What range of symptoms are part of Parkinsons disease?
People are generally most familiar with the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, as they are the most evident signs of the disease from the outside. These symptoms, which are also called the “cardinal” symptoms of PD, are resting tremor, slowness of movement (bradykinesia), postural instability (balance problems) and rigidity. Some other physical symptoms such as gait problems and reduced facial expression are also of note. These are due to the same discoordination of movement that causes the better-known tremor and slowness. There is also increasing recognition of the importance of other symptoms of PD that are sometimes called “non-motor” or “dopamine-non-responsive” symptoms. While neither of these terms is ideal, these symptoms are common and can have a major impact on people with PD. For example, cognitive impairment, ranging from mild memory difficulties to dementia, and mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, occur frequently. Also common are sleep difficulties, loss o
