Parkinson's Disease
Also known as: Paralysis agitans, Shaking palsy
Methodology & AI Transparency ⓘ
Parkinson's Disease Key Takeaways
Translated by Sarah Jenkins (AI RN Plain-English Translator) at a 7th-grade reading level
- 1 What it does: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a type of movement disorder .
- 2 Real-world patient consensus: Clinical coding for Parkinson's Disease uses ICD-10 G20.A1 across Brain & Neurology specialty care.
- 3 Typical cash cost range: Workup highlights for Parkinson's Disease (G20.A1): CSF/autoimmune antibody panels in Parkinson's Disease (G20.A1: when indicated).
- 4 Top reported side effects / signs: Follow-up benchmark in Parkinson's Disease: maintaining Carotid Duplex / in Parkinson's Disease (G20.A1: Cerebral Perfusion) within No hemodynamically significant stenosis (G20.A1).
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What Is Parkinson's Disease?
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a type of movement disorder . It happens when nerve cells in the brain don't produce enough of a brain chemical called dopamine. Sometimes it is genetic, but most cases do not seem to run in families. Exposure to chemicals in the environment might play a role. Symptoms begin gradually, often on one side of the body. Later they affect both sides. They include: Trembling of hands, arms, legs, jaw and face Stiffness of the arms, legs and trunk Slowness of movement Poor balance and coordination As symptoms get worse, people with the disease may have trouble walking, talking, or doing simple tasks.
Pathophysiology, Underlying Causes & Clinical Presentation
Underlying Parkinson's Disease (code G20.A1) is synaptic transmission alteration [Parkinson's Disease G20.A1], Cross-referenced with NIH MeSH (Parkinson Disease), which Neurology, Stroke & Movement Disorders clinicians address while surveilling Carotid Duplex / in Parkinson's Disease (G20.A1: Cerebral Perfusion) (No hemodynamically significant stenosis (G20.A1)).
Common Symptoms & Clinical Signs
- • Trembling of hands, arms, legs, jaw and face
- • Stiffness of the arms, legs and trunk
- • Presentation of Parkinson's Disease (G20.A1): muscle stiffness, spasticity, in Parkinson's Disease (G20.A1: or fatigable neuromuscular)
- • Secondary Parkinson's Disease clinical sign: focal motor weakness, in Parkinson's Disease (G20.A1: resting or action)
Primary Federal Reference: NIH / National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus Entry ↗
Parkinson's Disease Diagnostic Classification & Lab Markers
| Metric | Verified Benchmark | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ICD-10-CM Diagnostic Code | G20.A1 | WHO / CMS ICD-10-CM Clinical Classification |
| Clinical Specialty Hub | Neurology, Stroke & Movement Disorders | NIH MedlinePlus Health Topics |
| Diagnostic / Lab Marker: Carotid Duplex / in Parkinson's Disease (G20.A1: Cerebral Perfusion) | No hemodynamically significant stenosis (G20.A1) | Clinical Reference Target Range |
| Diagnostic / Lab Marker: HbA1c & Blood in Parkinson's Disease (G20.A1: Pressure Neuro-Targets) | BP < 120/75 mmHg; HbA1c < 5.7% (G20.A1) | Clinical Reference Target Range |
| Diagnostic / Lab Marker: Serum Vitamin B12 in Parkinson's Disease (G20.A1: & Methylmalonic Acid) | B12 > 500 pg/mL; MMA < 240 nmol/L (G20.A1) | Clinical Reference Target Range |
FDA-Monographed Medications & Public Cash Price Reference for Parkinson's Disease
| Medication | Pharmacologic Class | Patient Worth-It | CMS NADAC / Unit | Typical Lowest Cash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbidopa, Levodopa and Entacapone Carbidopa, Levodopa and Entacapone Generic • RxCUI 403850 | Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Inhibitor | 89% | $0.5620 | $ 31.26 /mo |
| Zelapar (Selegiline Hydrochloride) Zelapar • RxCUI 859192 | Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor | 87% | $0.6363 | $ 54.32 /mo |
| Selegiline Hydrochloride Zelapar, Eldepryl • RxCUI 859190 | Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor | 75% | $0.6895 | $ 17.75 /mo |
| Rasagiline Azilect • RxCUI 608328 | Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor | 82% | $0.4545 | $ 14.14 /mo |
| Istradefylline Nourianz • RxCUI 2199020 | FDA Prescription Therapeutic Agent | 86% | $3.3100 | $ 142.56 /mo |
| Ropinirole Hydrochloride Requip • RxCUI 312845 | Nonergot Dopamine Agonist | 74% | $0.0631 | $ 5.62 /mo |
| Entacapone Comtan • RxCUI 317094 | Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Inhibitor | 75% | $0.3246 | $ 8.45 /mo |
| Carbidopa and Levodopa Carbidopa-Levodopa, Sinemet • RxCUI 197444 | Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylation Inhibitor | 85% | $0.1085 | $ 12.89 /mo |
| Pramipexole Dihydrochloride Mirapex • RxCUI 901534 | Nonergot Dopamine Agonist | 83% | $0.8590 | $ 5.58 /mo |
Peer-Reviewed Human Clinical Trials & Meta-Analyses (Parkinson's Disease)
| Study & Plain-English Finding | Sample (N) | Rigor | Primary Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can This Approach Help? Inside the Latest Research on Effects of Safinamide in Chinese and Non-Chinese Patients with Parkinson's Safinamide was shown to improve PD symptoms and quality of life in different ethnic populations, without any treatment by race interaction. Advances in therapy • 2024-02-15 • Phase III Randomized Trial | Multi-cohort | 88/100 | PMID 38070039 ↗ |
| Can This Approach Help? Inside the Latest Research on Effects of safinamide according to gender in Chinese parkinsonian Safinamide was shown to improve PD symptoms and quality of life in both male and female Chinese patients. Scientific reports • 2023-11-23 • Phase III Randomized Trial | Multi-cohort | 88/100 | PMID 37996493 ↗ |
| Can This Approach Help? Inside the Latest Research on Female sex steroids on Parkinson's disease in postmenopausal In a compared against a dummy pill (placebo), randomized, gold-standard blind trial lasting 8 weeks, no significant dopaminergic effect of estradiol (E2) could be demonstrated, whereas in an open trial phase lasting 2 weeks,... Clinical neuropharmacology • 1999-01-15 • Randomized Controlled Trial | N = 12 | 88/100 | PMID 10202604 ↗ |
| Can This Approach Help? Inside the Latest Research on Long-term follow up of opicapone as add-on to levodopa in Parkinson's patients Symptomatic efficacy of opicapone was maintained with 1-year open-label treatment (adjusted-mean ± SE change in MDS-UPDRS motor score from gold-standard blind baseline to Week 76: -7.4 ± 0.81); participants who switched from... Journal of Parkinson's disease • 2026-06-15 • Phase III Randomized Trial | Multi-cohort | 88/100 | PMID 41995421 ↗ |
| Can This Approach Help? Inside the Latest Research on Effect of Cannabidiol for Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease in Results: CBD showed no difference in relationship to placebo for primary and secondary outcomes. Cannabis and cannabinoid research • 2023-04-15 • Phase III Randomized Trial | N = 18 | 88/100 | PMID 35749710 ↗ |
Parkinson's Disease Patient Community & “People Like Me” Threads
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