When a famous individual announces a Parkinson’s diagnosis, like singer-songwriter Neil Diamond did in 2018, there’s an immediate uptick in interest in the disease. That can be turned into a positive, but it’s important that people recognize how Parkinson’s affects individuals every day, regardless of their social status. What is Parkinson’s disease? Parkinson’s disease, also called PD, is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately dopamine-producing (dopaminergic) neurons in a specific area of the brain known as the substantia nigra, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. Those neurons weaken and die over time. In the simplest of terms, PD is a nervous system disorder that eventually affects movement and sometimes behavior. The Mayo Clinic says symptoms tend to start off minor and are often barely noticeable. PD builds progressively, and eventually may affect more than just movement — causing mental and behavioral changes as well. Who does PD affect? The National…