THE ESSENTIAL
- To date, more than 200,000 people are affected by Parkinson’s disease in France and 25,000 new cases occur each year, i.e. one new case every 2.5 hours.
- This condition is experiencing the fastest growth in the world, due in particular to the aging of the population.
“In general, the French have the impression of knowing regarding Parkinson’s disease, but their knowledge on the subject is fragmented or erroneous”, indicated the association of patients France Parkinson, during the presentation of its survey carried out by Opinionway, this March 24. According to the survey, conducted among 1001 adults over the age of 18, 99% of those questioned said they were informed regarding Parkinson’s disease, but in reality more than 3 out of 10 did not have a clear idea of this condition.
This survey confirmed a lack of knowledge of the pathology by the general public and the predominance of tenacious received ideas which, added to the complexity of the care pathway pointed out by the patients, make the lives of patients still just as difficult. During the press conference, the France Parkinson association and Professor Christine Brefel-Courbon, neurologist and pharmacologist at the Toulouse University Hospital, highlighted five myths and prejudices regarding this serious condition.
1 / The prevalence of Parkinson’s disease
The French are not aware that this pathology is relatively common. Only 16% of people questioned in the survey know that one in 250 adults is affected by Parkinson’s disease. For half of the respondents, this represents only one person out of 2,500 and for a third of those polled, one French person out of 25,000.
2 / The pathology family
“More than 8 out of 10 participants equate Parkinson’s disease to a rare condition”, can we read in the results of the survey. However, it is a neurodegenerative pathology. It gradually destroys dopamine neurons in an area called the “black substance” or “locus niger” of the brain.
3 / Confusion with Alzheimer’s disease
“Parkinson is often confused with Alzheimer’s disease, which is characterized by a progressive loss of memory and certain intellectual functions. Patients with Parkinson’s disease suffer from cognitive impairment that appears late. It manifests by disturbances of concentration, attention and planning”, explains Professor Christine Brefel-Courbon.
4 / Symptoms ignored
According to the survey, 78% of volunteers classify tremors among the most frequent symptoms, even though almost a third of people with Parkinson’s disease do not shiver. “The French are unaware of the two other most characteristic motor signs of the pathology, namely slowness in movement, which concerns 90% of patients, and feelings of stiffness, which affect 85% of patients”, develops the neurologist and pharmacologist.
Professor Christine Brefel-Courbon also adds two other non-motor symptoms, namely fatigue and pain, which are sometimes more disabling than motor signs. “Fatigue is not a manifestation that we see but that we feel. Patients often complain of being exhausted, which can annoy those close to them”, she specifies.
5 / The distinction between symptoms and side effects
For 61% of those questioned, uncontrolled movements, called “dyskinesia”, are part of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. “They are mistaken, these motor signs are not linked to the pathology itself. It is an undesirable effect of medication. Uncontrolled gestures occur four to five years following taking the treatment, this corresponds to the moment when the drug is the most active”, specifies the neurologist and pharmacologist. According to Christine Brefel-Courbon, some patients prefer to suffer from uncontrolled gestures than from slow movements.
