No cure yet for disease that affects 7.4m people
THERE are about 7.4 million people in the world suffering from Parkinson's disease, and there is currently no cure.
The condition is caused by the progressive loss of specific nerve cells inside the brain. These cells produce dopamine, a chemical messenger that is involved in the co-ordination of movements.
The movement symptoms of the condition only emerge once 70 to 80 per cent of the dopamine-producing cells have been lost.
In the majority of cases, doctors do not know what causes the nerve cells to die. This is known as sporadic Parkinson's. The most common risk factor for Parkinson's is the ageing process.
Symptoms most often associated with Parkinson's are tremor, slowness of movement and rigidity.
Other symptoms include problems such as pain, depression and sweating.
Among those who suffer from the disease are boxer Muhammad Ali, actor Michael J Fox and Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald.
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