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What is Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative neurological condition impacting both the brain and the body's nerve-controlled functions. This leads to involuntary movements, including tremors, rigidity, and challenges with balance and coordination.
As the condition advances, individuals may encounter challenges in walking and speaking. Additionally, they might experience cognitive and behavioural changes, sleep disturbances, depression, memory issues, and fatigue.
What does it look like in young people.
It’s not common to see Parkinson’s disease in people younger than 50, but for a small subset of sufferers, the disease strikes early. Rarely, Parkinson’s disease may be diagnosed in people younger than 40 — current estimates are that about 2 percent of the 1 million people with Parkinson’s were diagnosed earlier than age 40.
Treatments for Parkinson’s
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative neurological condition impacting both the brain and the body's nerve-controlled functions. This leads to involuntary movements, including tremors, rigidity, and challenges with balance and coordination.
As the condition advances, individuals may encounter challenges in walking and speaking. Additionally, they might experience cognitive and behavioural changes, sleep disturbances, depression, memory issues, and fatigue.
The age of diagnosis matters for a variety of reasons, from probable causes of early cases to symptoms and treatment:
Genetics. As with any case of Parkinson’s disease, the exact cause is usually unknown. That said, young-onset cases of Parkinson’s disease are, on average, slightly more likely to be familial or genetic.
Symptoms. In many patients with YOPD, dystonia (stiffness or cramping in a muscle or limb) is an early symptom. People with YOPD also report more dyskinesia (involuntary body movements). They also tend to exhibit cognitive problems, such as dementia and memory issues, less frequently. Recent research also suggest that non motor symptoms often happens first in younger patients. This includes loss of smell, constipation, REM behaviour disorder, mood disorders such as depression or anxiety and low blood pressure when standing up.
Progression. Patients with young-onset Parkinson’s appear to have a slower progression of the disease over time. They tend to have a milder course, staying functional and cognitively intact for much longer.
People diagnosed with YOPD have a more frequent family history of Parkinson’s disease and a longer survival. People living with young-onset PD may experience:
Slower progression of PD symptoms over time, staying functional and cognitively intact for longer duration
Less frequent cognitive problems such as dementia
More side effects from medications, such as more frequent dyskinesias (involuntary body movements)
Medicines
Levodopa is a chemical that’s converted to dopamine in the brain. People with early onset Parkinson’s may experience more negative side effects, such as involuntary movements.
MAO-B inhibitors can help reduce the breakdown of dopamine in the brain.
Catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors can help extend Levodopa’s effects on the brain.
Anticholinergics can help reduce tremors.
Amantadine may be used to improve muscle control and relieve stiffness.
Surgery
Lesion surgery (burning of tissue). In this procedure, deep parts of the brain are targeted, and small lesions are made in critical parts of the brain that help control movement. The surgery may be done while the patient is awake to help determine the exact placement of the lesion. The lesion is placed to help control, or stop, the area of the brain that is causing the tremor.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS). With this type of surgery, a small electrode is placed in the critical parts of the brain that help to control movement. The electrode is attached to a small battery in the chest wall and is connected by wires that are placed under the skin. The stimulator is then turned on and interrupts the normal flow of information in the brain and can help to decrease symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The procedure may help alleviate the following symptoms:
• Tremor
• Rigidity
• Stiffness
• Slowed movement
• Difficulty walking
Neural grafting or tissue transplants. Experimental research is being done to find a replacement for the part of the brain that functions improperly in Parkinson's disease.
It is important to remember that surgery along with medication and therapies may help with symptoms of Parkinson's disease but does not cure the disease or stop the progression of the disease.
With medications, daily exercises and a proper diet the symptoms can be kept at bay and a person can live a regular life.
In addition, the treatment options that are being improved day by day. So, it is important to be confident and most importantly ‘live with hope’.