Parkinson's Disease: Basic Pathomechanisms and a Clinical Overview

Abstract

PD is a common and a debilitating degenerative movement disorder. The number of patients is increasing worldwide and as yet there is no cure for the disease. The majority of existing treatments target motor symptom control. Over the last two decades the impact of the genetic contribution to PD has been appreciated. Significant discoveries have been made, which have advanced our understanding of the pathophysiological and molecular basis of PD. In this chapter we outline current knowledge of the clinical aspects of PD and the basic mechanistic understanding.

Keywords: Autophagy/lysosomal dysfunction; Clinical features; Environmental factors; Genetic risk; Lewy body; Neuroinflammation; Parkinson’s disease; Pathology; Prion-like mechanisms; Treatment.