Researchers don't know exactly when Parkinson's disease was first "discovered," but there is evidence that medical scientists have been treating Parkinson's for thousands of years.

Symptoms and possible treatments for Parkinson's disease are discussed in Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medical practice that has been around since as early as 5000 BC. And a condition like Parkinson's disease was mentioned in Nei Jing, which was the first Chinese medical text to appear, more than 2,500 years ago.

James Parkinson’s Role in the History of Parkinson’s Disease

In modern times, Parkinson's disease was first formally recognized in James Parkinson's "An Essay on the Shaking Palsy," which was published in 1817.

Parkinson (1755-1824) was a doctor in London who observed what are now known as the classic symptoms of Parkinson's disease in three of his patients and in three people he saw on the streets of the city. Parkinson's essay contained clear descriptions of some of the main symptoms of Parkinson's disease: tremors, rigidity, and postural instability. He theorized that the disease developed because of a problem in the medulla of the brain.

Although Parkinson encouraged the medical community to study this disease, his essay received little attention until 1861. It was then that French neurologist Jean Martin

Charcot and his colleagues distinguished the disease from other neurological conditions and termed it "Parkinson's disease."

Parkinson's Treatment Then and Now

For many decades, there were no effective treatments for Parkinson's disease, and it was thought to be a terminal illness. But in the 1940s and 1950s, neurosurgeons began to perform surgery on the basal ganglia of the brain that resulted in improvements in Parkinson's disease symptoms. While this surgery was effective, it was risky, with about 12 percent of patients dying as a result of the operation.

The biggest advancement in Parkinson's treatment came in the 1960s, when researchers identified differences in the brains of people with Parkinson's disease that were associated with low levels of dopamine, a brain chemical that allows for smooth, coordinated movement.

This research revolutionized the treatment of Parkinson's disease, and led to the development of levodopa, also called L-dopa (Larodopa, Dopar), which is a medication that can be used by nerve cells to produce dopamine. Levodopa is still the cornerstone of Parkinson's treatment today.

Today, most Parkinson’s disease patients are first treated with a combination of levodopa and a medication called Sinemet (carbidopa), which can reduce some of levodopa's side effects. These therapies are usually effective for 5 to 10 years, when they stop working as well or lead to adverse effects.

More recently, other medications, such as Mirapex (pramipexole), Requip (ropinirole), and drugs known as COMT (catechol-O-methyl transferase) inhibitors [Comtan (entacapone) and (tolcapone Tasmar)], have been developed, and can play a part in the management of Parkinson's disease symptoms when levodopa is no longer effective.

Brain surgery, which was once a common practice but was rarely used after levodopa was discovered, is being used more today due to advancements in surgical procedures. In some cases, brain surgery to destroy selective areas of the brain can relieve Parkinson's disease symptoms. But neurosurgeons have developed a safer, more commonly used operation known as deep brain stimulation, in which they implant an electrode into the brain that can stop many Parkinson's disease symptoms.

The Future of Parkinson's Disease Treatment

Researchers are continuously working on ways to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease, restore lost functioning, and help prevent the disease from developing in the first place. Parkinson's research has made tremendous progress over the last couple of decades, and researchers are hopeful about the future. Therapies that may soon be available include transplanting healthy dopamine-producing tissues into the brain and using medications to prevent dopamine-producing brain cells from becoming lost or damaged.