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Brief Description:

Parkinson's disease occurs most often among the elderly and the risk increases with age.

Transcript:

Akinso: Parkinson's disease occurs most often among the elderly and the risk increases with age.

Sieber: The onset of Parkinson's disease occurs at an average age of 60 years old.

Akinso: Dr. Beth-Anne Sieber is the Program Director in the Neurodegeneration Group at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Sieber: It's not a part of normal aging. It's a separate disease that tends to occur more often in the elderly.

Akinso: Older adults now can visit NIHSeniorHealth.gov to learn more about Parkinson's disease. Dr. Sieber talks about what the visitors can find.

Sieber: They can find out the definition of Parkinson's disease; what the disease actually manifest as. There's information on symptoms of the disease and how it's diagnosed by the neurological experts. There's great information on treatment and research currently ongoing in Parkinson's disease. There's a very helpful section on frequently asked questions. And finally they can link out to Medline plus for further information on the disease and additional contacts.

Akinso: Parkinson's disease is caused by the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that helps coordinate and control muscle activity. The four main symptoms of the disease are trembling, stiffness, slowness of movement, and impaired balance. Dr. Sieber says the new Parkinson's information on the website is an excellent resource for older adults who want to learn more about the disease.

Sieber: I hope we can serve as a starting point to provide information to seniors and their families. It's a great entry point into learning about the disease.

Akinso: Dr. Seiber says currently, there is no cure for the disease, but ongoing research provides new information about causes, symptoms and treatment options. The NIH Senior Health website was jointly developed by the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine for older adults and their families. Once again the website is www.NIHSeniorHealth.gov. This is Wally Akinso at the National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland.