Parkinson’s disease is the second most frequent degenerative illness of the nervous system. Between 250,000 and 350,000 people suffer from Parkinson’s in Germany. Of these individuals, about ten percent are less than forty years old.

The disease develops when nerve cells in an important region of the brain (the substantia nigra or “black substance”) die off. The nerve cells in this region of the brain produce the messenger substance dopamine, which regulates some motion sequences of the muscles. The lack of dopamine disturbs the fine-tuned interaction of the messengers. Eventually, this causes the brain to relay the wrong signals to the muscles.

The results are Parkinson’s typical symptoms, like diminished flexibility and facial expressions, speech disorders, increased muscle tension, walking and posture disorders as well as trembling of the hands.