PARKINSONISM
PARKINSONISM
Parkinsonism is any condition that causes a combination of the movement abnormalities seen in Parkinson’s disease — such as tremor, slow movement, impaired speech or muscle stiffness — especially resulting from the loss of dopamine-containing nerve cells (neurons).
Not everyone who has parkinsonism has Parkinson’s disease. There are many other causes of parkinsonism (secondary parkinsonism), including:
- Medications, such as those used to treat psychosis, major psychiatric disorders and nausea
- Repeated head trauma, such as injuries sustained in boxing
- Certain neurodegenerative disorders, such as multiple system atrophy, Lewy body dementia and progressive supranuclear palsy
- Exposure to toxins, such as carbon monoxide, cyanide and organic solvents
- Certain brain lesions, such as tumors, or fluid buildup
- Metabolic and other disorders, such as chronic liver failure or Wilson’s disease
Managing parkinsonism with medications
- For drug-induced parkinsonism, discontinuing the medications that cause the condition may reverse it.
- For other forms of parkinsonism, taking Parkinson’s disease medications — typically a carbidopa-levodopa combination drug (Sinemet, Duopa, Stalevo) — can help.
However, these drugs aren’t likely to be as effective for some forms of parkinsonism as they are for Parkinson’s disease. Levodopa — which occurs naturally in the body and is always taken as a combination drug — replenishes brain dopamine, and brain dopamine loss is fundamental to Parkinson’s disease. However, in other parkinsonian disorders, additional brain pathways may be affected.