This leads to a reduction in a chemical called dopamine in the brain.

Dopamine plays a vital role in regulating the movement of the body and a reduction in dopamine is responsible for many of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

There is more information on the Parkinson's UK website.