Young-onset is when Parkinson’s occurs in people aged below 40 or 50 years and some of the symptoms may be different to those of older people. Research has also shown that younger people may have some family inheritance patterns, especially if diagnosed before the age of 40.
The neuropathology of Parkinson’s appears to be much the same in all ages. However, younger people do have special challenges as they are dealing with the disease at a much earlier age and for a longer period, and experience difficulties relating to financial planning, career adjustments and meeting family and parenting responsibilities.
In general, younger people have a smoother, longer term course of the illness. While this may, in part, be a reflection that younger people have fewer coexisting health problems than older people, the rate of progression is usually significantly slower. Associated problems, such as memory loss, confusion and balance difficulties, are also less frequent in the younger person.
On the other hand, younger people often have more involuntary movement problems due to the most commonly prescribed medication, levodopa. For this reason, young-onset patients are usually treated initially with alternatives to levodopa.
I’m 34 and I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s five years ago. Already as a teenager I began to realise that I was different from my peers and that my feet did not do what I wanted them to. I had to give up football, which I loved, and I was not very popular with the girls (you could say I wasn’t exactly John Travolta on the dance floor). I became a trouble-kid for my parents and pretended that I was lazy and didn’t want to cooperate. I did this so that nobody would notice my problems. When going to my doctor he thought it was psychological and there were some tough years before I got the right diagnosis. Being correctly diagnosed changed my life incredibly! Today I have proper medication, and as strange as it sounds I really enjoy my life. I have a great family and a job that I like. I have great hope that scientists will find a cure before the disease progresses much more, so that I can keep the same quality of life as I have now!
Roger,34
Chicago, U.S.A
