PD INDEX: A Directory of Parkinson's Disease Information on the Internet

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PRIMARY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Medical signs vs. symptoms

• Signs are objective
• Symptoms are subjective

Primary symptoms of PD

• The four primary symptoms

1. Tremor

• Resting tremor
• Internal tremor
• PD vs essential tremor
• Disappears during sleep
• Prevalence of tremor in PD

2. Muscular stiffness and rigidity

• Rigidity
• Increased muscle tone
• Impaired fine motor skills
• Gait problems
• Stooped shoulders
• Shortness of breath

3. Bradykinesia (slow movement), akinesia (poverty of movement)

• Bradykinesia
• Freezing
• Infrequent blinking
• Infrequent swallowing / drooling
• Paradoxical kinesia

4. Impaired balance (postural instability)

• Impaired balance
• Falling

Asymmetry/unilaterality of symptoms

• First appear on one side

Symptoms worse under stress

• Aggravated by stress,
• anxiety and pressure