UVa Health offers new treatment options for Parkinson’s disease [Video]

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. Neurodegenerative disorders cause cells in the brain to degenerate very slowly over time. The main brain cells that degenerate in Parkinson’s are those that make dopamine, a chemical in the brain that is important for functions that include movement, mood, motivation and learning.

Most people with Parkinson’s disease have what is called “idiopathic” Parkinson’s disease, caused by a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors. Aging is the biggest risk factor for Parkinson’s disease, but there are some additional environmental risk factors that we have learned about over the years that include exposure to pesticides, solvents and air pollution along with prior head injuries.

Signs and symptoms

The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can be divided into those that involve movement, called “motor symptoms,” and those that affect other aspects of the body, called “non-motor symptoms.”

There are four core motor symptoms. …