Parkinsonism

Parkinsonism is a group of movement disorders that share similar characteristics, such as tremors and stiffness. The most common type is Parkinson's disease. The probability of developing these symptoms is the same for everyone, regardless of ethnicity or gender.

What Is Parkinsonism?

Movement disorders are conditions that affect voluntary movement without directly affecting strength or sensation. One group of movement disorders that share similar features are collectively called Parkinson syndromes, or parkinsonism.
 
Parkinson syndromes share several symptoms, such as:
 
  • Tremors
  • Rigidity
  • Stiffness
  • Slowed movement
  • Walking problems.
 
All are the result of the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. Parkinsonism occurs in all ethnic groups and equally between males and females.
 

Types

Parkinson's disease is the most famous type of parkinsonism. Parkinson's is also called primary parkinsonism or idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Idiopathic is a term describing a disorder for which no cause has yet been found.
 
In the other forms of parkinsonism, either the cause is known or suspected, or the disorder occurs as a secondary effect of another, primary neurological disorder.
 
Besides Parkinson's disease, other forms of parkinsonism include:
 
  • Postencephalitic parkinsonism
  • Drug-induced parkinsonism
  • Striatonigral degeneration
  • Arteriosclerotic parkinsonism
  • Toxin-induced parkinsonism
  • Parkinsonism-dementia complex of Guam
  • Accompanying other conditions.

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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