Parkinson's disease

Over 1 million Americans suffer from Parkinson's disease (PD). More than 60,000 patients are newly diagnosed each year. PD typically strikes individuals at about 60 years of age. In some cases, PD begins earlier in life.

The first sign of PD is usually subtle fatigue, discomfort, or shakiness. Soon, memory lapses, irritability, depression and a "masked" or expressionless face become common. Additional symptoms include trembling, stiff/sore muscles, loss of spontaneous movement and impaired coordination. Difficulty swallowing and excessive sweating also may occur.

PD is caused by a loss of brain cells (neurons) in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra. Normally, these neurons produce "dopamine," an essential chemical messenger in the brain. Once damaged, these neurons stop producing dopamine and compromise the brain's ability to control movement.

There is no way to prevent or cure PD. The most widely used drug — levodopa — allows neurons to make new dopamine. However, the drug may cause side effects and over time loses effectiveness.

But we're making progress. Examples of the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center's initiatives to fight against PD include:

Drug discovery. Today, we are working on several projects to identify and test new "compounds" that may qualify as potential new drugs for treating PD.

Understanding the disease. Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center scientists are working to identify genetic and environmental factors that may trigger PD. Such understanding is crucial to the development of patient treatments that target the causes of disease.

Biomarker Discovery. Good biomarkers will help us detect and monitor PD, as well as assess the effectiveness of emerging treatments. We are embarking on a wave of new studies aimed at identifying important PD biomarkers.
Clinical Trials. We are constantly assessing new treatments and other interventions aimed at helping patients.

The Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center is dedicated to accelerating the discovery of effective treatments and cures for Parkinson's disease. For information about our many important initiatives and how to support our approach, access "Advance The Cause" at left. For information about coping with Parkinson's, the following websites may of interest: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research and the Parkinson's Disease Foundation

What triggers damage to neurons?

It is not known what damages certain neurons in Parkinson's disease patients. One possibility is that free radicals, toxic particles normally deactivated in the body, are responsible. Another possibility is that an external toxin, such as a pesticide, harms the neurons. A rare form of PD that occurs before the age of 40 has been linked to mutations in two genes.