What are typical s/sx of Parkinson's disease?

• A. Tremors and bradykinesia without rigidity or posture changes.
• B. Overall muscle rigidity, difficulty forming words / swallowing, tremors, a stooped, shuffling posture due to a dysfunction in the basal ganglia with depletion of dopamine.
• C. Unilateral headaches with photophobia and aura.
• D. Seizures causing loss of consciousness.

Answer: (B)

Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder caused by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra, which disrupts the basal ganglia circuits that regulate movement. This Dopamine depletion leads to a characteristic set of motor signs: bradykinesia (slowness of initiating and performing movements), resting tremor, and rigidity (increased resistance to passive movement). As the disease progresses, postural instability emerges, producing a stooped, shuffling gait. The combination of rigidity, tremor, and impaired movement often comes with speech and swallowing difficulties, reflecting widespread motor control disruption.

The described pattern—overall muscle rigidity, trouble forming words and swallowing, tremors, and a stooped, shuffling posture due to basal ganglia dysfunction from dopamine loss—best fits Parkinson's disease because it directly reflects the dopaminergic deficit and its impact on motor control. In contrast, unilateral headaches with photophobia and aura point to migraines, and seizures describe epilepsy, which do not capture the typical Parkinsonian motor syndrome.