Originally Posted by GerryW

Like a lot of people, I think idiopathic PD is a set of symptoms with numerous causes, sort of like a headache. It just happens that the dopamine producing neurons are easily damaged but they are not the only ones, hence the variety of symptoms.

Some proposed causes are misfolded alpha-synuclein protein, environmental toxins such as pesticides/herbicides or industrial solvents, excess iron or manganese, vitamin B2, B6, B1 or D3 deficiency, prion disease, autoimmune condition, an imbalance of neurotransmitters, various infections and related toxins such as cyanobacteria (blue green algae), Lyme disease, Nocardia asteroides, Giardia lamblia, Candida albicans, Helicobacter pylori, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and CMV, EBV, HSV-1 viruses. Oxygen deprivation from arterial compression in the spine or neck vertebrae as well as the brain's peduncle, abnormal chi flow from a foot injury, neck injury, misaligned jaw, arteries irritating the brain, dysbiosis, and aging are some other things that can bring on Parkinsonism. Many people have found relief by attending to one of these causes. So PD symptoms can be caused by a lot of things and that makes finding a cure complicated. What works for one person may not work for another.

The current focus on alpha-synuclein misfolding may not be relevant to everyone and it might not be the only mechanism of cell damage.