Can we cure Parkinson’s disease?

Verified on 01/05/2024 by Alexane Flament, Editor

The Parkinson disease is a neurodegenerative disease whose symptoms differ from one person to another.

The most common symptoms are tremors, but there are many others. We cannot cure the disease. However, treatments can help reduce symptoms.

What is Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease linked to the destruction of dopamine neurons. There dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of movements.

The main symptoms of the disease are:

tremors in certain parts of the body;
slowing down of movements;
stiffness in the muscles.

Patients may also present other symptoms such as depression, anxiety, loss of smell, sleep problems or even memory problems.

What are the treatments ?

There is no treatment that can cure the disease. Treatments available today help reduce major symptoms and maintain a good quality of life for as long as possible.

Patient care includes drug treatments (levodopa/carbidopa, anticholinergics), deep brain stimulation and rehabilitation (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, etc.).

Rehabilitation, of which physiotherapy is a part, can provide relief to patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease as well as other neurodegenerative diseases. Among these therapies, we can cite:

muscle strengthening exercises;
exercises to improve walking and balance;
hydrotherapy.

These non-drug treatments can help improve the functioning and quality of life of people with Parkinson’s disease.

Where is the research?

New treatments are currently being studied. Several clinical trials are testing new therapies that could slow down, stop, even cure Parkinson’s disease:

THE cell therapies which consist of taking healthy stem cells and then transplanting them with the aim of repairing the damage observed in the brains of Parkinson’s patients.
THE gene therapies which consist of reprogramming cells and modifying their functioning to keep them healthy and functional for longer.
THE growth factors which are molecules that promote the growth, development and survival of brain cells.