Teva CFS Book English

Getting it done together Facts about Parkinson’s Disease 1. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive and degenerative  nervous system disease, characterized by  motor disorders , including: slowed and decreased movement, muscle  stiffness, involuntary tremors, balance disorders  and  instability.. 2. Parkinson’s occurs due to a lack of the neural transmitter Dopamine due to a degeneration of the black matter group of cells ( Substantia Nigra ) in the brain. 3. Parkinson’s disease is named after the English physicianJames Parkinson. 4. The average age for the appearance of the disease is 57, but there are several rare cases of Parkinson’s that manifested at around age 30, and one case has even been documented of a 7 year old girl that was afflicted. 5. The second most common risk factor for Parkinson’s after age is family history. 6. At an advanced stage of the disease, the muscular disorders also involve the swallowing mechanism and speech becomes unintelligible (slow and soft). You can read about Amir Karmin’s personal story on page 61, and Yael Meishar’s story on page 63 6 Amir Karmin, Chairperson of the Israel Parkinson Association Yael Meishar 47