Parkinson’s Disease Awareness

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting over 10 million individuals worldwide. PD becomes more prevalent as we age with men being 1.5 to 2 times more likely to be diagnosed.

There is currently no definitive cause of PD but they’ve identified a combination of genetic and environmental factors such as chemicals, toxins, and head trauma. Some of the well-established protective factors for the development of PD is nicotine along with caffeine intake, each have been associated with a lower risk of PD.

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a well‐established risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s. Studies show lower PD prevalence in African Americans compared to Caucasians and Hispanics.

Main symptoms of PD include unilateral rest tremor at onset, that with time becomes bilateral, shuffling gait and slowness of movement. Over time, several other symptoms exhibited include stooped posture, masked facial expression, change in voice, reduced arm swing and memory dysfunction. Several non-motor symptoms such as autonomic dysfunction (constipation), REM behavior disorder and mood disorders can precede the onset of main symptoms by several years.

The neurologists and movement disorder specialists at Riverhills Neuroscience are able to provide expertise in the accurate diagnosis and subsequent care and treatment of patients living with Parkinson’s disease.

Marsha Smith, MD, FAAN

Dr. Smith completed Neurology Training at Harvard University, followed by a Movement Disorders Fellowship at Emory University.

Her specialties include

• movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and tremors
• dementia
• headaches
• botulinum toxin injections for migraines, spasticity, facial spasm and dystonia

For scheduling, call (513) 612-1111