Parkinson’s disease: If the diagnosis comes, it means that it is too late for knowledge and the environment

A woman’s hand trembling at the table beside the coffee. She can barely hold the coffee cup or the guy in the restaurant trying to bring a spoonful of soup to her mouth. Many at the next table cannot see, are strangers and prefer to look away from people with Parkinson’s disease.

In Germany alone, there are between 250,000 and 300,000 patients. Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurological disorder after Alzheimer’s disease.

There is no cure

In Parkinson’s disease, nerve cells deep in the brain die. You are in an area controlled by the many movements that make up the transition to the spinal cord. The first symptoms of the disease may appear 10 or 20 years before the onset of Parkinson’s disease. They include, for example, olfactory disorders or depression. Most people will be 60 years old when diagnosed. But even if the disease is caught early, there is no cure.

Against tremors

There are still no drugs that can prevent the development of Parkinson’s disease. Many studies are being done around the world. Among other things, scientists are working on so-called neuroprotective therapies, which can be used against the death of nerve cells.

The method is to detect the disease as early as possible, preferably before known symptoms appear. This includes, for example, pronounced movement disturbances and tremors, muscle stiffness, and subsequent insecurity when standing and running.

Messenger function

The neurotransmitter dopamine is no longer available in adequate quantities in patients with movement disorders. Individual groups of nerves can die. This also includes what is called dark matter. This cell region appears black in healthy people. The cells here produce dopamine. This is important for transmitting impulses to control movement. This area gradually deteriorates in people with Parkinson’s disease. If about 60 to 70 percent of dark matter is affected, known symptoms will occur.

Waiting for a break

No Big study At University College London, researchers have been able to show that many signs of the disease appear years before diagnosis. In addition to the disorders that appear in the musculoskeletal system, patients also suffer from mental and neurological disorders.

Scientists considered different time periods. Five years before the diagnosis, tremors, that is, tremors, could already be detected in people under control, 14 times more than the comparison group with people without Parkinson’s disease. Other signs – also five years before the actual diagnosis – were high blood pressure, imbalance or dizziness. Additionally, patients experienced depression, chronic fatigue, and anxiety disorders at an early age.

Known for a long time

The disease was described by London physician James Parkinson 200 years ago. Nickname:Essay on vibratory paralysisA message on paralysis In spite of all the research conducted over two centuries of time, neurological diseases are still untreated.

James Parkinson was a British physician, surgeon, and paleontologist. Parkinson’s disease takes its name.

Patients are often treated with drugs that compensate for the lack of dopamine in the brain, which may relieve symptoms. Surgical interventions can also help a little. “Deep brain stimulation” is the name of the method.

Stimulation electrodes are used in the brain. The surgeon places a generator under the skin of the collarbone. Then it sends electrical impulses to the corresponding areas of the brain and thus affects various processes. Patients receiving this treatment will still need to take their medication, but not as much as it was before the procedure.

Researchers around the world are researching treatment options and how to treat the disease associated with observed tremors.

While Parkinson’s disease cannot be cured, exercise and exercise are of the utmost importance. Clinical studies indicate, for example, that Tango can significantly reduce some of the symptoms typical of this condition and improve posture, gait, and balance. It is now found in many places Private dance lessons for people with Parkinson’s disease.