Question: hello!! how do these diseases first come into our system? what causes them to grow?? cell spliting? what makes parkinsons disease so dramtic? thank you! wuz

Amy Reeve answered on 10 Jun 2011:

hello!

Parkinson’s disease is so dramatic because it causes the death of over 70% of the brain cells in a particular region of the brain. These brain cells are really important for helping to control your muscles and so as these cells die patients with this disease find it very hard to control some movements.

For a lot of Parkinson’s disease patients we don’t know what causes them to get the disease. This is what i am researching. But very small group of people can get this disease because of changes in their DNA. For most patients though we still don’t know how or why they develop this disease.

‘What causes them to grow?’ this is a good question! We would love to know what makes so many cells in this part of the brain die. All cells in the brain are constantly talking to each other, if a cell can no longer do this then they might die. So when one cell is lost it might set of a change in lots of other cells.

Unfortunately the cells in our brain do not split. The cells we are born with as children are all we ever have. it is really important that we look after them and avoid too many bumps on the head! Did you know that Muhammed Ali (the boxer) has a type of Parkinson’s disease caused by too many concussions?!

thanks for your question!