Parkinson's disease

Sir William Richard Gowers Parkinson sketch.

Parkinson's disease (or PD, sometimes simply "Parkinson's") is a disease that slowly damages the central nervous system.

The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spine. When a person gets Parkinson's disease, the cells that make dopamine in a part of the brain die. Dopamine cells send information to other cells which makes us do the actions we do.[1][2] Because of this, Parkinson's disease mainly affects the body's motor system.

Parkinson's disease is a disease that gets worse over time. People normally get Parkinson's disease when they are over 50 years old. It is sometimes very hard for doctors to detect.

  1. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. "Ninds Parkinson's Disease Information Page." Health and Wellness Resource Center.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2004. Health and Wellness Resource Center. 2011.
  2. "NINDS Parkinson's disease information page". Health and Wellness Resource Center. Retrieved February 22, 2016.

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