
Parkinsons disease patients have lower amounts of dopamine in their brain. Dopamine is the chemical that tells the brain how to process information about body movement. As Parkinsons disease progresses, dopamine levels drop even more and symptoms of Parkinsons disease become more noticeable.
As symptoms progress, patients who take Parkinson's disease medications may experience a wearing-off effect. This often happens when the medication from one dose wears off before the next scheduled dose. To counter this effect, a doctor may need to increase the dose of medication required to help keep symptoms under control.