What are Parkinson's disease and Parkinson-plus syndromes?

Parkinson's syndrome has a similar clinical manifestation to Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson´s disease

Parkinson's disease, which is also called primary or idiopathic Parkinsonism, in the narrower sense, is the prototypical form of the other Parkinson-plus syndromes. The modern anti-Parkinson's medications are really licensed for use in treating this from of the disease. Modern diagnostic criteria are used to distinguish primary Parkinsonism from other Parkinson-plus syndromes. Parkinson's disease or primary Parkinsonism in this narrower sense is defined by the presence of particular changes in the nervous system as well as by the symptoms and course of the disease and by the patient's response to dopamine replacement medications (L-DOPA, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors and COMT inhibitors): The disease is characterised by the premature death (degeneration) of certain types of neurons or nerve cells in the brain. The most marked deterioration of these neurons is found in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra (or "black substance": This is an area of gland-like dopamine-producing structures in the brain stem). This is the brain's primary site for the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Another feature of Parkinson's disease, which is also present in other degenerative diseases affecting the brain and nervous system (neurodegenerative diseases) are aggregates of protein which develop inside the nerve cells. These were discovered in 1912 by Friedrich Levy (later known as Frederic Lewy) and are called Lewy bodies.