The Importance of Treating Parkinson's Disease Early
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a disorder of the central nervous system caused by a lack of dopamine, a brain chemical used to send messages to the muscles to make them move properly. The loss of dopamine may cause a variety of movement problems, including:
- Shaking (tremor)
- Difficulty walking
- Muscle stiffness or aching
- Slowness of movement
- Small handwriting
- Decreased facial expression
People with Parkinson’s disease may lose up to 80% of dopamine in their bodies before symptoms appear. In addition, special imaging tests of the brain show that dopamine may decline as much as 10% per year in people with Parkinson’s disease. Early diagnosis and treatment are important to help minimize dopamine loss in the brain and maintain muscle function.