Other non-motor symptoms can include:
- Depression and anxiety
- Mild cognitive impairment – slight memory problems and problems with activities that require planning and organisation
- Dementia – a group of symptoms, including more severe memory problems, personality changes, seeing things that are not there (visual hallucinations) and believing things that are not true (delusions).
Am I at risk?
It’s not known why the loss of nerve cells associated with Parkinson’s disease occurs, although research has identified some risk factors.
According to a review
Some researchers also feel environmental factors may increase a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
It’s been suggested that pesticides and herbicides used in farming and traffic or industrial pollution may contribute to the condition.
The evidence linking environmental factors to Parkinson’s disease is inconclusive, however, notes the NHS.
Genetics may also play a role too.
Parkinson’s disease can run in families as a result of faulty genes being passed to a child by their parents – but it’s rare for the disease to be inherited this way, says the NHS.
published in JAMA Network Open, men who lack physical activity have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s.
Among the most significant findings in the review was that participants who did the most amount of physical activity had a 29 percent lower risk of developing Parkinson’s compared to those who did not engage in any moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.