Beijing, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Parkinson's disease is a common neurological disorder that mainly affects middle-aged and elderly people, and most cases develop after the age of 60. Its symptoms include involuntary tremors of the hands, head or mouth when at rest, muscle stiffness, slow movements, and postural balance disorders, which make patients unable to take care of themselves. Dr. James Parkinson, a British physician, first systematically described Parkinson's disease. In order to draw people's attention to this disease, Dr. Parkinson's birthday, April 11 of each year, has been designated as "World Parkinson's Disease Day" since 1997.
On April 11, 1997, the European Parkinson's Disease Federation announced in its charter that Parkinson's patients have the following rights: 1. The right to be introduced to doctors with special interest in the field of Parkinson's disease; 2. The right to receive an accurate diagnosis; 3. The right to obtain convenient help or services; 4. The right to receive long-term care; 5. The right to participate in the treatment process.
The World Health Organization supports the establishment of World Parkinson's Disease Day and the program of the European Parkinson's Disease Federation. Many governments and all walks of life in many countries choose to hold Parkinson's disease-themed activities on April 11. The World Health Organization also cooperates with some national governments, international and regional medical groups to jointly promote the research and treatment of Parkinson's disease.
So far, the cause of primary Parkinson's disease is still not completely clear. It is generally believed that it is mainly related to aging, genetics and environmental factors. There is no cure for Parkinson's disease, but if it is not treated and controlled in time, the patient's life span will be significantly shortened. In the late stage, long-term bed rest will easily lead to complications such as pneumonia and urinary tract infection. At present, the prevalence of Parkinson's disease in people over 50 years old in Europe and the United States is 1%. Medical experts said that in the fight against Parkinson's disease, only early detection and early treatment can bring early benefits. (Xinhuanet)
April 11th - World Parkinson's Day: Complications are common and there is no cure
2011-04-11 06:38 Source: CCTV.com View news on mobile phone
News background: Parkinson's disease and World Parkinson's Day
April 10, 2011 16:39:08 Source: Xinhuanet
Xinhuanet, Beijing, April 10 (Zhou Tingyu, Lin Pengchao) Since 1997, April 11 of each year has been designated as "World Parkinson's Day."
In 1817, Dr. James Parkinson, a British physician, found that some elderly people often had tremors in their hands and feet, stiffness in the body, and slow movements, and called it "tremor palsy". Later, other doctors used "Parkinson's disease" to describe such patients. In order to commemorate Dr. James Parkinson's outstanding contribution, his birthday, April 11, was designated as "World Parkinson's Day".
Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disease in middle-aged and elderly people. The lesion site is in a part of the human brain called the midbrain. There is a group of nerve cells in this part, called substantia nigra neurons. When these substantia nigra neurons degenerate and die to more than 80%, the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain is reduced to the point where it cannot maintain the normal function of regulating the nervous system, and the symptoms of Parkinson's disease appear. Its main symptoms are:
Resting tremor, that is, the sudden involuntary shaking of the limbs when they are still, is the most important feature of Parkinson's disease tremor. Another characteristic of tremor is its rhythmicity, with a frequency of 4 to 7 times per second.
Muscle rigidity: Parkinson's disease patients usually lose their limbs and torso and become very stiff, with slow movements and even difficulty performing some daily movements.
Bradykinesia: In the early stages, due to the rigidity of the upper arm and finger muscles, the patient's upper limbs are often unable to perform fine movements. For example, actions such as untying shoelaces and buttoning become much slower than before, or cannot be completed smoothly at all. The patient may also have a dull "mask face" and "panicked gait".
Special posture: When at rest, the flexor muscle tension is higher than the extensor muscle tension, so the patient has a special posture: head tilted forward, trunk slightly flexed, upper arm adducted, elbow bent, thumb facing palm, hip and knee joints slightly bent, etc.