Parkinson's Disease: A Review

Parkinson's disease (motor neuron disease) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The distinctive physical signs that are involved in Parkinson's disease (PD) are tremor, rigidity, postural instability and bradykinesia. Dopaminergic activity and neurons in the substantia nigra and nigrostatic pathway of the midbrain are lost in case of Idiopathic PD. Some drugs like metoclopramide and haloperidol are involved in case of secondary Parkinsonism. Diagnosis of PD is based on the history of patient and physical findings. Dopamine agonists are considered to be the most effective treatment for Parkinson's disease because they act directly on the dopamine receptors in the brain and help to palliate the symptoms of PD. Other pharmacological treatments include the drugs that inhibit dopamine-metabolizing enzymes (monoamine oxidase-B and catechol O-methyltransferase). Surgery may be indicated for some patients or when symptoms do not respond to medical therapy.