A New Understanding of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease, a progressive movement disorder whose hallmark is damage to the dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, afflicts almost 12 million people worldwide. And the number of new cases is growing quickly. For roughly 13% of patients, genetics plays a key role. For many others, the underlying cause of the disease might be more mundane and insidious: environmental toxins — via the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the chemicals with which we regularly come in contact. Neurologist Dr Michael Okun, co-author of The Parkinson’s Plan, joins CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta to discuss where we stand today in our understanding of this disease, and the “PLAN” moving forward.

This episode was produced by Andrea Kane

Medical Writer: Andrea KaneShowrunner: Amanda SealySenior Producer: Dan BloomTechnical Director: Dan Dzula

Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices