It's Parkinson's Awareness Week: 19 to 25 April

19 April 2010

This week is Parkinson's Awareness Week, but how much do you know about Parkinson's?

Parkinson's disease, a chronic, progressive neurological disorder, was first described in 1817 by Dr James Parkinson. He wrote his ‘Essay on the Shaking Palsy’ based on his observations of certain people who passed by his window each day, and using data from his own patients.

To mark Parkinson's Awareness Week, Parkinson's UK commissioned a survey to find out what people know about Parkinson's. It found that:

Less than half (43%) of people know that rigidity or stiffness is a symptom of Parkinson's, whereas 91% of people know that a tremor, or involuntary shaking, is a symptom.
Only 7% of people realise that hallucinations can be a symptom of Parkinson’s. In fact hallucinations affect 23 per cent of people with Parkinson’s.
Less than half (42%) of the UK population realise that pain is a symptom, but 1 in 5 (22%) of people with Parkinson’s experience pain.

In addition, only 9% of the UK population is aware that Parkinson's affects young people too: in fact, as many as 1 in 20 people with Parkinson's are diagnosed under the age of 40.

Find out more, and get support

To find out more about Parkinson's, and for specialist information and support, visit the Parkinson's UK website or call their free helpline on 0808 800 0303
Need all-round neurological support? Call the Brain and Spine helpline on 0808 808 1000 to chat about any neurological condition, including Parkinson's