of Parkinson’s disease is not known. Although a defective gene was recently found in a few families with extraordinarily high incidences of PD, most researchers believe that in the vast majority of cases, genetic factors alone are not responsible for causing the disease. Instead, it is suspected that Parkinson's usually results from the combination of a genetic predisposition and an as yet unidentified environmental trigger. There are many known theories about the cause of Parkinson’s disease. Researchers have reported families with apparently inherited Parkinson’s disease for more than a century. There have been many links as to the origin of this disease. For example, severe Parkinson’s-like symptoms were described in people who took an illegal drug contaminated with MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine). It has also been found in people who suffered a particularly severe from of influenza in the early 1900s. This suggests that Parkinson’s disease may be caused by environmental factors and just not genetics. This conclusion was as a result of the study on the genetic patterns of twin males who were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease before age 50. The results from the study led researchers to conclude that since genetics appeared to play a role in the development of the disease in young twin males, then the root of the disease may be environmental for the majority of patients who are often diagnosed after the age of 50 Diagnosing Parkinson’s diseaseA Neurologist who can evaluate the symptoms and their severity usually diagnoses Parkinson’s disease. There is no particular test that can clearly identify the disease. Sometimes, people who are suspected with the disease are given an anti-Parkinson drug to see if they respond. Brain scans and autopsies are one way that doctors can diagnose someone with this disease. One’s medical history could also prove to be a...
