This book is a fine reference on Parkinson's Disease and Parkinsonism but is still somewhat disappointing. As the book states, it is not a substitute for medical care, though it is useful if you have questions about it.

Parkinson's is a chronic disorder that affects the substantia nigra of the Brain. It appears to kill off the neurons that make up that particular portion. Modern Medical Science still knows very little about what causes the disorder and there are no methods to discover it early. Since it affects the chemical interactions of the neurons on a microscopic level the only sure way to diagnose it is to do an autopsy or wait until you have the characteristic tremor and balancing issues.

The book includes symptoms of Parkinson's and symptoms that are not Parkinson's. For example, you might have had a Stroke or Dementia caused by Levy Bodies or any number of things that is not necessarily Parkinson's. Parkinsonism is the term used in the book for disorders that are somewhat like Parkinson's but do not have all of the characteristic symptoms.

So as I said, this book is enjoyable but incomplete. Our knowledge of this disorder is full of some gaping holes and that irks me. Unfortunately I am not a researcher or anything, but that does sound like an interesting problem to tackle. ( )