‘Even though Muhammad has Parkinson’s and his speech isn’t what it used to be, he can speak to people with his eyes. He can speak to people with his heart, and they connect with him,’ Lonnie Ali, wife of Muhamma Ali once said.
The boxing legend died on Friday at the age 74 after a lengthy battle against Parkinson’s disease.
Ali was diagnosed with the disease in 1984, just three years after he retired.
READ: Boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies at 74
In the years to follow, Parkinson’s disease began to take away Ali’s motor skills and his ability to speak coherently, but he never strayed from the spotlight.
It’s been reported that the disease was not the result of absorbing too many punches but a genetic condition.
Ten weeks before Ali’s match in 1980 against Larry Holmes, a team of doctors at the Mayo Clinic submitted a medical report to the Nevada State Athletic Commission describing a small hole in his brain’s outer layer and noting that the boxer reported a tingling sensation in his hands and slurred speech.
He retired permanently in 1981.
What is Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a ‘progressive disorder of the nervous system’, according to the Mayo Clinic, that primarily affects a patient’s movement. It often starts with a small tremor in the hand or muscle stiffness and gets worse over time. There is no test for Parkinson’s, so it is occasionally misdiagnosed.
Parkinson’s patients often have trouble walking and talking. Symptoms include slowness of movement, a loss of balance and slurred speech.
Whom does it affect?
Approximately 1 million people have Parkinson’s disease in the United States, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. Men are more likely to get it than women, and it usually affects people over 50.
What causes Parkinson’s disease?
Your body uses a chemical called dopamine to control movement, according to the National Institutes of Health. Dopamine is produced by neurons in the brain, which begin to die with Parkinson’s disease.
With fewer live cells, a dopamine deficit occurs, causing movement issues.
Scientists don’t know what exactly causes these cells to start to deteriorate but believe it’s a combination of genes and environmental causes.
About 15% to 25% of Parkinson’s patients have a family member with the disease, the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation says. In some cases, researchers have identified a single gene mutation that’s passed from generation to generation.
Can you treat it?
There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, according to the National Institutes of Health, but doctors can help patients cope with symptoms.
A medication called levodopa is often given to patients to help their brains make more dopamine. It’s often prescribed with carbidopa, which helps bring the levodopa into the brain.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved deep brain stimulation, which is also used to treat depression, to reduce symptoms in Parkinson’s patients. Electrodes are implanted into the brain and connected to a small device that emits programmed pulses to help control movement.
