FAIRMONT - It wasn't until celebrities such as Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali announced they had Parkinson's Disease that the public began to learn more about this life-altering disease.

While not a terminal illness, Parkinson's does affect the quality of life for those diagnosed.

"About one in 100 people over the age of 60 are diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease," said Rose Wichmann, manager of Struthers Parkinson's Center in Golden Valley. "It goes to two in 100 people over the age of 70. That's more than MS, more than muscular dystrophy and more than ALS-Lou Gehrig's Disease."

Wichmann was in Fairmont on Thursday speaking to a Parkinson's support group at Grace Lutheran Church. She mentioned there are several different types of Parkinson's Disease, and that every person diagnosed has slightly different symptoms.

"Not everyone has the tremors that people associate with Parkinson's," Wichmann said. "We have an acronym called 'TRAP' that lists the four main symptoms, and two or more of these need to be confirmed before receiving a diagnosis."

While tremors are well-associated with Parkinson's, other symptoms are less noticeable, such as rigidity and stiffness in the muscles. There is also the absence or slowing of movements, and posture changes, such as curling over instead of sitting or standing up straight.

"There are about 15 percent of those diagnosed with Parkinson's that never have a tremor," Wichmann said. "But what causes Parkinson's is a group of cells at the base of the brain that produce dopamine. As we age, those cells start to disappear, and about 60 to 80 percent of those disappear before displaying symptoms of Parkinsons."

Dopamine is a chemical that allows the delivery of messages through the brain. Lack of dopamine means signals are not moving as smoothly.

"We say that automatic is broken," Wichmann said. "Those movements you don't even think about, like walking, or rolling over in your sleep. Blinking also goes away, so Parkinson's sufferers have more of a stare. There is a loss of facial expressions because you don't think about if you're going to smile. It's easy for Parkinson's people to be misunderstood because you can't read their facial expressions anymore."

There are also problems with balance.

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Speaker offers insights into Parkinson's