Parkinson's Disease Parkinson's Disease is both chronic and progressive. Over time, someone with Parkinson's develops increasing problems moving and talking. Although we tend to think of Parkinson's as an older person's disease, it can also strike younger people. Parkinson's actually belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders.
Dopamine helps transmit signals within the brain.
AAN says that in Parkinson's Disease, certain nerve cells, or neurons, may die or become impaired. Normally, these are the neurons that produce dopamine. Without dopamine, the nerve cells fire out of control. The result is that patients are unable to direct or control their movements in a smooth manner. Although Parkinson's has been known to develop in certain instances as a reaction to viral infection or drug use, no one knows the exact cause of Parkinson's.