Patient/caregiver was educated on signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease as follows:
- Nervous tissues, such as, brain and spinal cord, are composed of cells called neurons. These neurons are interconnected, and they communicate with each other through release of some chemicals called neurotransmitters.
- Parkinson’s disease involves damage to the various nerve cells in the brain producing chemicals, such as, dopamine, acetylcholine, and serotonin.
- Appropriate levels of and proper balance between the chemicals dopamine and acetylcholine is important for initiating and smooth execution of body movements. Deficiency of and imbalance between chemicals dopamine and acetylcholine in Parkinson’s patients mainly result in symptoms of uncontrolled and involuntary jerking body movements, tremor, progressively slowing down of movement, difficulty initiating movement, stiffness and rigidity of diffuse body muscles, and loss of automatic body movements.
