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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Parkinson disease involves the nervous system, specifically, movement and control of muscles. Parkinson disease affects more than 1 million individuals in the United States. Because it is more common in older persons, the incidence (number of new cases) of Parkinson disease is increasing as the population grows older. Parkinson disease was first described in 1817 and was originally called "shaking palsy." Medical researchers later discovered that parkinsonian symptoms were due to degeneration of nerve cells in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra. These cells supply dopamine, a chemical that modulates movement, to other areas of the brain called the basal ganglia. Parkinson disease is progressive and leads to severe limitations in activity and quality of life if the disorder is not treated. Neurologists (doctors who specialize in treating diseases of the nervous system) and neurosurgeons (doctors who specialize in surgery of the nervous system) . . . [Full Text of this Article]

SYMPTOMS

Janet M. Torpy, MD, Writer; Cassio Lynm, MA, Illustrator; Richard M. Glass, MD, Editor

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