Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a chronic illness of the central nervous system.

Symptoms

Parkinson's disease usually begins with a slight tremor at rest. Later the tremor worsens during intentional muscle use.

Salival flow and tear flow are increased as well as sweat secretion.

Typically patients show a bent over posture, a rigid facial expression, monotonous speech and depressive moods.

Causes

A continuous degeneration of a particular area of the central nervous system, namely the substantia nigra, causes a lack of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that conveys and controls signals that are vital to the brain's function.

 

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