Age-specific progression of nigrostriatal dysfunction in Parkinson's disease
 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?t...Fern%C3%A1ndez

Source: Ann Neurol | Age-specific progression of nigrostriatal dysfunction in Parkinson's disease; de la Fuente-Fernández R, Schulzer M, Kuramoto L, Cragg J, Ramachandiran N, Au WL, Mak E, McKenzie J, McCormick S, Sossi V, Ruth TJ, Lee CS, Calne DB, Stoessl AJ; Annals of Neurology (Oct 2010)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate in vivo the impact of age on nigrostriatal dopamine dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: PD patients (n = 78) and healthy control subjects (n = 35) underwent longitudinal positron emission tomography assessments using 3 presynaptic dopamine markers: (1) [(11) C](±)dihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ), to estimate the density of the vesicular monoamine transporter type 2; (2) [(11) C] d-threo-methylphenidate, to estimate the density of the plasma membrane dopamine transporter; and (3) 6-[(18) F]-fluoro-L-dopa, to estimate the activity of the enzyme dopa-decarboxylase. RESULTS: The study comprised 438 PD scans and 241 control scans (679 scans in total). At symptom onset, the loss of putamen DTBZ binding was substantially greater in younger compared to older PD patients (p = 0.015). Remarkably, however, the rate of progression of DTBZ binding loss was significantly slower in younger patients (p<0.05). The estimated presymptomatic phase of the disease spanned more than 2 decades in younger patients, compared to 1 decade in older patients. INTERPRETATION: Our results suggest that, compared to older patients, younger PD patients progress more slowly and are able to endure more damage to the dopaminergic system before the first motor symptoms appear. These observations suggest that younger PD patients have more efficient compensatory mechanisms. Ann Neurol 2011;

Heard in the corridors...
 

Madelyn,
From those whose job it is to know, I have heard that it's typical to be able to trace symptoms back at least a couple of decades in those with Parkinson's.

My own experience is that I can trace symptoms back to childhood. I was diagnosed at 53 as an early-onset case, and am now 65.

Interesting article.

Jaye

Looking back, I had coordination problems since childhood too..Anything that required physical speed/coordination, like ping pong for example..couldnt do it