Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder whose biological core lies in the loss of dopamine-producing neurons within the substantia nigra pars compacta, a midbrain structure essential for smooth, coordinated movement. When these neurons degenerate, striatal dopamine levels fall, disrupting basal ganglia circuits and producing the characteristic tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability first systematically described by James Parkinson in 1817 in his An Essay on the Shaking Palsy. The biochemical basis of the disease was clarified in the mid-20th century when Arvid Carlsson (1957) demonstrated dopamine’s role as a neurotransmitter critical for motor control, and Oleh Hornykiewicz (1960) identified profound dopamine depletion in the striatum of affected patients, leading to the transformative use of levodopa therapy. Together, these discoveries anchored Parkinson’s disease in neurochemical pathology rather than mere symptom description.

From a Christian perspective, the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons reflects the broader Biblical account of human frailty in a fallen creation (Romans 8:20–22), while the persistent human effort to understand and treat such disorders resonates with the mandate to love one’s neighbour (Mark 12:31) and to exercise wise stewardship over knowledge and healing (cf. Luke 10:33–34). The hope of restoration promised in the Bible does not negate biological reality but frames scientific inquiry as participation in God’s redemptive care for embodied persons.

Thus, the study of dopamine and the substantia nigra is not only a triumph of neuroscience but also a profound service to personal wellbeing, restoring mobility, dignity, and agency, and to societal health, reducing disability burden, informing compassionate policy, and modelling how rigorous science and theological reflection can jointly affirm the value of every human life.