[Development of Parkinson's disease]

After a number of good years, most patients with Parkinson's disease are faced with various problems. Some of these are due to the progress of the underlying anatomico-biochemical process and others to interference of the disease with dopatherapy. Motor impairment takes multiple aspects: disturbances of equilibrium and gait, akinesia with unusual presentation, involuntary movements, fluctuations of the motor status. Mental disorders may appear as depressive syndrome, mental confusion and/or varying degrees of intellectual alterations. Despite these disorders, the treatments that are currently available give these patients a normal life expectancy.