Between 12,000 and 150,000 people in Spain suffer from Parkinson’s disease, a chronic degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system and is characterized by symptoms such as tremor, muscle rigidity, bradykinesia, postural abnormalities and speech disturbances. Every April 11, World Parkinson’s Day is commemorated in memory of Dr. James Parkinson, the British neurologist who discovered and named the disease.
Invisible Signs of Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s attacks the brain structures responsible for muscle tone, posture and motor coordination, so it is common to associate this disease with tremors and postural problems. However, there are other symptoms associated with Parkinson’s, such as:
- Speech disturbances
- Facial stiffness
- Handwriting problems
- Loss of smell
- Sleep disturbances
- Constipation
- Hunching of the back
- Dizziness when getting up
On the other hand, it should be pointed out that the symptoms are fluctuating, and may disappear during certain periods and return in others, so that their unpredictability generates fear and uncertainty, as well as a feeling of dependence, in the patient.
It is estimated that in 2030 there will be around 12 million people with Parkinson’s disease.
The disease represents a 360º turnaround in the lives of those who suffer from it. However, there are currently multiple treatment options that make it possible to live with it and cope with day-to-day life normally.
Therapies specifically help to control motor activity, helping to correct posture and body balance as well as control muscle stiffness. Although the causes of this disease are unknown, several studies indicate that there is a relationship between external and internal factors, in addition to the patient’s age and genetic predisposition, which must also be taken into account, as it has a huge influence on its subsequent development.
Future challenge: identifying functional changes before symptoms appear
A recent study carried out by researchers at Cima and the Clínica Universidad de Navarra has detected the alteration of several proteins associated with the previous stages of Parkinson’s disease. Usually, Parkinson’s disease is detected when there is already a 50-60% loss of dopaminergic neurons, but this discovery opens the door to the possibility of detecting the disease before the functional failures that characterize it occur.