parkinsonism

noun

par·​kin·​son·​ism ˈpär-kən-sə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce parkinsonism (audio)
1
2
: a neurological disorder resembling Parkinson's disease

Examples of parkinsonism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The report, published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, also found that participants who played football at higher levels — professionally or in college — were nearly three times as likely to have Parkinson’s or parkinsonism compared with those who played at the youth or high school levels. Thomas Schlachter, CNN, 24 Sep. 2024 In 2019, Cheng was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative, atypical parkinsonism syndrome – unofficially, Corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Patrick Frater, Variety, 19 July 2024 In severe cases, hypocalcemia can lead to depression, paresthesias (abnormal sensations), parkinsonism (slowed movements, muscle rigidity, and tremors), and seizures. Kashif J. Piracha, Verywell Health, 12 July 2024 Linkage analysis focuses on rare families where parkinsonism, or neurological conditions with similar symptoms to Parkinson’s, is passed down. Matthew Farrer, Discover Magazine, 13 Apr. 2024 Notably, many patients in families with parkinsonism have symptoms that are indistinguishable from typical, late-onset Parkinson’s. Matthew Farrer, Discover Magazine, 13 Apr. 2024 But the symptoms a patient experiences while alive—behavioral and mood changes, parkinsonism, depression, anxiety, and dementia—frequently point to CTE as a cause. Erica Kasper, WIRED, 14 Nov. 2023 However, authors warned that their work is still preliminary and the reasons for the relationship between playing football and parkinsonism are not clear since many other risk factors must also be considered. Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2023 Those cognitive symptoms develop within one year of parkinsonism, or the types of movement changes seen in Parkinson’s disease. Evan MacDonald, cleveland, 29 July 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of parkinsonism was in 1923

Dictionary Entries Near parkinsonism

Cite this Entry

“Parkinsonism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parkinsonism. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

parkinsonism

noun
par·​kin·​son·​ism ˈpär-kən-sə-ˌniz-əm How to pronounce parkinsonism (audio)
variants or Parkinsonism
1
2
: any of several neurological disorders that are characterized by symptoms (such as muscle rigidity, slowness of movement, and impaired balance) similar to those of Parkinson's disease but have an attributable cause (such as drugs, toxins, brain injury, infection, or neurodegenerative disease) resulting in low levels or blocked activity of dopamine

called also parkinsonian syndrome, Parkinson's syndrome

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