DEAR DR. GOTT: My 80-year-old father has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome. What is the difference between that and Parkinson’s disease? Upon reading medical information about both, he does follow the characteristics of both conditions.
Thank you for any information you can provide.
DEAR READER: Parkinson’s disease is a progressive degenerative disease that results from the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Dopamine is produced by the body and has many effects, one of which is coordinated muscle movement.
The biggest risk factor for developing Parkinson’s is advancing age. It may rarely manifest in people in their teens and young adults, but is most common in individuals age 60 and older. Fifty percent more men are affected than women. The reason for this remains unclear. Family history also plays a role. Individuals with a parent or sibling who is affected have twice the risk of developing Parkinson’s as someone without a family history.
Common symptoms include tremor, gait abnormalities, bradykinesia (slowed movements), rigidity of the limbs and trunk, difficulty getting out of a chair, shuffling walk, depression, sleep disorders, urinary incontinence, visual hallucinations, emotional changes and dysphagia (difficult swallowing). Pain can affect up to 75 percent of patients and may stem from rigidity of the limbs, restless legs syndrome or other musculoskeletal problems.
Another form of the disorder — when the cause is only suspected or actually unknown and thought to possibly be the effect of another primary neurological disorder — is described as parkinsonism. This medley of symptoms, many of which are mentioned above, may be induced by toxins such as manganese dust, carbon monoxide and carbon disulfide; drugs such as chlorpromazine and haloperidol prescribed for psychiatric disorders; arteriosclerosis (hardening of the blood vessels) in the brain; and dementia. Then, too, they may actually represent other neurological disorders such as Shy-Drager syndrome (a rare disorder of the nerves in young and middle-aged people marked by low blood pressure), Wilson’s disease (an inherited disease of copper metabolism), Huntington’s (with involuntary jerking movements), Alzheimer’s, Creutzfeldt-Jakob (caused by a virus), dementia with Lewy bodies, and more.
While frightfully expensive, genetic testing is now available to put a name to the symptoms experienced. The testing may be beneficial in advising siblings, children and grandchildren of the potential for an increased risk of developing this neurological disorder. Routine testing for the general public is not recommended at this time because interpretation of the results can be difficult.
On the home front, therapy should include regular exercise, good sleep habits and good nutrition. The management of Parkinson’s can be complicated. If your father can leave his home, you might tap into your local hospital’s physical therapy department for support. If he is relatively home bound, check with your local nursing association for home visits by a trained therapist.
Readers who would like related information can order my Health Report “Parkinson’s Disease” by sending a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and a $2 US check or money order payable to Dr. Peter Gott, PO Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039-0433. Be sure to mention the title when writing or print out a order form from my website’s direct link www.AskDrGottMD.com/order_form.pdf.
