Transcript
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John Hamilton (0:26)
Hey, shortwavers. John Hamilton here in the host chair. Today in my day job as NPR's brain correspondent, I've done a lot of reporting on Parkinson's disease. It's a progressive disorder that causes difficulty with movement. It affects around a million people in the United States, and that number is on the rise in part because our population is getting older.
Dr. Claire Henchcliffe (0:46)
Parkinson's is the fastest growing out of the neurodegenerative disorders that we deal with fairly commonly as neurologists. So it's not the most common overall. That would be Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's comes in second. But it's very concerning that it's growing so quickly.
John Hamilton (1:03)
Dr. Claire Henchcliffe is the chair of neurology at the University of California, Irvine. She's one of the scientists at the forefront of Parkinson's research. She says the most visible symptoms of Parkinson's are tremors and trouble with coordination and balance.
Dr. Claire Henchcliffe (1:18)
Then there's unfortunately, the Parkinson's that you don't see. Cognition, thought processing, memory can be affected. People can have onset of depression or anxiety where as they've never had that before, or there's a part of the nervous system called the autonomic nervous system that can get involved and that affects all sorts of things. It affects how we digest our food. It can cause constipation. You can get blood pressure fluctuations. The bladder can be affected.
John Hamilton (1:44)
And while people are typically diagnosed around age 50 or 60, it may start.
Dr. Claire Henchcliffe (1:49)
10, 15, 20 years before we ever pick up a tremor or ever see someone slow down. Sense of smell can alter, sleep can change. That's when the Parkinson's process in the brain has started. It's kicked off, but we don't have the wherewithal yet to be able to diagnose that process for sure.
John Hamilton (2:15)
Today on the show, Parkinson's disease and new treatment options that could one day lead to a cure or even a future where scientists can prevent the disease altogether. You're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from npr.