Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative, incurable neurological disease in which the brain’s ability to produce dopamine, a substance that plays an important role in the regulation of movement, is gradually reduced. When dopamine levels diminish beyond a certain threshold, the first symptoms of the disease appear; these symptoms gradually worsen over time. Symptoms include tremors, loss of balance, stiff muscles, altered gait and slowed-down movement. Additional symptoms include constipation, sleep disruptions, changes in speech and diminished fine motor skills. As there is no cure for the disease, treatment is aimed at slowing down the degenerative nature of the symptoms and improving quality of life for the patient.
