Parkinson's disease, a disease of more than 200 years

Although Parkinson's disease was documented 201 years ago, there are no data or studies in our country on the prevalence of this disease. According to international data, it can be estimated that there are about 40,000 patients with Parkinson's disease in Chile. Not knowing exactly how many people are affected by this disease, it is difficult to design public policies that facilitate care and improve the quality of life of diagnosed patients.

Currently, this disease is covered by the Auge or the Ges with a portfolio that considers the pharmacological treatment and consultation of physicians, mainly in the field of neurology. Besides these treatments, the guide Auge also mentions kinesiology and occupational therapy, as well as other technical aids depending on the state of the disease, such as a cane, a trotter or a A wheelchair. However, it is also important to consider multidisciplinary treatments, particularly in the psychological and / or psychiatric fields, because of the socio-emotional and physical impact that this disease entails.

All the patients described above are palliative care, Parkinson's disease being a chronic and neurodegenerative disease, it progresses and worsens with time. In spite of this, other surgical treatments, beneficial for some patients and guaranteeing radical changes in their quality of life, have appeared recently, blocking the nerve impulses causing the tremor and some other typical symptoms of cancer. illness, such as rigidity, convulsions, slow movements and walking problems. Although it does not cure the pain, it allows some of those affected to partially recover their self-esteem.

Investigations in this area do not stop, and it is thus that Claudio Hetz, researcher in international and university neuroscience, of the Instituto Milenio de Neurociencia Biomédica (BNI) received the Actor's foundation "Back to the future" Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's disease from the age of 30, a contribution of $ 260 million for his research to find a cure for the disease Parkinson's.