Neuropathology of Parkinsonʼs Disease

• Published in: Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology Vol. 55; no. 3; pp. 259 - 272
• Main Author: Forno, Lysia S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD American Association of Neuropathologists, Inc 01.03.1996; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Hippocampus - pathology; Humans; Lewy Bodies - ultrastructure; Locus Coeruleus - pathology; Medical sciences; Microscopy, Electron; Middle Aged; Neurology; Parkinson Disease - pathology; Human; Pathology; Nervous system diseases; Grey matter; Central nervous system disease; Parkinson disease; Exploration; Degenerative disease; Review; Cerebral disorder; Extrapyramidal syndrome; Lewy body
• ISSN: 0022-3069; 1554-6578
• DOI: 10.1097/00005072-199603000-00001

Parkinson (1) gave a nearly complete description of Parkinson's disease (PD), then called Paralysis agitans, but Charcot's lectures (2), which are still worth reading, give further details about the manifestations of the disease and its course as it presented itself over 100 years ago. The cardinal features were then as now rigidity, the resting tremor which Charcot described as imitating the spinning of wool, and bradykinesia. He found it instructive to compare the clinical picture of PD with that of multiple sclerosis using separate groups of patients. He pointed out that the movement disorder of PD was not a true paralysis, and although Parkinson had described the intellect as intact Charcot mentioned that in the late stage of the disease the mind would become clouded and the memory lost. The frequent presence of cognitive impairment and occasional association with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is now well appreciated.