An introduction to what Parkinson’s disease is

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, common in the elderly, with an average age of onset of about 60 years old, and less common in young people with onset of Parkinson’s disease below the age of 40. The prevalence of PD in people over 65 years old in China is about 1.7%. The majority of Parkinson’s disease patients are disseminated cases, and less than 10% of patients have a family history. The main pathological change in Parkinson’s disease is the degeneration and death of dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain, which leads to a significant decrease in the DA content of the striatum and causes the disease. The exact etiology of this pathological change is still unclear, genetic factors, environmental factors, ageing, oxidative stress, etc. may be involved in the process of degeneration and death of dopaminergic neurons in PD. 1817 James Parkinson, a British physician, first described this disease in detail, and the clinical manifestations mainly include resting tremor, bradykinesia, myotonia, and postural and gait disorders, which may be accompanied by depression, depression, and other symptoms. It is also associated with non-motor symptoms such as depression, constipation and sleep disorders. The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is based on medical history, clinical symptoms and signs. Auxiliary tests are usually unremarkable. Medication is the mainstay of treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Levodopa preparation is still the most effective drug. Surgery is an effective complement to drug therapy. Rehabilitation, psychotherapy and good nursing care can also improve symptoms to some extent. Although current treatments can only improve symptoms, not stop the progression of the disease or cure it, effective treatment can significantly improve the quality of life of patients.The life expectancy of PD patients is not significantly different from that of the general population.