The disease is very insidious at first …
In France, 25,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease are declared each year. An incidence that will continue to increase in the coming years according to the France Parkinson association. “It is an age -related disease, but it is not an elderly diseaseE “, said Professor Kathy Dujardin, neuropsychologist and president of the Council of the Human and Social Sciences of France Parkinson. “Studies have shown that the degenerative process begins 10 to 15 years before the start of symptoms”. It is around 60 years that the first symptoms would occur, insidiously, even though the patient is still in professional activity.
Parkinson’s disease is associated with motor symptoms such as slowness in the realization of movements, stiffness and/or a rest trembling. There are also many non -motor symptoms which represent the hidden side of Parkinson’s disease and which are sometimes difficult to recognize. “There is one, but parkinson diseases”comments Professor Dujardin. At first, the signs do not strive right away.
Our interlocutor explains to us that “One of the symptoms known to be a premice of the disease is the loss of smell”. Add to that sleep disorders, but not just any: “We mainly speak of restless sleep with sudden movements, because of speaking, screaming during sleep and making fairly frightening nightmares. These symptoms can happen to everyone, but when it is recurrent, it must be alert and medical follow -up is preferable. “ Among the other non -motor signs that can precede the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease: the drop in morale, the loss of pleasure, an abnormal fatigue that does not pass (asthenia), and joint pain, especially on the shoulders.
Generally, these symptoms cause diagnostic wandering. People with depressive symptoms, for example, are rare to consult, “When they do it, they will receive antidepressants and it will not be better” notes the neuropsychologist. “It is only when motor disorders appear that we realize that it was Parkinson’s disease.” The expert insists on the heterogeneous aspect of the disease: not all patients develop the same symptoms. “There are patients in whom are essentially the motor symptoms that will dominate, while others will be more invalidated by non -motor disorders. The impact on quality of life will be very different because currently, symptomatic treatments essentially relieve motor symptoms and it is more difficult to act on non -motor symptoms.”
