The cause of PD is unknown, but symptoms typically occur when dopamine-producing cells in a certain area of your brain are damaged or lost.
There are different theories about what causes PD, including:
|
| |
- Heredity. Although PD is not a hereditary disease, certain abnormal genes appear in the families of some people with PD. No direct link has been found between these genes and PD, but the more researchers study them, the better they understand PD.
- Environmental or external factors. Some believe that pollutants, eg, chemicals or pesticides, may be risk factors for PD. No virus or bacterium has been linked to PD.
- A combination of the two. The most widely held theory about why PD develops in some people involves exposure to environmental factors and predisposing genetic factors.
|
| |
| While the cause is not yet known, researchers continue to work toward a better understanding of the cause and treatment of PD.
|
|
|
