Symptoms
- Slow voluntary movements
- Decreased facial expression and eye blinking
- Monotonous speech
- Shuffling gait
- Stooped posture
- Swallowing difficulty
- "Pill-rolling" motion of the thumb and forefinger
- Stiffness in the extremities
- Fatigue
- Sexual dysfunction
- Dementia
- Constipation
- Urinary retention
- Paresthesia – a sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of a persons skin (pins and needles)
- Reduced sensation of pain
Causes
It is caused by the degeneration or destruction of dopamine-producing nerve cells (dopaminergic cells), which in turn makes it harder for the brain to control and coordinate muscle movement.Mutations (change in the gene sequence) may also cause the disease. Other causes include:
- Medications, such as those used to treat psychosis, major psychiatric disorders and nausea
- Repeated head trauma such as injuries sustained in boxing
- Certain neurodegenerative disorders