prop. n. A small genus of spiny shrubs or small trees.
Syn. -- genus Parkinsonia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A degenerative nervous disorder occurring mostly in persons older than 60 years, characterized in advanced stages by rhythmic muscular tremors, especially in the hands, and by rigidity of movement, a drooping posture, slow speech, and a masklike facial expression; the term designates a set of symptoms, and the underlying disease causing these symptoms is most commonly Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism results from a deficiency in the neurotransmitter dopamine caused by degeneration of the cells producing that agent. It can be mitigated by chemotherapy with agents such as levodopa (3-hydroxy-L-tyrosine).
Syn. -- paralysis agitans, Parkinson's disease, Parkinson's syndrome, Parkinson's, shaking palsy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

A Mayo Clinic study finds parkinsonism, a group of ailments that includes Parkinson's disease, is three times more common than previously thought and men are more likely to develop it than women.
The study, published Tuesday in the journal Neurology, found the lifetime risk of developing parkinsonism is 7.5 percent, three times higher than previously thought. UPI (Jan. 2, 1999) [ PJC ]

prop. n. A disease causing parkinsonism, a degenerative nervous disorder; sometimes used loosely as a synonym for parkinsonism. More precisely, parkinson's disease is the term for the underlying physiological disorder and parkinsonism is the term for the set of symptoms associated with the disease. See parkinsonism.
Syn. -- paralysis agitans, Parkinsonism, Parkinson's disease syndrome, shaking palsy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

Parkinson's disease is the most common form of parkinsonism, a group of disorders that are the result of the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Mayo Clinic (Report, 1999) [ PJC ]

According to the National Parkinson's Foundation (NPF), 1 million Americans -- including former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, and television and film star Michael J. Fox -- are affected by Parkinson's disease. Mayo Clinic (Report, 1999) [ PJC ]