Facts about Parkinson's

Parkinson's disease is a chronic progressive neurological disorder that is life altering. The symptoms include tremor, rigidity, slowness and stiffness of muscles; impaired balance and difficulty with walking; loss of volume and clarity of speech; tendency to shuffle when walking; handwriting difficulty.

The area of the brain affected in Parkinson's is the substantia nigra where a chemical messenger called dopamine is produced. The presence of dopamine allows nerve impulses to travel smoothly from one never cell to another. These nerve cells are the ones which transmit messages to the muscles of the body to begin voluntary movement. When dopamine levels fall below 50%, the symptoms of Parkinson's appear. Parkinson's disease is not thought to be inherited. It is not contagious.

Treatment is needed to correct the deficiency of dopamine. Replacing the dopamine alleviates the symptoms but does not halt the progression of the disease. As symptoms progress, more medication is needed. There is currently no known cure.

• Nearly 100,000 Canadians have Parkinson's disease with approximately 5,500 new cases diagnosed each year in Canada.

• There are 11,000 British Columbians suffering with Parkinson's disease, and 1 million in the United States. These numbers are expected to double by 2016.

• In Canada and the United States, one person dies every hour from complications of Parkinson's and one person is diagnosed with Parkinson's every nine minutes.

• According to the Brain Repair Centre at Dalhousie University, brain disease and disorders (like Parkinson's disease) will surpass cancer and heart disease as the leading cause of death and disability to Canadians by 2040 yet at present, there is no national strategy to address this growing concern.

• The present-day impact of brain disease and disorders like Parkinson's cannot be overstated. They are devastating for entire families; they result in an enormous loss of productivity; and they cost the Canadian health care system more than $30 billion annually.

• Parkinson's is one of the most pervasive neurological diseases - to date researchers and clinicians have found no way to stop, slow or prevent Parkinson's.

• 40% of patients develop Parkinson's before the age of 60. Many are diagnosed in their 20's, 30's, and 40's - prime years for building their careers and/or raising young children.

• Canadian Movement Disorder specialists estimate the cost of medication for a typical Canadian with Parkinson's to be $1,000 per month.

• The proper care for a person with Parkinson's disease includes: family physician; neurologist or movement disorder specialist; Parkinson's nurse specialist; pharmacist; occupational therapist; physiotherapist; social worker/psychologist; speech and language pathologist; and dietician.

• Canadians with Parkinson's rely on universal access to Home Care supports and services to achieve maximum quality of life. Sadly, current access varies significantly from region to region, city to city, and town to town.

• According to a 2003 economic burden document developed by Health Canada, much more information is needed to develop a true understanding of the impact of Parkinson's disease including:

• Epidemiology
• Medical information
• Burden for individuals
• Burden for families/caregivers