Parkinson's disease is a chronic progressive neurological disorder in which cells are slowly lost from the brain over years. The fact that cells are lost makes it a neurodegenerative disease that fits into the same category as Alzheimer's disease. A person with Parkinson's disease may also experience a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms, including depression, constipation, problems sleeping (insomnia), loss of sense of smell (anosmia), and memory problems. ()The three main symptoms of Parkinson's disease are:- Tremors (involuntary shaking of parts of the body)- Slow movements (bradykinesia)- Stiff, inflexible muscles ()Parkinson's disease usually develops later in life, usually between the ages of 40 and 80, but it also occurs in younger and older individuals. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure or definitive treatment that can slow the progression or prevent the disease. Levadopa is the most standard treatment for neurological diseases, almost all patients have shown signs of improvement when levadopa is used. Parkinson's disease affects many areas of the brain because many different cell types degenerate and many different systems are affected. The different chemical systems affected in the brain are: the substantia nigra, the locus cereleus, the raphe nuclei, the ventral tegmental area and the basalis nuclei. () The area most affected by Parkinson's disease is the Substancia Negra. Cells in this part of the brain produce the neurotransmitter Dopamine. Typically, about 50% of dopamine-producing cells have degenerated before the onset of motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Dopamine released in Substancia Negra is released physiologically in order to ...... middle of paper ...... lost in Parkinson's disease. Levodopa is given with benserazide or carbidopa, to ensure that it can enter the brain more effectively. The combination of benserazide and levodopa is known as co-beneldopa. Carbidopa and levodopa are known as co-careldopa. There are branded and unbranded forms of levodopa. These include: - co-beneldopa (Madopar, Madopar CR) - co-careldopa (Caramet CR, Duodopa, Sinemet, Sinemet Plus, Sinemet CR, Half Sinemet CR, Lecado, unbranded form) - co-careldopa plus entacapone ( Stalevo) Although the main treatment for Parkinson's disease is medication, there are some types of surgery available to treat the symptoms of the disease; they are generally only used to treat people who have suffered from Parkinson's disease for some time. time and whose symptoms are not effectively managed with medication. The main types of surgery for Parkinson's disease are: - Deep brain stimulation - Lesioning techniques