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Parkinson's Disease and Its Complications

In Parkinson's disease (PD), cells are affected in an area of the brain that regulates movement. These cells are unable to produce adequate levels of a chemical messenger called dopamine. PD symptoms occur when approximately 80% of these cells no longer function.

Symptoms of PD
PD affects everyone differently, but 4 symptoms are considered to be characteristic of the disorder:

• Tremor (involuntary trembling of the limbs)
• Rigidity (muscle stiffness)
• Bradykinesia (lack or slowness of movement)
• Poor balance (difficulty maintaining balance, risk of falling, and problems walking)

Several other symptoms are associated with PD:

• Internal tremor
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Muscle aches
• Impaired concentration
• Sleep disturbances
• Foot cramps
• "Masked face" (reduced facial expression, including reduced blinking)
• Softness of voice
• Loss of hand movement and cramped handwriting
• Stooped posture
• Reduced arm swing on one side of the body
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Lack of interest in everyday things

Treating PD
Although there is no cure for PD, there are medicines that treat its symptoms. Some boost the level of dopamine in the brain, some prevent the breakdown of dopamine, and others act like dopamine.

Levodopa is the most commonly used PD medicine. Brain cells turn levodopa into dopamine, so levodopa can replace the lost dopamine and help control PD symptoms. However, over time, problems like off episodes can emerge.

For a description of off episodes, click here.

For an explanation of the use of APOKYN in the treatment of off episodes, click here.

To return to the "About APOKYN" page, click here.