Parkinson’s disease (Parkinson’s) is a progressive neurological disorder that is considered to be one of the most common neurological conditions. In Parkinson’s, certain specific nerve cells are lost, leading to the typical major symptoms of tremor, stiffness of muscles and slowness of movement. Every person with Parkinson’s experiences individual symptoms. For example, not everyone has tremor; and for some, rigidity is the major symptom. With modern medication, symptoms can be increasingly well controlled. Parkinson’s is caused by the destruction of nerve cells in the brain that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. A similar destruction occurs naturally with ageing, but in Parkinson’s the process is much faster.
