Parkinsons Disease

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Parkinsons Disease

• Paramedic Fall 2007
• By Aaron Pittis

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What is Parkinsons

• Parkinsons is a common chronic degenerative
  disease of the central nervous system that
  produces movement disorders and changes in
  cognition and mood. (Venes 1519)

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History of Pakinsons

• 1817 first documented by Dr. James Parkinson
• 1960 researchers indentify that patients with
  Parkinsons have low dopamine levels
• Dopamine crucial to smooth muscle movement
• This led to first available treatments
• 500,000 People in America affected
• 50,000 new cases yearly
• Average age of onset 60 y/o

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Parkinsons S/S

• Tremors
• Affecting the hands, legs, arms, and jaw
• Rigidity or Stiffness
• Affecting the limbs and trunk
• Bradykinesia
• Slowing of movement
• Impaired balance and coordination

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Signs and Symptoms Cont.

• Parkinsons due to its progressive nature its
  effects will vary from patient to patient.
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v1L15wsLWquc

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Causes

• Nerve cells in an area of the brain called the
  Substantia Nigra are damaged or destroyed. These
  cell release dopamine which is essential for
  transmissions for your muscles to make smooth,
  controlled movements.
• Genetic
• People with a direct relative with Parkinsons is
  more likely to develop the disease than someone
  with no relationship

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Causes Cont.

• Environmental Factors
• Rural living, well water, herbicide, pesticides.
• Synthetic narcotic agent called MPTP can cause
  immediate and permanent parkinsonism if injected.

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Treatment

• There is no cure
• Treat the disease by treating the symptoms
• Current treatments
• Pharmacologically
• Surgically
• Deep Brain Stimulation
• Future treatments and possibly a cure from
  controversial embryonic stem cell research?

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Pharmacological Treatment

• Medications that are converted to dopamine in the
  brain or dopamine agonists tricking the brain
  into thinking it is receiving dopamine.
• Most commonly used medication is Levodopa
• No longer produced in United States according to
  the U.S. National library of Medicine
• Is commonly prescribed as Sinemet which is a
  combination of Levodopa and Carbidopa
• Levodopa is converted into dopamine in the brain
• Carbidopa prevents the Levodopa from breaking
  down before it reaches the brain

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Surgical Treatment

• A surgically implanted device similar to a
  pacemaker except the electrodes go into the brain
  near the Subthalamic Nucleus delivering
  low-voltage stimulation to correct errant impulse
  that impair motor function

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Embryonic Stem Cell Research

• Embryonic Stem Cells
• The inner cell mass of a human embryo, have the
  potential to develop into all or nearly all of
  the tissues in the body.
• Possible/Desired Research Outcomes
• Replacement of dopamine secreting neurons in the
  brain of a Parkinson patient
• Ethical Issues and Controversy
• The harvesting of the stem cells

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Myths

• Aspartame can cause Parkinsons
• False (www.aspartame.org)
• Ecstasy will cause Parkinsons
• False (http//everything2.com)
• Thats all I could find

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References

• Venes,D MD, Tabers Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary
  , Philedelphia F.A. Davis Company 2001
• http//www.pdf.org/
• http//www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/levodopa_ids.htm
  
• http//memorylossonline.com
• http//www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmas
  ter/a682394.html
• www.wired.com
• www.whitehouse.gov
• www.aspartame.org
• Paramedic Care By Brady Textbooks