Overview

The disease is progressive, and according to the Braak staging hypothesis, the visible external symptoms develop in its later stages, after the disease has entered the brain via the stem. The disease progresses at different rates and not all victims display the same symptoms. However, the most common visible symptoms are the ‘shaking palsy’ first described by Parkinson in his seminal essay. This loss of control of motor action (caused by dopamine deficiency in the substantia nigra) is accompanied by muscular stiffness, ‘freezing’, stooping, loss of facial expression, slurred almost unintelligible speech and constipation, to mention just a few symptoms. As the disease progresses it is often accompanied by depression, hallucinations, dementia (associated with the formation of alpha-synuclein agglomerations - Lewy Bodies - which disrupt neural communication). The loss of control of bodily function progresses over a number of years and at a variable rate, eventually contributing to death.
This is a basic description of external symptoms and progression. The full complexity of the symptoms is sensitively described in documents prepared by the Parkinson’s Disease charities. We recommend in particular the material prepared by The Parkinson's Disease Society.

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Selected References

Braak, H., Del Tredici, K, Rub, U., de Vos, R. A. I. Jansen Steur, E. N. H. and Braak, E. Staging of brain pathology related to sporadic Parkinson's disease. Neurobiology of Ageing, 2:197-211, 2003.

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