Parkinson's Disease
On The Rise
According to the National Parkinson's Foundation, Parkinson's Disease (PD) affects approximately one million Americans. As the U.S. population continues to age, the incidence of Parkinson's Disease is expected to increase with 50,000 - 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The average age of onset is approximately 60. However, the American Parkinson's Disease Society has reported that the incidence among persons under 50 is also on the rise. Parkinson's Disease is the most common form of a group of diseases known as Parkinsonian Syndromes. Other less common forms of Parkinsonian Syndrome include multiple system atrophy (MSA), Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and drug-induced Parkinsonism.
Insidious
Parkinson's Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in which patients are unable to produce enough dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical necessary for normal movement and is produced in specialized neurons of the brain. Over time, Parkinson's Disease slowly destroys these dopamine-producing neurons. This process actually starts long before clinical signs of the disease appear, but eventually a wide variety of symptoms including tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement, uncontrolled muscle movement, speech disorders, and gait and postural disturbances become obvious.
Difficult to Diagnose
In the U.S., there is currently no available objective test that can clearly identify Parkinson's Disease, especially in early cases. Symptoms of PD are often similar to many other movement disorders. Consequently, misdiagnosis rates are high, with reports of up to 50% misdiagnosis in early stages.
Recognizable and Treatable
Alseres is committed to developing effective diagnostics and therapeutics for Parkinson's Disease. ALSE's ALTROPANE molecular imaging agent is being developed to aid in the diagnosis of PD. Our DAT blocker program is aimed at managing the symptoms of PD and potentially slowing the progression of the disease.
For a list of websites providing information on Parkinson's Disease, visit our Patient Resources section.