The three pictures above are but three famous representatives who fight their way out of Parkinson's on a daily basis, 24 hours a day. They represent the millions of Americans and people around the world, who are afflicted with this disease. No one is really sure what causes Parkinson's, however, it could possibly range from abnormal genes to toxins in the environment. Those in the science community are working hard to find a cure and the reasons WHY Parkinson's afflicts people.

In the past several years, certain genes have been found that a number of specific genetic mutations causing Parkinson's disease have been discovered. This does not mean that the disorder has been passed on genetically. There is also recent evidence that a common gene defect contributes susceptibility to both Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease.

With the toxins, one theory is that there are certain toxins that a person can come into contact with that will trigger Parkinson's Disease. The toxins most strongly suspected at present are certain pesticides and transition-series metals such as manganese or iron, especially those that generate reactive oxygen species. There might be a 70% chance for those who are exposed to these will have a higher chance of being susceptible.

Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease:

• Tremors - Shaking or trembling; affecting any part of your body
• Slow movement
• Walking off balance
• Stiff Muscles

Tremors are the most common when the disease starts to show itself to the patient; tremors do not affect everyone at first, as it isn't always the first symptom to show. Rigidity is also a symptom of the disease, with joints and muscles becoming rigid and hard to move as well. As the symptoms progress and get worse, swallowing can become hard, as well as speech; fatigue can become a problem, rolling over in bed, and gross motor functions can be affected.

Parkinson's Disease causes neuropsychiatric disturbances, which include mainly cognition, mood and behavior problems and can be as disabling as motor symptoms.

Cognitive disturbances are common. A person with Parkinson’s Disease has a six times increased risk of dementia while most sufferers will have mild cognitive impairment as the disease advances. Below are some examples:

• Slowed reaction time -both voluntary and involuntary motor responses are significantly slowed.
• Executive dysfunction - characterized by difficulties in: differential allocation of attention, impulse control, set shifting, prioritizing, evaluating the salience of ambient data, interpreting social cues, and subjective time awareness. This complex is present to some degree in most Parkinson's patients; it may progress to:
• Dementia - a later development in approximately 20-40% of all patients, typically starting with slowing of thought and progressing to difficulties with abstract thought, memory, and behavioral regulation.
• Short term memory loss; procedural memory is more impaired than declarative memory. Prompting elicits improved recall.
• Non-motor causes of speech/language disturbance in both expressive and receptive language: these include decreased verbal fluency and cognitive disturbance especially related to comprehension of emotional content of speech and of facial expression
• Medication effects: some of the above cognitive disturbances are improved by dopaminergic medications, while others are actually worsened.

Most common mood and behavior difficulties include:

• Depression: Estimated prevalence rates of depression vary widely according to the population sampled and methodology used. Reviews of depression estimate its occurrence in anywhere from 20-80% of cases. Estimates from community samples tend to find lower rates than from specialist centres. Most studies use self-report questionnaires such as the Beck Depression Inventory, which may over inflate scores due to physical symptoms. Studies using diagnostic interviews by trained psychiatrists also report lower rates of depression. More generally, there is an increased risk for any individual with depression to go on to develop Parkinson's disease at a later date.
• Apathy

Anxiety: Seventy percent of individuals with Parkinson's disease diagnosed with pre-existing depression go on to develop anxiety. Ninety percent of Parkinson's disease patients with pre-existing anxiety subsequently develop depression; apathy or abulia.

• Hallucinations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_Disease#Signs_and_symptoms

Like Muhammad Ali, head trauma can be a big indicator to whether or not you will be susceptible to Parkinson's Disease. Those who have had a head injury, are up to four times more likely to have Parkinson's than those who have not had a head trauma.

Treatment and Medication

No known treatment can stop or reverse the affects of the breakdown of the nerves. What drugs are out there can help alleviate the symptoms and help the patient live a longer, happier, life. Treatment affects everyone differently, like many things, and what will work for one, will not work for another. Depending on the severity of the Parkinson's, you may not even need to take medication. It is recommended that you at least exercise as much as possible, to help keep your body "moving" and not stay so stiff.

However, if you need medication, there are quite a few options one can choose from, to help with the disease. Levodopa is considered to be the best of the best to help with the symptoms.

But levodopa can have negative effects when used long-term. Because of this, dopamine agonists such as pramipexole and ropinirole often are used first. Other non-dopamine drugs may be used early in the course of the disease. These include amantadine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (such as selegiline), and anticholinergics (such as trihexyphenidyl). As the disease progresses, levodopa will likely need to be added.

Early in the disease, it might be helpful to take pills with food to help with nausea, which may be caused by some medicines taken for Parkinson's disease. Later in the disease, taking the medicines at least one hour before meals (and at least two hours after meals) may help them work better.

http://health.yahoo.com/nervous-treatment/parkinson-s-disease-treatment-overview/healthwise--hw93312.html

In Their Own Words

Steve Alten - As many of you know, two years ago I was diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease. I was 47 at the time, with no family history. Parkinsons is a degenerative disease that causes tremors and muscle rigidity. For me, the symptoms affect my dominant right side. My arm no longer swings freely when I walk, and doing certain activities can be challenging. Reaching into my pocket for my car keys, signing my name and the PD has robbed me of the one talent that came naturally for me -- playing the drums. To combat these physical challenges I workout almost every day, plus I take a few medications that I hope can delay the progression. I have never felt sorry for myself, I consider myself a lucky person and have too much in my life to be grateful for. So I will fight this setback as best as I can, and hopefully contribute something of value that can help find a cure, if not for myself then others. Since my own diagnosis, I have asked myself what I can do to help. Writing books is a time-consuming labor, plus I spend time visiting schools, plus I have a family plus I need to work out or my muscles stiffen up. Oh yeah, every day I answer 100 e-mails from fans. It's a labor of love, as an author, my most valued asset is YOU, my readers. Over the last 13 years, I have worked hard to earn your trust. All of you who have ever e-mailed me know I ALWAYS RESPOND PERSONALLY. Students know I am always honored to answer their Q & A assignments for school. Thousands of teachers in the Adopt-An-Author program know I am always there to speak with their students via phone, e-mails, or personal visits. Times are tight for many of us, and so many organizations need money - I know because many of you contact me asking for donations on their behalf. I never say no. Over the years, I have also sent boxes of signed books to our soldiers overseas in appreciation for their sacrifice. But I need to do something to support the Michael J. Fox foundation, not because I have Parkinsons, but because I am convinced they are doing valuable work that can help all of us.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450459/board/thread/150771418

Michael J. Fox -

When I first spoke publicly about my eight years of experience as a person with Parkinson's many were surprised, in part because of my age, although 30% of all Parkinson's patients are under 50, 20% are under 40, and that number is growing.

I had hidden my symptoms and struggles very well, through increasing amounts of medication, through surgery and by employing the hundreds of little tricks and techniques a person with Parkinson's learns to mask his or her condition for as long as possible. While the changes in my life were profound and progressive, I kept them to myself for a number of reasons: fear, denial for sure, but I also felt that it was important for me to just quietly "soldier on." When I did share my story the response was overwhelming, humbling and deeply inspiring. I heard from thousands of Americans affected by Parkinson's, writing and calling to offer encouragement and to tell me of their experience. They spoke of pain, frustration, fear and hope. Always hope.

What I understood very clearly is that the time for "quietly soldiering on" is through. The war against Parkinson's is a winnable war and I have resolved to play a role in that victory. What celebrity has given me is the opportunity to raise the visibility of Parkinson's disease and focus attention on the desperate need for more research dollars. While I am able for the time being to continue doing what I love best, others are not so fortunate. These are doctors, teachers, policemen, nurses, as you had indicated earlier, legislators, and parents who are no longer able to work to provide for their families and live out their dreams.The one million Americans living with Parkinson's want to beat this disease. So do the millions more Americans who have family members suffering from Parkinson's but it won't happen until Congress adequately funds Parkinson's research.For many people with Parkinson's, managing their disease is a full-time job; it is a constant balancing act. Too little medicine causes tremors and stiffness, too much medicine produces uncontrollable movement and slurring, and far too often Parkinson's patients wait and wait (as I am right now) for their medicines to kick in.

http://psychlops.psy.uconn.edu/eric/class/parkinsons/foxhearing.html

It's like having a 4-year-old climbing on you all the time, and so whatever you're trying to do, you've got this 4-year-old and you're ... just trying to be patient and focus on what you need to do. I'm a dad, I'm a husband, I'm an activist, I'm a writer and I'm just a student of the world. This is one fact of my life, but it's not the totality of my life. It doesn't define me.