Parkinson's is a progressive neurological disorder that mainly affects motor functioning. Onset is usually in an older population, but it can also affect people as young as 30 years old. The main symptoms are tremors or rigidity in the trunk or limbs, slowness of movement and postural instability. While no cure has been found for Parkinson's, a great deal of research is ongoing, both in seeking a cure and discovering new ways to treat the symptoms of the disease.
The Facts
It's not clear what causes the poor production of dopamine in the brain that leads to PD. Some people have a form that appears to be distinctly genetic, while in others it is obviously a result of environmental factors. Researchers believe it is generally a combination of both. This makes finding treatments, much less a cure, quite challenging, though both are being aggressively pursued.
Standard Treatments
L-dopa or levodopa --- most commonly in combination with carbidopa --- is still the most commonly prescribed medication for PD. Initially produced in the 1960s, levodopa dramatically reduces the motor symptoms of Parkinson's. However, patients eventually become inured to its effects and have to take increasingly larger doses, which can cause serious side effects.
Other medications that are frequently used to delay the need for L-dopa are amantadine, anticholinergic medications and selegiline. In general, doctors recommend starting with these latter drugs for younger "early onset" patients and with levodopa in the older "late onset" patients.
New Treatments
Deep brain stimulation --- developed in the early 1990s but only approved for PD in 2002 --- is quickly becoming the newest treatment of choice for PD symptoms, especially for those people who can no longer tolerate the side effects of L-dopa. In this treatment, electrodes are surgically implanted in a specific area of the brain and attached to an external device, whose settings can be regulated to block abnormal movements caused by PD.
Alternative Treatments
Among the alternative treatments for symptoms of PD are acupuncture and massage. Others include: Mucuna pruriens -- an herb used in Ayurvedic medicine in India is thought to mimic the effects of L-dopa without causing the side effects; broad beans -- researchers found that these are an effective natural source of L-dopa; and botulinum toxin A -- this may help reduce the tremors associated with PD.
Be sure to tell your health practitioner if you are taking herbal or other supplements as some could interact adversely with other medicines.
Ever Newer Therapies Being Researched
Gene and stem cell therapies are high on the list of future possible treatments for PD. This research really seeks to correct PD's basic chemical defect by improving dopamine production in the brain.
The National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has a running list of other possible treatments for PD or its symptoms. These include dietary supplements, natural substances, antibiotics and investigational drugs.
Warning
PD can be devastating, affecting not only motor functioning, but also cognition. Because there is no definitive test for PD, it is frequently misdiagnosed; so it's important to find a doctor who is familiar with the disease such as a neurologist or geriatric medicine specialist, if you suspect you or a loved one have PD.
Tags: side effects, effects L-dopa, most commonly, motor functioning, onset patients, possible treatments, treatments symptoms