There are currently about 1.2 million people with Parkinson's disease in the United States and Canada alone. Four hundred and eighty people per million are newly diagnosed with the disease each year. While Parkinson's disease causes many hardships for those afflicted, treatment of the disease has advanced rapidly in the past decade. Information about the genetics of Parkinson's, the etiology and epidemiology of the disease, as well as developments in pharmacological and surgical treatments have all led to dramatic advancements for Parkinson's patients and their families.
With this explosion of information about Parkinson's disease, Anthony D. Mosley, MD, a movement disorders physician, saw a need among his patients for authoritative information written for the layperson. While much is available through the Internet about this quickly changing field, Mosley purposefully set out to construct a print encyclopedia. Most of his patients are more comfortable with a traditional print resource, and many of the Internet resources are of questionable quality and intent. Mosley's work provides Parkinson's patients with reliable information that is easily understood.
The Encyclopedia of Parkinson's Disease covers topics that range from AADC inhibitor medications to zolpidem. Entries include topics on recent developments in pharmacologic agents used to treat Parkinson's, such as the anti‐depressant sertraline, the anti‐seizure medication remacemide, and levodopa, the cornerstone drug for Parkinson's treatment. Medical terms that relate to the disease include entries for positron emission tomography (PET), an imaging technique that creates three‐dimensional pictures of internal structures; proprioception, the body's spatial awareness; and Lewy body, an abnormal deposit of protein within a neuron, the presence of which in the basal ganglia is a trait of Parkinson's disease.
Prominent individuals with Parkinson's disease are also featured. These range from Maurice White, lead singer of the rhythm and blues group Earth, Wind, and Fire; Janet Reno, the 78th attorney general of the United States; and actor Michael J. Fox. Lifestyle issues are also addressed. There are many entries that are designed to help the Parkinson's patient and his or her family adjust to the many changes that the disease brings. These include shoes, and how to find proper footwear to avoid tripping hazards; daily living challenges, and some guidelines for coping with them; planning for the future, and the financial and medical challenges caused by Parkinson's; and marriage relationship and the challenges inherent in intimate relationships with Parkinson's patients. The appendices are an especially useful addition. They include contact information for various organizations and resources, state Medicaid offices, and a bibliography for further reading.
This work is an excellent, straightforward, and easy to read overview of topics related to Parkinson's disease. It is an excellent resource for patients and their families, as well as an excellent reference source for health sciences, academic, and public libraries that are looking to expand their resources on this topic.
