Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD), which is the most common neurode-generative movement disorder, is clinically characterized by resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability. The pathological hallmarks of PD include loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta as well as the presence of abnormal protein deposits known as Lewy bodies in some of the surviving nigral neurons. The loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta results in striatal dopamine deficiency, which accounts for the motor impairments of patients with PD. Although the precise etiology remains unclear, several environmental and genetic factors have been implicated in the molecular pathogenesis of PD. This chapter will systematically discuss each of these factors and their putative pathogenic mechanisms. © 2006 Humana Press Inc.