Atypical Parkinsonism & PSP
Atypical – Atypical Parkinsonism is a term used to cover a variety of neurodegenerative disorders in which parkinsonism occurs usually in conjunction with other signs not seen in PD. About 15-20% of patients presenting with parkinsonism have a form of an atypical parkinsonism. The common causes of atypical parkinsonism include: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) Multiple […]
Causes of Parkinson’s Disease
The cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown, however there are a number of genetic and environmental factors being studied as risk factors for the disease. Currently about 5- 10% of PD cases are thought to be monogenic and due to single mutations in genes known to be strongly causative for familial PD such as LRRK2, […]
Basic Science of Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by cell (neuronal) death of dopamine-producing cells. The area in the brain with the most substantial degeneration is called the substantia nigra, which is one of the main sources of dopamine for the brain. When Parkinson’s motor symptoms arise, at least 50% of the neurons in the substantia […]