Found 2 items, similar to Parkinsonism.
English → English (WordNet) Definition: Parkinsonism Parkinsonism n : a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system characterized by tremor and impaired muscular coordination [syn: paralysis agitans, Parkinson's disease , Parkinson's syndrome, Parkinson's, shaking palsy ]
English → English (gcide) Definition: parkinsonism Palsy \Pal"sy\, n.; pl. Palsies. [OE. palesie, parlesy, OF. paralesie, F. paralysie, L. paralysis. See Paralysis.] (Med.) Paralysis, complete or partial. See Paralysis. “One sick of the palsy.” --Mark ii. 3. [1913 Webster] Bell's palsy, paralysis of the facial nerve, producing distortion of one side of the face; -- so called from Sir Charles Bell, an English surgeon who described it. Scrivener's palsy. See Writer's cramp, under Writer. Shaking palsy, (Med.) paralysis agitans, a disease usually occurring in old people, characterized by muscular tremors and a peculiar shaking and tottering gait; now called parkinsonism, or Parkinson's disease. [1913 Webster +PJC] parkinsonism \parkinsonism\ n. A degenerative nervous disorder occurring mostly in persons older than 60 years, characterized in advanced stages by rhythmic muscular tremors, especially in the hands, and by rigidity of movement, a drooping posture, slow speech, and a masklike facial expression; the term designates a set of symptoms, and the underlying disease causing these symptoms is most commonly Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism results from a deficiency in the neurotransmitter dopamine caused by degeneration of the cells producing that agent. It can be mitigated by chemotherapy with agents such as levodopa (3-hydroxy-L-tyrosine). Syn: paralysis agitans, Parkinson's disease, Parkinson's syndrome, Parkinson's, shaking palsy. [WordNet 1.5] A Mayo Clinic study finds parkinsonism, a group of ailments that includes Parkinson's disease, is three times more common than previously thought and men are more likely to develop it than women. The study, published Tuesday in the journal Neurology, found the lifetime risk of developing parkinsonism is 7.5 percent, three times higher than previously thought. --UPI (Jan. 2, 1999) [PJC]