Is Parkinson's disease contagious?

Parkinson's disease is very common among the elderly. There are many main inducing factors. The current exact causes include genetics, environmental factors, and aging. People with Parkinson's disease will experience movement delay, which greatly affects their quality of life. So is this disease contagious? Let’s listen to the expert’s introduction below.

In fact, Parkinson's disease is not contagious. Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disease in middle-aged and elderly people. Its main symptoms are slow movements, tremors in the hands, feet or other parts of the body, and loss of flexibility and stiffness of the body. It is recommended that you go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible, otherwise as the disease progresses, the symptoms will worsen and may even lead to you being unable to take care of yourself.

1. Aging.

The incidence and prevalence of PD increase with age. PD often develops in patients over 60 years old, which suggests that aging is related to the onset of the disease. Data show that with age, the number of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of normal adults gradually decreases. However, the prevalence of PD in the elderly over 65 years old is not high. Therefore, aging is only one of the risk factors for PD.

2. Genetic factors.

The role of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of PD has received increasing attention from scholars. Since the discovery of the first Parkinson's disease-causing gene, α-synuclein, in the late 1990s, at least six pathogenic genes have been associated with familial Parkinson's disease. However, only 5-10% of Parkinson's disease has a family history, and most are sporadic cases. Genetic factors are only one of the factors that cause PD.

3. Environmental factors.

In the 1980s, American scholars Langston and others found that some drug addicts would quickly develop typical Parkinson's disease-like symptoms and were responsive to levodopa preparations. Studies have found that the synthetic heroin consumed by drug addicts contains a neurotoxic substance called 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). This substance is converted into highly toxic 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium ion MPP+ in the brain, and selectively enters the substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons, inhibiting the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I and triggering oxidative stress response, thereby leading to the degeneration and death of dopaminergic neurons. Therefore, scholars have proposed that mitochondrial dysfunction may be one of the pathogenic factors of PD. Subsequent studies have also confirmed that the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I in primary PD patients is selectively decreased in the substantia nigra. The chemical structures of some herbicides and pesticides are similar to MPTP. With the discovery of MPTP, people realized that some chemicals similar to MPTP in the environment may be one of the pathogenic factors of PD. However, only a few of the drug addicts exposed to MPTP develop the disease, suggesting that PD may be the result of multiple factors.

4. Others.

In addition to aging and genetic factors, factors such as brain trauma, smoking, and coffee drinking may also increase or decrease the risk of PD. Smoking is negatively correlated with the occurrence of PD, which has been consistently concluded in many studies. Caffeine has a similar protective effect. Severe brain trauma may increase the risk of PD.

By understanding the cause of Parkinson's disease, we also know that Parkinson's disease is not contagious. However, experts still recommend that once the disease is diagnosed, you should take early measures for protective treatment. Do not be blind in taking medication. You should listen to the doctor's instructions, maintain an optimistic attitude, and actively cooperate with the doctor.