Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects nearly one million adults in the United States. It is characterized by symptoms including tremors, limb stiffness, slowness of movements, and difficulties with posture and balance, as well as non-motor symptoms such as sleep disturbances, mood disorders, cognitive impairment and psychosis. As the average age of the population increases, the prevalence of PD is expected to rise significantly.
The prevalence of PD is expected to rise significantly.
PD patients are commonly treated with dopamine replacement therapies (e.g., L-dopa) that only temporarily alleviate motor symptoms and are associated with motor complications, and sometimes worsen the non-motor symptoms of the disease.