A GENERATION of people with Parkinson’s in the North-East face the prospect of their condition never improving unless more research is done “urgently”, a charity has warned.

Parkinson’s UK has launched an appeal to raise “desperately needed” funds to “revolutionise” Parkinson’s research on the 200th year of the condition first being recognised.

Parkinson’s is a degenerative neurological condition for which there currently is no cure that affects more than 100,000 people in the UK.

The main symptoms of the condition are tremor, slowness of movement and rigidity.

According to Parkinson’s UK, around 5,600 people in the North-East are affected by Parkinson’s, but research conducted by the charity shows almost half of people in the North-East wrongly think it is possible to prevent the condition.

While some new drugs have been developed in this time, no current medication is able to slow down or stop the spread of the condition, leaving those affected with severely limited treatment options, according to the charity.

The call comes as the charity claims there is a “shocking unawareness” of the challenges people with Parkinson’s face in trying to manage their condition.

Parkinson’s UK’s We Won’t Wait fundraising campaign will aim to raise essential funds that will bring forward crucial developments in Parkinson’s research to “pioneer more effective treatments”.

Steve Ford, chief executive at Parkinson’s UK said: “In the past 200 years we have made many strides forward, but people with Parkinson’s are still waiting for a treatment that can tackle the condition head on.”

“Parkinson’s can leave people struggling to walk, talk and sleep - that’s why Parkinson’s UK is spearheading, with the expertise of the research community and the support of those living with Parkinson’s, the step change needed to deliver better treatments and a cure faster.

“But we can’t do this alone – we are urgently asking people to donate, in our first ever public fundraising campaign, whatever they can to support our vital work.

“We won’t tolerate Parkinson’s treatments falling behind,” he added.