Parkinson’s Disease 101

Alex Hayes:How does someone get Parkinson's? Lynda Nwabuobi, MD:About 90% of people who get Parkinson's disease, we call it idiopathic, sporadic. It just happens unfortunately. It's like people who get a headache. Why do you get a headache? We don't know. You were just bound to have a headache. However, there is a small percentage of people, about 5 to 10% of people where it is hereditary. And so in these individuals, you'll find a family history of Parkinson's disease. Alex Hayes:When you're talking with patients, how do you define Parkinson's disease for them? Lynda Nwabuobi, MD:I define it as a neurodegenerative disorder. The cells in the brain that are making the neurotransmitter, the chemical called dopamine, those cells are slowly dying off over time. When you get to a certain point where you have a certain amount of reduction in dopamine, you then manifest the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Alex Hayes:I'd love for you to kind of walk me through what those signs and symptoms are. Kara Wyant, MD:What we call the hallmark feature of Parkinson's disease is the bradykinesia. That's the slowness and smallness of movement because of that loss of dopamine. And the other thing I look for is that classic rest tremor. So when people aren't paying attention to it, they're relaxing, their hand will shake or their foot will shake. The other things I look for are rigidity. That's a stiffness. Balance issues are another thing. Often symptoms start on one side of the body and then slowly move to the other side of the body. And some patients who are really in tune with their body will notice that and just feel like their gait is off and they're just not as steady as they used to be. Alex Hayes:When someone is starting to experience these signs and symptoms, or you notice them in a family member, what's the first step that somebody should take to start addressing them? Lynda Nwabuobi, MD:Come see a doctor. When people have these symptoms, it's very easy to say, "Oh, this is just--you're just getting older." And so a lot of times people are not aware that this could be Parkinson's disease. Let the doctor decide if this is a normal part of aging, or could it be a disease process going on. Kara Wyant, MD:Probably the biggest risk factor for Parkinson's disease is age. So only about 10% occur before the age of 50. And then as you get older, it increases in incidence. So about 1% of the population at 60 years old will have it. And then 2.5% at 80 years or more will have it. Alex Hayes:If you were going to kind of break down the top three things that a newly diagnosed person with Parkinson's needs to know, what would those three facts be? Lynda Nwabuobi, MD:Nobody wants this disease. And unfortunately this disease happens at retirement age. And so people become very sad. And so the first thing that I always tell patients is we are going to be able to help you manage this and help you maintain your function as much as possible. The other thing that I tell patients is that there are treatments to help manage the disease. And we have medications to help patients maintain their quality of life. In addition, there's a lot of research happening in Parkinson's disease and there are scientists all over the world trying to find a cure. So there is hope.