Early identification of illness essential, experts say

Even people who appear to be in good health should be aware of the warning signs for Parkinson's disease, according to experts.

Constipation, (characterized as a frequency of less than twice per week), loss of the sense of smell, sleep disorders, slowness of movement, tremors or rigidity are all preclinical symptoms of the disease, said Wing Yun-kwok, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Medicine.

Anne Chan Yin-yan, head of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Unit at CUHK, said, "Identifying Parkinson's disease at an early stage and intervening when the neurodegeneration is less severe provides a higher chance of slowing the progression and even preventing the development of disabling symptoms."