What is Parkinson’s disease? A degenerative disease of the nigrostriatal system that occurs mostly in middle-aged and elderly people after the age of 50. Dale Xiaodong, Department of Brain Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Why is Parkinson’s disease a common disease? Incidence rate: about 20/100,000/year; 120/100,000/year over 70 years old. Prevalence: The prevalence in China is quite high, becoming a common disease of the nervous system second only to cerebrovascular disease. 500/100,000 people over the age of 50; up to 1000/100,000 people over the age of 60. What are the causes of Parkinson’s? It is mainly related to ageing, genetic susceptibility, and exposure to environmental toxins. Is Parkinson’s disease related to age? 1, Parkinson’s disease is related to age. Ageing is a contributing factor to the onset of Parkinson’s. 2, Dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra decrease with age. Are environmental factors related to Parkinson’s disease? 1. Recent studies have shown that environmental factors are directly or indirectly involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease; 2. organic chemical substances: such as 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6 tetrahydropyridine (MPTP); 3. water pollution; 4. pesticides and industrial pollution . Is Parkinson’s disease hereditary? About 5-15% of patients with Parkinson’s disease exhibit familial features, and the vast majority of patients have no family history of the disease.