Courtesy of UBMD Neurology

Retired NBA power forward Brian Grant; best-selling musician Neil Diamond; star of television and film Michael J. Fox; famous singer Linda Ronstadt; civil rights leader Jessie Jackson; Supreme Court Justice Janet Reno; and the forty-first president of the United States, George H.W. Bush, have had wildly different careers, but all shared one thing in common: Parkinson’s disease (PD). This is proof positive that PD touches people from all walks of life.

According to the National Institutes of Health, PD is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects people of all ages, races, and genders. Certain factors can increase the risk of developing PD, including being over age 60, being male, a family history of the disease, and exposure to certain toxins like pesticides and herbicides.

Symptoms of PD start slowly and can worsen over time. Thomas Guttuso, MD, Movement Disorder Specialist at UBMD Department of Neurology, says the first symptom of the disease may be a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand or sometimes the foot. While there is no cure for PD, there are several medications that can reduce PD symptoms. In addition, doctors at UBMD Neurology are performing clinical trials to determine if other medications may help to slow down PD progression and improve patients’ long-term prognosis.

Dr. Guttuso says the following are some of the common symptoms of PD.

  • A slight shaking (tremor) in a finger, thumb, hand, or chin while at rest.
  • Small handwriting, also known as micrographia. This is when letter sizes are smaller, and the words are crowded together.
  • Slowed movement, also called bradykinesia. People with bradykinesia may find it hard to get out of a chair, shower, or get dressed. Bradykinesia also may make it more difficult to blink, and a person may have less expression in his or her face.
  • Muscle stiffness.
  • Those with PD may have a stooped posture and shuffle their feet while walking.
  • Voice changes, such as a breathy, soft, or hoarse voice, could be an indicator of PD, as can slurring of words.
  • Symptoms including a decreased sense of smell, constipation, and acting our dreams while asleep also often occur in PD or sometimes are warning signs that a person is at increased risk of developing PD in the future.

A person should see a movement disorder neurologist if any of these symptoms seem familiar, as a neurologist can help diagnose the condition and rule out other potential causes. The movement disorder neurologists at UBMD Neurology are Drs. Guttuso, Andrzejewski and Sirica.

UBMD Neurology is located in Williamsville at 5851 Main Street (716-932-6080) and at the Coventus Building at 1001 Main Street, Fourth Floor in Buffalo (716-829-5050). For information on PD research studies, call 716-324-3247. Also visit https://www.ubmd.com/practice-locations/practices/neurology.html.