Recommendations for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system characterized by trembling or shaking of a limb, rigidity or stiffness of limbs, an inability to move, and impaired balance and coordination. Most symptoms begin to occur when neurons that produce dopamine in the substantia nigra of our brain die or become impaired. Dopamine is a chemical messenger that sends signals to our brain to produce smooth muscle movements. Without the neurons that create dopamine, our brain becomes unable to produce these muscle movements. Another pathological feature is the appearance of intracytoplasmic inclusions (Lewy bodies) in the remaining, intact nigral neurons.