PARKINSON DISEASE

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PARKINSON DISEASE
By Jeffrey Wang Blk D Dec 8,04
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Content

• What Is Parkinson Disease?
• Symptoms
• Risk Factors
• Who Is at Risk?
• Management
• What Are Some Drug Treatments For Parkinson
  Disease?
• What Are Some Surgical Treatments For Parkinson
  Disease?
• Causes
• Glossary
• Bibliography

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What Is Parkinson Disease

• It was first found in 1817 by James Parkinson
• A neurodegenerative progressive disease of the
  nervous system which produces tremor, muscular
  rigidity, as well as slowness and imprecision of
  movements
• Characterized by abnormalities of motor
  function, several of which predominate, but all
  do not necessarily occur in all individuals

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Symptoms

• Physical Symptoms
• Hands tremble almost constantly when inactive
• Stooped, shuffling gait
• Bradykinesia (slowness of movement)
• Lack of facial expression
• Drooling
• Mental Symptoms
• Memory lost
• Dementia, in approximately 20 of all patients,
  typically starting with slowing of thought and
  progressing to difficulty organizing thoughts
• Diminished sense of smell

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Risk Factors

• Biggest risk factor is advancing age
• Family history is almost important
• Various poisons, drug side effect, designer
  drugs, repeated head injuries sustained from
  boxing and brain tumors
• In most cases, the cause of the brain
  degeneration is unknown
• Cigarette smoking
• Caffeine consumption

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Who Is at Risk

• Age 60s to70s
• Male have a slightly higher risk than female
• Sports players such as boxers have higher risks
  than normal people
• Smokers
• Caffeine consumers who consume 5 cups per day

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Management

• Any exercise that gets your muscles moving your
  heart pumping, and that you can keep up with it
  every day such as walking, jogging, and swimming
• Careful diet, no high protein food.
• Physical Therapy is important to many people
  with Parkinson Disease
• Visit your doctor regularly and join the support
  groups

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What Are Some Drug Treatment For Parkinson Disease

• There is no known cure, however, levodopa can
  reduce Parkinson Disease from being worse.
• But those drugs have unpleasant side effects
• There are five classes of drugs to treat the
  physical symptoms of Parkinson Disease
• Dopaminergic Agents
• COMT Inhibitors
• MAO-B Inhibitors
• Anticholinergics
• Amantadine

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What Are Some Surgical Treatments

• Brain surgery is an option for advanced
  Parkinson disease patients whose symptoms can no
  longer be adequately managed with medications
• Types of surgery are Lesion procedures, Deep
  brain stimulation (DBS), and During needle-guided
  (stereotaxic) brain surgery
• New testing treatment called fetal issue
  transplant operation

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Causes

• Parkinson Disease is caused by premature aging
  of deep- seated brain cells in an area called the
  basal ganglia
• Substantia nigra produce a chemical messenger
  called dopamine. When 80 of dopamine is lost,
  the symptoms of Parkinson's disease are produced.
  
• The majority cases of Parkinson Disease are due
  to the potential interactions of genes and the
  environment
• Environmental causes are toxins such as
  pesticides and herbicides

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Glossary

• Neurodegenerative- the decrease in nerve system
• Bradykinesia slowness in movement and thoughts
• Dementia- a chronic or persistent disorder of
  the mental processes marked by memory disorders,
  personality changes, impaired reasoning, etc.,
  due to brain disease or injury
• Levodopa- a type of drug used to reduce symptoms
  associated with Parkinson Disease
• Substantia nigra- a midbrain structure which is
  considered part of the basal ganglia complex due
  to its close ties with the striatum
• Dopamine- an important neurotransmitter
• Lesion procedures- deliver radio-frequency
  energy to heat and destroy a pea-sized region
  within the target, where there is abnormal
  activity related to the movement problems
• Deep brain stimulation (DBS)- uses implanted
  electrodes to stimulate one or another of these
  same regions
• During needle-guided (stereotaxic) brain
  surgery- the pathway to the target lies close to
  several other important structures in the brain
  that may be inadvertently stimulated during the
  procedure. This may cause unusual sensations such
  as flashing lights, tingling, or experience of
  emotions
• Fetal issue transplant operation- a surgical
  treatment in which dopamine-producing fetal cells
  are implanted in the brain.

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Bibliography

• Encyclopedia
• Anne Hildyard. Parkinson Disease. Encyclopedia
  of Health. Volume 11. ItalyMarshall Cavendish
  Corporation, 2003.
• David B. Jacoby, MD. Parkinson Disease.
  Encyclopedia of Family Health. Volume10. Italy
  Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1998.
• Angela Sheehan. Parkinson Disease. The
  Marshall Cavendish Encyclopedia of Health.
• Volume 10. Italy Marshall Cavendish
  Corporation, 1995.
• World Wide Web
• Somerset Pharmaceuticals, Inc. About
  Parkinson Disease. Parkinsons Information.
  1999. http//www.parkinsonsinfo.com/about_parkins
  ons/
• Richard Robinson, Joy B. Leffler. Parkinson's
  Disease Information for Patients and
  Caregivers. WEMOVE. 7 December 2004.
  http//www.wemove.org/par/