Learning About and Living with Parkinson's Disease

MedlinePlus 's "Medical Encyclopedia" is a good starting place for those with little or no understanding of Parkinson's disease. The article is brief but addresses all the major issues relating to what Parkinson's is, including its causes, symptoms, risk factors, tests, and treatments.

The Mayo Clinic 's overview of Parkinson's disease has the same basic outline as MedlinePlus's (and as you'll see, there are certain topics, such as causes, symptoms, and treatments, that are always covered), but is much more thorough in its explanations. There is also information on self-care, when to seek medical advice, and coping.

We Move , a nonprofit organization working to increase awareness for movement disorders, has a slightly more technical overview of Parkinson's than the Mayo Clinic, incorporating discussions of genetics, the substantia nigra in PD, drugs and treatment decision-making, and the types of surgery used to treat it.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research has an information section that's broken into three parts: "About Parkinson's," "For Patients and Caregivers," and "Additional Resources." In the "About" section is a useful FAQ that gives an overview of the disease. The highlight of this site is the "Guide for the Newly Diagnosed," found in the "Patients and Caregivers" section. This guide walks you through the practical life issues, answering questions like, "Will PD affect my sex life?" and "Will PD affect my ability to work?"

KidsHealth.org has an overview of Parkinson's disease aimed toward a young audience. The description is simple and straightforward, and uses examples children can relate to, such as a fictional relationship between Maggie, a young girl, and her piano teacher Mrs. Barton, whose right hand Maggie noticed is always shaking.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has a solid, seven-paragraph overview of the causes of Parkinson's disease.

Mayo Clinic has a succinct introduction to the causes of Parkinson's disease, highlighting genetic and environmental factors, and also including a brief discussion of the fact that certain medications can cause symptoms of Parkinson's, if taken for long periods of time or in certain dosages. (These symptoms disappear when the drugs are stopped.)

WebMD 's "Parkinson's Guide" has a section, "Exams and Tests," that overviews the procedures used by doctors when diagnosing Parkinson's disease. Although unfamiliar terms within the text are highlighted and link to deeper descriptions, this is just an overview, and isn't for someone interested in an extensive or thorough explanation.

The University of Maryland Medical Center has an introduction to diagnosing Parkinson's disease that features expanded information on testing, and why it is so difficult to accurately diagnose Parkinson's.

The Neurology Channel has an overview of neurological exams. It provides short descriptions for how the exams test mental status, cranial nerves, motor system, sensory system, deep tendon reflexes, coordination, and gait. As you're reading, note the advertisements inserted into the text, and don't mistake them for original content.

Healthline 's page on neurological exams gives a very in-depth discussion of the various parts of the exam, particularly the examinations of mental status and cranial nerves. The page is not specific to Parkinson's but is a very useful resource if you want to know in detail what the exam will entail.

The National Parkinson Foundation 's overview of the treatment options available for those suffering from Parkinson's disease is the essential starting point for anyone new to the subject. After beginning with a summary of the treatment options, it moves on to discuss medications, protective treatments ("neuroprotective therapies" to stop or delay the disease's progression), experimental treatments, and surgical treatments. Each topic is given thorough coverage.

WebMD 's "Treatment and Care" section covers seven primary areas: there's a treatment overview, information on home treatment, medications, surgery, other treatments, Parkinson's and diet, and Parkinson's and exercise. The subsections are extensive, informative, and filled with links to additional information.

MedlinePlus has the premier directory of Parkinson's disease links on the Web. By drawing from organizations such as the National Parkinson Foundation, We Move, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the Cleveland Clinic, and the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, MedlinePlus brings together some of the best information on the Web. The "Treatment" section features info on deep brain stimulation, gamma knife treatment, medication, the Neupro patch, and more. In addition, MedlinePlus offers links to resources for "Alternative Therapy," "Nutrition," and "Disease Management."

PDtrials.org has a listing of Parkinson's disease clinical trials. The site gives detailed information for those interested in clinical trials, including the length of time commitment, frequency of doctor's visits, and age criteria. In addition to this comprehensive listing of the trials currently enrolling new candidates, PDtrials has a running list of Parkinson's clinical trials news headlines, located towards the bottom of the homepage.

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation has a quarterly newsletter that contains Parkinson's news briefs, a spotlight on PDF-funded research, legislative developments, selections from the Parkinson's mailbag and more. The newsletter can be downloaded and read electronically, or you can have it delivered free of charge to your home.

The American Parkinson Disease Association has an archive of the organization's newsletters, each available for download as PDF files.

PubMed is a service of the National Institutes of Health. Included are more than 15 million citations from biomedical journal articles dating back to the 1950s. To locate articles that deal with Parkinson's disease, simply enter the term "Parkinson's" in the search bar at the top. Results are sortable by date of publication, author, title, and journal.

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation has a variety of other educational materials for the eager readers of the Web. The pamphlets here are freely downloadable, or you can request that they send you a copy in the mail. The brochures deal with a variety of issues, including how to handle a new diagnosis, what the Web's best resources for Parkinson's are, and a Parkinson's question-and-answer sheet.

The ParkinsonsDiseaseBlogNetwork is the central location for blogs written by Parkinson's patients and their caregivers. Sort blog posts by date, category, rating, popularity, and traffic using the drop-down menu in the "Our Blog Community" section. The "Must-See Blogging" section showcases a different Parkinson's blog each month.