"Involuntary tremulous motion, with lessened muscular power, in parts not in action and even when supported; with a propensity to bend the trunk forwards, and to pass from a walking to a running pace: the sense and intellects being uninjured."

---------------------------------------------------------- Dr. James Parkinson (1817)

First diagnosed by Dr. James Parkinson in 1817, Parkinson's disease is a painful degenerative neurological disorder that debilitates more than one million Americans, causing disabling tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement, balance impairment, and many "non-motor" symptoms such as pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue and depression.

In Parkinson's disease, the cells that produce the important neurochemical dopamine deteriorate and die. These cells do not regenerate. Although medication masks some symptoms for a limited period, generally four to eight years, they begin causing dose-limiting side-effects. Ultimately, the medications lose their effectiveness, leaving the victim unable to move, speak, or swallow.

The cause of Parkinson's disease remains unclear, although a combination of genetic and environmental factors may be involved. In the January 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers concluded that genetic factors play a role of varying degrees in the development of Parkinson's. The findings indicate that genetic components play a more significant role in most cases when the disease begins before age 50 and are a lesser influence when the disease begins after age 50. More recent studies appear to verify those findings.