from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Palsy \Pal"sy\, n.; pl. {Palsies}. [OE. palesie, parlesy, OF.
paralesie, F. paralysie, L. paralysis. See {Paralysis}.]
(Med.)
Paralysis, complete or partial. See {Paralysis}. "One sick of
the palsy." --Mark ii. 3.
[1913 Webster]
{Bell's palsy}, paralysis of the facial nerve, producing
distortion of one side of the face; -- so called from Sir
Charles Bell, an English surgeon who described it.
{Scrivener's palsy}. See {Writer's cramp}, under {Writer}.
{Shaking palsy}, (Med.) paralysis agitans, a disease usually
occurring in old people, characterized by muscular tremors
and a peculiar shaking and tottering gait; now called
{parkinsonism}, or {Parkinson's disease}.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
parkinsonism \parkinsonism\ 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] Parkinson's