Parkinson’s condition and treatment

Coming into hospital

Patients – please bring all your medication in the original boxes with an up to date list of medication and timings.

You can also find more about the things you should bring and how to get here on our Patients and Visitor pages.

Driving

Many people with Parkinson’s disease continue to drive. You must inform the DVLA and Insurance company of your diagnosis.

Factors affecting driving ability include: sudden onset of sleep due to the medications prescribed, alertness, reaction times, ability to multi-task, decision-making and eyesight.

What is Parkinson’s disease?

• Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition.
• Parkinson’s disease affects one person in every 350; there are
  approximately 153,000 people in the UK with Parkinson’s.
• Most patients are diagnosed over the age of 50, but 1 in 20 are
  diagnosed under 40 years old.
• People with Parkinson’s disease have lost approximately 80% of their
  dopamine, a chemical messenger in specialised nerve cells in the
  brain.
• Without dopamine people find their movements become slower and
  take longer to do things.
• The loss of nerve cells causes Parkinson’s disease symptoms.
• Main symptoms are tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement
  and loss of balance.
• The symptoms can be controlled by drugs, therapies and sometimes
  surgery.
• Currently there is no cure but there is lots of research into new
  treatments and the possible causes of Parkinson’s disease.

Movement disorders and Parkinsonism

The main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are also the main symptoms of
a range of conditions that together are called “Movement disorders” or
“Parkinsonism.”

Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease is the most common form of Parkinsonism;
other types include:

• Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)
• Cortico Basal Degeneration (CBD)
• Multi-system Atrophy (MSA)
• Dementia with Lewy bodies
• Vascular Parkinsonism

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Cortico-Basal Degeneration (CBD)

The PSP Association charity helping those living with PSP and CBD
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0300 0110 122

The PSP/CBD helpline can provide:

• Information on all aspects of living with PSP & CBD, such as
  symptom management, benefits and entitlements and everyday
  living.
• Emotional and practical support
• Contact details for local support, which may include a Local Group
• Information about how the PSPA can support you
• Information about health and social care and how to access these
  services
• Signposting to other sources of information.

PSP/CBD Association Link Volunteers

• Provide short-term support to people affected by PSP & CBD.
• Improve well-being and help navigate difficult times.
• Receive up to twelve weekly or fortnightly in-person visits or phone
  calls from a Link Volunteer.
• Provide a listening ear to give you the opportunity to talk through your
  feelings.
• Provide publications and resources provided by PSPA.
• Signpost to other organisations and services.

Multi-System Atrophy (MSA)

Visit the MSA Trust website The charity offering help and advice helping those living with and affected by MSA.

• Telephone: 0333 323 4591
• Email: [email protected]

Online support groups with a Health Care Professional from the MSA
Trust held every two months.

MSA Trust Digital coffee mornings for patients and carers supported by
volunteers on the last Thursday of the month.

MSA Nurse Specialist – Katie Rigg

Katie Rigg is the MSA Nurse Specialist for the North of England,
Scotland and Ireland and is a registered general adult nurse with
specialist qualifications in both community nursing and palliative care.

• Telephone: 01434 381 932
• Email: [email protected]

Lewy body dementia

Lewy body dementia is an umbrella term which includes both Dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia.

Lewy body dementia is the second most common type of neurodegenerative dementia in older people. It accounts for approximately 15% of all cases of dementia.

Not everyone with Parkinson’s will develop dementia, but the risk increases the longer someone lives with the condition.

The main difference between the two types of Lewy body dementia is when certain symptoms first occur.

In dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), cognitive changes happen first. These include:

• changes in thinking
• difficulties with visual perception (e.g. spatial awareness,
  misinterpreting visual information)
• memory loss
• managing everyday tasks
• staying alert

These tend to occur at least one year before, or at the same time as, the person develops problems with movement.

In Parkinson’s dementia (PDD)

Physical changes happen first. This includes difficulties with movement (Parkinsonism), such as tremors, rigidity, or slowness.

View Lewy Body Information leaflets or email: [email protected]

Call the Dementia UK Admiral Nurse Helpline on 0800 888 6678
Visit the Dementia UK website or email [email protected]

Vascular Parkinsonism

Vascular parkinsonism (VP) occurs when the blood supply to the brain is
limited, for example after a mild stroke. A stroke usually happens
suddenly, therefore vascular parkinsonism symptoms can develop
quickly, but not always.

The symptoms of vascular parkinsonism include slowness of
movement and stiffness. But vascular parkinsonism is also known as
‘lower body parkinsonism’ because it usually affects your mobility.

People with VP can have problems when walking, which means their
walking can be unsteady, walk with short shuffling steps, or have
balance problems.

Vascular parkinsonism can also cause bladder problems,
communication problems and thinking and memory problems