Clinical Features of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder in which nerve cells die off, leading to lower production of dopamine. Dopamine allows for smooth muscle coordination. When 80 percent of the cells have died, motor function is impaired. The result is the four major clinical features of Parkinson's disease.

Tremors

• One of the most noticeable clinical features of Parkinson's disease is the presence of tremors. Tremors primarily occur on one side of the body in the beginning of the illness. They can be found in the arms, hands, jaw, face or legs. The tremors may occur when the body part is at rest, but this is not necessarily the case in all patients.

Bradykinesia

• Bradykinesia is the clinical term for the body's movements becoming slowed, causing normal activities to take longer to accomplish. This is considered to be the most disabling feature of Parkinson's, as it impacts daily activities such as dressing, eating and showering. Eventually a person can lose automatic, unconscious movements, such as swinging arms, blinking, smiling.

Rigidity

• Rigidity is a clinical feature of Parkinson's in which the body's muscles become stiff and difficult to move, or "frozen." This feature is often confused for arthritis.

Postural Instability

• Postural instability is the clinical name given to symptoms of poor balance suffered by many with Parkinson's disease. This feature often causes the patient to fall down.

Definition of Parkinsonism

• Parkinsonism is the clinical term given to a patient who exhibits these four symptoms of Parkinson's disease, even if the actual diagnostic process does not lead to actual Parkinson. Other Parkinsonian-type disorders exist, including medication-induced Parkinsonism, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, multiple system atrophy, vascular Parkinsonism, and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Each disorder includes various other symptoms that a doctor will take into account when making a diagnosis and determining proper treatment measures.

Dementia

• As Parkinson's disease is a neurological condition, it can also often be accompanied by another neurological condition. Dementia is a loss of cognitive function that impairs memory and mental clarity.

Brain Scans

• At this time doctors are unable to determine any clinical features of Parkinson's disease through the use of brain scans, blood tests or lab tests. They are primarily used to help doctors to rule out other neurological disorders.