Parkinson's disease or PD is a brain disorder caused when neurons in the brain stop working or die (Browner and Pagan, 2014). The normal function of neurons, or cells in your brain, is to produce dopamine. This disease generally occurs in older people, from the age of fifty. This disease affects millions of people worldwide, and it is estimated that there are between 10 and 60,000 in North America alone. It is not important in any particular culture or race; even celebrities like Michael J. Fox or Muhammad Ali have Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease gets its name from a man named James Parkinson. He is a British doctor who was the first to write a description of the disease in 1817 (ABC Health & Wellbeing, 2013). He published this work which he entitled “An Essay on Trembling Paralysis”. He has a few other writings, but his work on Parkinson's disease is what he is best known for. James Parkinson described the disease as an inconvenience because his patients could not control their movements and the movements occurred involuntarily (Parkinson, 1817). To understand Parkinson's disease, we need to know more about dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter or signal chemical that transmits signals throughout your brain. These signals allow us to feel pain and pleasure, as well as control your body movements and emotions. People often associate dopamine with addictions because the pleasure we experience is caused by the release of dopamine (Brookshire, 2013). When we eat our favorite foods, like a piece of chocolate cake, our brain's neurotransmitters release dopamine, which allows us to experience the pleasure of chocolate. However, like an addiction, we may crave that pleasure again. When you start to want another slice...... middle of paper ......that dopamine. This prevented the mice from exhibiting symptoms related to Parkinson's disease (American Chemical Society, 2014). So far, this technique has only been tested on rats, so it will likely require a lot more experimentation as it moves to human trials. The cause as well as the cure for Parkinson's disease are unknown. However, it is more likely to develop in men than in women. It is very important that if a person has possible symptoms of Parkinson's disease, they talk to their doctor. It can also be helpful for caregivers or family members to keep a close eye on their loved one. Some may not even realize that their memory is deteriorating or that they have tremors. It is extremely important to have some sort of support system, whether in the form of family members or medical staff, when diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, especially when symptoms worsen..