Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease, also known as Parkinson’s disease, is one of the most common neurological disorders. Here you will find information on causes, symptoms and treatment.

Symptoms

Medically reviewed

Akinesia in Parkinson’s: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Akinesia in Parkinson’s describes a pronounced lack of movement up to a blockage of movement. Read how it develops, which symptoms occur and what helps.

Parkinson editorial team·12 min read

Symptoms

Akinesia in Parkinson’s: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Akinesia in Parkinson’s describes a pronounced lack of movement up to a blockage of movement. Read how it develops, which symptoms occur and what helps.

12 min read

Symptoms

Anxiety in Parkinson’s: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Anxiety is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease. Read how it can show up, why it happens, how it is diagnosed and which treatments can help.

11 min read

Disease

Apomorphine for Parkinson’s disease: use, dosage, benefits

Apomorphine for Parkinson’s disease: use, dosage, benefits It is only administered when Parkinson’s disease is more advanced, levodopa tablets are no longer sufficiently effective and fluctuations in effect lead to severe motor problems: the drug apomorphine.

8 min read

Disease

Dopamine Deficiency in Parkinson’s: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Dopamine deficiency is one of the central biological features of Parkinson’s disease. Dopamine is a chemical messenger that helps the brain regulate movement, motivation, reward, attention, and mood. In Parkinson’s, dopamine-producing nerve cells gradually become damaged and die, especially in a brain region called the substantia nigra. As dopamine levels fall, movement can become slower, smaller, stiffer, and less coordinated.

9 min read

Disease

Freezing in Parkinson’s disease

“Freezing of gait”, or FOG for short, describes the sudden, unpredictable “freezing” of walking movements in Parkinson’s disease. At these moments, it seems as if the feet suddenly stick to the ground and those affected can no longer move forward.

15 min read

Disease

Parkinson’s treatment: medication, therapies, self-help

Parkinson’s treatment includes levodopa, other medications, physiotherapy, DBS and self-help. Read which therapies alleviate symptoms in everyday life.

8 min read

Disease

Parkinson’s Stages: The Hoehn and Yahr Scale Explained

Parkinson’s disease can look very different from one person to another. To describe the broad stage and severity of Parkinson’s motor symptoms, clinicians often use the Hoehn and Yahr scale. This article explains what the scale is, how the different stages are defined, where it is useful, where it falls short, and how the MDS-UPDRS offers a more detailed way to assess Parkinson’s symptoms and daily function.

6 min read

Symptoms

Parkinson’s symptoms: Motor & non-motor symptoms

Parkinson’s symptoms range from trembling, stiffness and slowness of movement to non-motor symptoms. Read which complaints are typical.

7 min read

Disease

Parkinson’s causes: How does the disease develop?

Parkinson’s causes lie in complex changes in the brain. Read how nerve cell loss, dopamine deficiency and protein deposits are connected.

8 min read

Symptoms

Personality changes in Parkinson’s disease: symptoms, causes, treatment, tips

Personality changes, which can manifest themselves in increased irritability, depressive moods, dementia or delusional thinking, for example, are a common side effect of Parkinson’s disease.

13 min read

Symptoms

Postural instability in Parkinson’s disease: causes, symptoms, treatment

Postural instability in Parkinson’s describes balance and posture problems with a risk of falls. Read which symptoms occur and what helps.

12 min read

Symptoms

Rigidity in Parkinson’s: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Rigor in Parkinson’s describes persistent muscle stiffness and increased muscle tension. Read how rigor develops, which symptoms occur and what helps.

10 min read

Symptoms

Gambling Disorder in Parkinson’s: Causes, Warning Signs, and Treatment

Gambling disorder in Parkinson’s can be a side effect of dopamine agonists. Read about the warning signs, how it is diagnosed, and what treatment options can help.

11 min read

Disease

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s disease

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) supports drug treatment for Parkinson’s disease. It is particularly effective in the treatment of tremor, one of the most common and distressing symptoms in Parkinson’s patients.

7 min read

Symptoms

Tremor in Parkinson’s: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Tremor in Parkinson’s describes involuntary trembling, often as a resting tremor. Read how tremor develops, which symptoms occur and what helps.

13 min read

Basics

Parkinson’s disease — explained simply.

Parkinson’s — explained simply

Parkinson’s disease (Morbus Parkinson) is a progressive disorder of the nervous system. It develops as the cells in the brain that produce the messenger substance dopamine gradually die off. Dopamine is essential for controlling movement — when it is missing, the typical symptoms appear.

The most important symptoms

The core motor symptoms include tremor at rest, muscle stiffness (rigidity) and slowed movement (bradykinesia). Alongside these come non-motor symptoms such as sleep problems, anxiety or a changed voice — they are often underestimated, but can be treated well.

Treatment and course

Parkinson’s is not yet curable, but it is very treatable. Modern medication, device-assisted therapies and non-drug approaches can relieve the symptoms effectively over many years. The course is highly individual — many people affected lead a self-determined life for a long time.

Frequently asked questions

Is Parkinson’s curable?

Parkinson’s is not yet curable, but it is very treatable. Modern therapies can relieve the symptoms effectively over many years.

Is Parkinson’s hereditary?

In most cases Parkinson’s is not hereditary. Only a small share of cases can be traced back to known genetic causes.

How quickly does the disease progress?

The course is highly individual. Many people affected lead a largely self-determined life for years.

What role does exercise play?

Regular exercise is considered one of the most effective supportive measures — it improves mobility and mood alike.