Author(s):
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the United States, effecting approximately a million Americans every year. Though the disease is not fatal, it puts patients at risk for other causes of morbidity and mortality (example: falls, aspiration, serious infections). Along with classic psychiatric and motor symptoms reported by Parkinson’s patients, fatigue is a common and disabling problem. Medical treatment for fatigue in PD is typically managed non-medically through lifestyle modifications (example: sleep hygiene, daytime naps, exercise) though medications may also be used (example: antidepressants, stimulants). Medications may come with side effects; at this point there is no satisfactory treatment specifically targeted at fatigue in PD.
