Is Parkinsons hereditary?
Yes and No. PD is the most common cause of parkinsonism, a group of similar symptoms. PD is also called “primary parkinsonism” or “idiopathic PD” (“idiopathic” meaning of no known cause). While most forms of parkinsonism are idiopathic, there are some cases where the symptoms may result from toxicity, drugs, genetic mutation, head trauma, or other medical disorders. There are other disorders that are called Parkinson-plus diseases. These include: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) Shy-Drager syndrome (SDS) Striatonigral degeneration (SND) Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) Some people include dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) as one of the ‘Parkinson-plus’ syndromes. Most people with Parkinson’s disease are described as having idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (having no specific cause). There are far less common causes of Parkinson’s disease including genetic, toxins, head trauma, and drug induced Parkinson’s disease. In rece