Okay this could be interesting...an excerpt from the article:

Scientists examined the brains of 418 priests and nuns after they died. The researchers found that one-third of the brains that had seemed normal using conventional tests while the people were alive actually had damage to tiny blood vessels. The damage was so slight it was impossible to see without a microscope.

The people whose brains had these tiny signs of hardened arteries and stroke were most likely to have had shuffling gait and other movement problems while they were still alive.

More...

When comparing the severity of damage with a score of Parkinson's-like symptoms, the study said there was a link.



This came up in my newsfeed on FB; I read the CCSVI in MS group there. Oddly this isn't the same symptom set as Vascular Parkinsonism but very interesting that again the substantia nigra takes the hit. Wondering if there is an overlooked vascular component to PD...


This means that problems with walking, rigidity, and other movement issues that are often considered a normal part of aging may not be normal at all. Many old people considered healthy may actually have considerable damage to the tissue and blood vessels in their brains.

Rick your response to the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Ace Inhibitor (ACE) may be a sign?
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The over all impression I get from this is they are saying is that their whole free radicals oxidative stress as natural occurrence in old age and therefore Idiopathic PD is grossly overstated and given they have multiple autopsies of people treated for PD showing absolutely no losses of dopa that maybe there may very well be something more going on.

Interestingly, my grandmother who suffered several ischemic attacks and developed a pill-rolling movement in her hands- it didn't look like a full blown tremor but still had that classic finger rubbing.

Article links:

NPR Interview with researcher