Parkinson's disease is a chronic, steadily progressive CNS disease with degeneration of nigrostriar neurons and impaired basal ganglia function. In 1817, the disease was first described by D. Parkinson under the name "trembling paralysis."
Spread of the disease
2024: The disease affects 8.5 million people in the world
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), which is home to the beginning of 2025, the disease already affects more than 8.5 million people around the world and tends to grow on the horizon until 2030. In Russia, there are currently no specialized registers for accounting for cases of Parkinson's disease, however, if we extrapolate international statistics on morbidity, then an estimate of at least 150/180 cases per 100,000 population will be obtained.
Parkinson's most often affects people aged 50-65 years and older, although there are cases of diagnosis and at a younger age.
2021: About 210 thousand patients in Russia
According to approximate estimates, available in mid-2021, about 210 thousand patients with Parkinson's disease live in the Russian Federation. The disease occurs most often in elderly people: in people over 60 years old - in 1% of cases, in people after 75 years old - in 2-3% of cases or more.
Symptoms
Clinical symptoms of the disease include:
- bradykinesia,
- tremors and
- stiffness of movement.
In Parkinson's disease therapy, time plays a key role. According to the FGBNU NCN (g.) Moscow , The first symptoms of Parkinson's disease can appear even 10-15 years before diagnosis. At the same time, it is known that the earlier the therapy is started, the better the prognosis: the progression of symptoms slows down, motor abilities, independent movement skills and high social activity remain longer.
The cause of the disease
The cause of Parkinson's disease (PD) is unknown. It is assumed that age, genetic and environmental factors lie in the development of the disease. Parkinson's disease is mainly sporadic, however, in the presence of PD in immediate relatives, the risk of its development doubles. Only a small number of PD cases (5 − 10%) are associated with hereditary factors. Perhaps genetic predisposition increases the sensitivity of the nigrostrian system to the effects of damaging factors and aging processes. The role of environmental influences in the genesis of PD is studied: infections, intoxications, exposure to metals, pesticides, well water consumption in rural areas, etc. It is noted that the disease is more common in non-smokers. However, it remains unclear whether this fact is explained by the protective role of smoking or by the fact that in people with a predisposition to Parkinson's disease, this bad habit is not developed so often.
Treatment
For 2025, Parkinson's disease is considered incurable, and to improve the patient's condition and slow the progression of the disease, modern medicine offers various types of therapy.
Parkinson's disease is characterized by the gradual loss of dopaminergic neurons and the accumulation of the α-sinuclein protein in the brain. Motor disorders in PD are also due to impaired functioning of neuronal circles connecting premotor, sensorimotor cortical zones, basal ganglia and thalamus.
Existing treatments suggest dopaminergic replacement therapy, which compensates for the loss of dopaminergic neurons, allows to some extent to reduce the severity of motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease, but does not lead to a stop or slowdown of the neurodegenerative process.
Medical care
The main pathogenetic areas of treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) for 2025 are the correction of DOPA/dopamine metabolism. DOPA replacement therapy at the advanced stages of PD. At earlier stages of PD, drugs that increase sensitivity to DOPA (agonists), as well as drugs that slow down the transformation of dopamine into the CNS (monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors - MAO-B) are relevant.
Physiotherapy and rehabilitation
The complex of rehabilitation activities, including physiotherapy, helps to maintain mobility, improve coordination and strengthen muscles. An important component of therapy is to teach the patient the correct movements, which allows to slow down the progression of motor disorders. Also, within the framework of comprehensive rehabilitation of patients, art therapy is actively used: drawing, modeling, music, dance and theatrical art help to improve the psycho-emotional state and physical indicators of patients.
Surgical treatment
In cases where drug therapy does not give the proper effect or the patient is not sensitive to drug therapy, neurosurgical intervention may be proposed, for example, deep brain stimulation, stereotactic methods (FUS), etc. This allows you to control the symptoms of the disease. Usually surgical treatment is indicated in the late stages of the disease.
2024
Gloves for people with Parkinson are presented. They help take cups and write
In early January 2024, GyroGear announced GyroGlove smart gloves designed specifically for people with tremor and Parkinson's disease. The device allows you to stabilize your hands, which helps you write, take cups of drinks and perform other actions, such as fastening buttons. Read more here.
Scientists of the Kurchatov Institute patented a medicine for Parkinson's disease
Scientists of the St. Petersburg Institute of Nuclear Physics named after B.P. Konstantinov (PINF) Research Center "Kurchatov Institute" together with colleagues from the First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after I.P. Pavlov patented a drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in the early stages. It acts on the enzyme glucocerebrosidase, which is encoded by the GBA1 gene. Mutations in this gene increase the risk of developing pathology tenfold. The Kurchatov Institute announced this on March 22, 2024. Read more here.
2023
An exoskeleton has been created for Parkinson's sufferers
In early January 2024, American researchers from Harvard and Boston Universities announced the development of an exoskeleton that is designed specifically for people with Parkinson's disease. A special "suit" with sensors helps such patients to maintain balance and walk more confidently in the middle step. Read more here.
Parkinson's patients start implanting devices that help them walk without falling
On November 7, 2023, Swiss researchers from the Lausanne Federal Polytechnic School (EPFL) reported the development of a neuroprosthesis designed to correct walking disorders associated with Parkinson's disease. The technology opens up new possibilities for treating huge numbers of people around the world. Read more here.
Dopamine cells began to be implanted in the brain for the treatment of Parkinson's disease
In late August 2023, Bayer AG and BlueRock Therapeutics reported successful clinical trials of a new method of cell therapy for Parkinson's disease. We are talking about transplantation into the brain of patients of cells producing dopamine.
Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressing chronic neurodegenerative disease caused by the destruction and death of neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. The proposed technology is based on the use of replacement neurons derived from embryonic stem cells. After implantation, such cells begin to produce dopamine, which allows to improve the condition of people suffering from Parkinson's disease.
As part of the study, replacement neurons were transplanted into the brains of 12 patients. The main purpose of testing the method was to demonstrate its safety and tolerability. It was established that the transplanted cells survived, and within a year after the procedure, patients had a decrease in symptoms of Parkinson's disease. In addition, it is alleged that all 12 participants in the program have not identified any serious safety issues. Positron emission tomography showed engraftment of replacement neurons in both low-dose and high-dose cell groups.
The study is one of the largest and most expensive clinical trials of embryonic stem cell technology - a controversial and highly publicized approach to using stem cells taken from IVF embryos to produce replacement tissues. However, outside experts say the findings need to be interpreted with caution, as some of the findings may be related to the placebo effect rather than actual treatment.[1]
Hand-worn devices to treat tremor and Parkinson's disease released
On June 14, 2023, Cala announced the entry into the market of Cala kIQ wearables providing therapy for neurological disorders. The manufacturer claims high efficiency of its products. Read more here.
Pesticides turned out to be one of the causes of Parkinson's disease
On May 17, 2023, American scientists from the University of California at Los Angeles released the results of work on the causes of Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disease that affects primarily those in the older age group. It turned out that the occurrence of the disease can contribute to the consumption of pesticides. Read more here.
Type of gut bacteria that causes Parkinson's disease identified
In early May 2023, Finnish specialists from the University of Helsinki announced a discovery that in the future could help treat Parkinson's disease, a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects mainly people of the older age group.
The named ailment is caused by the progressive destruction and death of neurons producing the neurotransmitter dopamine. However, the reasons for the development of this condition have not been fully understood. It has been established that only about 15% of people with Parkinson's disease have a family history of this disease. A new study sheds light on the source of the ailment.
Finnish scientists have found that Parkinson's disease can cause certain strains of Desulfovibrio bacteria. These microorganisms live in anaerobic sediments of fresh and brackish reservoirs, seas, as well as in the intestines of some animals, in manure and other environments. Some species also exist in hydrothermal springs.
The researchers concluded that individual strains of Desulfovibrio provoke aggregation of alpha-synuclein, a protein present in neural tissue. Mutations of the alpha-synuclein gene have previously been found in several families with an autosomal dominant form of Parkinson's disease. The new study also found that strains of Desulfovibrio isolated from healthy individuals do not cause as much alpha-synuclein aggregation as in Parkinson's patients.
 | Our results identify carriers of harmful Desulfovibrio bacteria. After that, measures can be applied to them to remove dangerous strains from the intestines. This will potentially mitigate symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease and slow down the progression of the disease, said Professor Per Saris from the University of Helsinki.[2] |  |
2022
A device has come out to control the progression of Parkinson's disease at home
In late September 2022, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other institutes demonstrated a home device that can track a patient's movements and gait speed, which can be used to assess the severity of Parkinson's disease, disease progression and patient response to drugs. Read more here.
COVID-19 significantly increases the risks of stroke, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease
At the end of June 2022, a study conducted in Denmark showed that outpatients with COVID-19 had an increased risk of diagnosing Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke and cerebral hemorrhage compared to patients with a negative COVID-19 result. Most neurological disorders after coronavirus infection were no more common than after other respiratory infections, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology. Read more here.
2021
There are 11.5 million people with Parkinson's disease in the world
In 2021, there are 11.5 million people with Parkinson's disease in the world. The calculation of 11.5 million people in 2021 was made on the basis of the forecast that in 2050 this number will grow by 112% and reach 25.2 million people. Such data are given in studies released in March 2025. The reasons for the increase in the number of cases by 2050 will be aging and population growth, as well as changes in the prevalence of the disease. The prevalence of Parkinson's disease will be 267 cases per 100 thousand, which is 76% more compared to 2021.[3]
Launch of service identifying signs of Parkinson's disease by selfie
At the end of November 2021, information appeared that the software can predict with great accuracy the likelihood of developing Parkinson's disease in a person taking a photo or selfie with the same reliability as wearable digital biomarkers that track motor symptoms. The Park Test service is based on computer vision technology and includes various types of algorithms. Read more here.
Announcement of software predicting the progression of Parkinson's disease symptoms
At the end of July 2021, IBM and the Michael Jay Fox Foundation (MJFF) announced the creation of software that will allow doctors to better understand the biology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Read more here.
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