Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder involving a deterioration of the central nervous system, especially the motor system, resulting in shaking, rigidity of the limbs, slowness, and reduced ability to walk. Eventually, thinking becomes impaired, and the mental decline eventually evolves into dementia. Other physical symptoms include sleep difficulty, depression, and involuntary motor movements. Though the causes are unknown and there is no cure, there are several medical treatments to address these symptoms, including medications, diet, rehabilitation therapy approaches, and in rare cases, surgically implanted electrodes for deep brain stimulation. The behavioral and emotional components of this disease, combining the motor loss and the mental decline of a dementia, make for an especially difficult chronic condition for the person affected and for the family.