Types of Parkinson’s
The actual disease of Parkinson’s—also known as idiopathic parkinsonism—manifests differently in every patient. The word ‘idiopathic’ is a medical term meaning ‘of unknown cause’.
In addition, there are Parkinson-like conditions that are distinct from Parkinson’s disease. These are called parkinsonism or Parkinson’s syndrome—a collective term for conditions that resemble Parkinson’s.
The difference lies in dopamine: in Parkinson’s disease, dopamine production is disrupted. In parkinsonism, the brain has trouble processing dopamine properly, which is why Parkinson’s medications are usually ineffective for parkinsonism.
Possible types of Parkinson’s:
- Post-encephalitic Parkinson’s syndrome (following brain inflammation)
- Toxic parkinsonism (caused by poisoning with heavy metals)
- Vascular parkinsonism (linked to conditions like diabetes)
- Drug-induced parkinsonism (as a side effect of certain medications)
- Dementia with Lewy bodies (characterised by hallucinations)
- Hereditary Parkinson’s
- Juvenile Parkinson’s (onset before the age of 20)
