Definition
Of Parkinson’s
A disorder of the brain characterized by
shaking and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination. The disease is
associated with damage to a part of the brain that controls muscle movement.
Definition
Of Parkinson’s Disease In More Detail And More Info.
Parkinson’s disease is an age-related
neurologic disease that affects movement, balance, speech swallowing, walking,
and muscle tone. Parkinson’s disease affect a region of the brain known as the
basil ganglia. One-half to one million persons in the United States are
affected with this chronic debilitating disease. Parkinson’s disease was the
first neurologic disease to be associated with the loss of a specific
neurotransmitter, in this case, dopamine. The cardinal manifestations of
Parkinson’s disease include: tremor that usually occurs at rest and can affect
any part of the body, bradykinesia that is a slowness of movement, akinesia or
obsence of certain movements, and increased muscle tone.
Alternative
Names
·
Paralysis Agitans
·
Shaking Palsy
History
·
It appears both in female and
male
·
Ages 50 - 79
·
This disease is more prominent
on the Pacific Island of Guam and Thekii Peninsula of Japan than anywhere else
in the world.(they are trying to find out why)
·
Caucasians get Parkinson’s
disease just a little bit more than black people.(less pigment is suspected.
·
Parkinson’s disease reduces
life expectancy due to increased incidence of infection associated with chronic
immobility
Causes,
incidence, and risk factors
·
Parkinson's disease was first
described in England in 1817 by James Parkinson. The disease affects
approximately 2 out of 1,000 people, and most often develops after age 50.
·
It affects both men and women
and is one of the most common neurologic disorders of the elderly.
·
The term
"parkinsonism" refers to any condition that involves a combination of
the types of changes in movement seen in Parkinson's disease, which happens to
be the most common condition causing this group of symptoms.
·
Parkinsonism may be caused by
other disorders or by external factors Secondary Parkinsonism.
·
Parkinson's disease is caused
by progressive deterioration of the nerve cells of the part of the brain that
controls muscle movement (the basal ganglia and the extrapyramidal area).
·
Dopamine, which is one of the substances used
by cells to transmit impulses (transmitters), is normally produced in this
area. Deterioration of this area of the brain reduces the amount of dopamine
available to the body.
·
Insufficient dopamine disturbs the balance
between dopamine and other transmitters, such as acetylcholine. Without
dopamine, the nerve cells cannot properly transmit messages, and this results
in the loss of muscle function.
·
The exact reason that the cells
of the brain deteriorate is unknown. The disorder may affect one or both sides
of the body, with varying degrees of loss of function.
·
In addition to the loss of
muscle control, some people with Parkinson's disease become severely depressed.
·
Although early loss of mental capacities is
uncommon, with severe Parkinson's the person may exhibit overall mental
deterioration (including dementia , hallucinations , and so on). Dementia can
also be a side effect of some of the medications used to treat the disorder.
·
Parkinson's disease is rare in
children. When present, it appears to be due to decreased sensitivity of the
nerves (post-synaptic) to dopamine rather than deterioration of the area of the
brain that produces dopamine.
Another Type Of Parkinsonism
Secondary
Parkinsonism
·
There are different stages of
Parkinson’s but Secondary is one of them.
·
Conditions which do not usually
affect the midbrain that involve the substantia nigra
·
ex.-Trauma such as head
injuries from boxing can damage the substantia nigra and lead to Parkinson’s
Disease (this is what happen to Mohammed Ali).
·
Or trauma, Ischemia (stroke),
Hemorrhage (stroke), Neoplasma (cancer), Neurosyphilis, Tuberculosis.
The
Clinical Picture
Trap
Tremor (at rest)
Rigidity (cogwheel)
Akinesia
Postural Instability
Tremor
·
An involuntary movement which
may affect the head, limbs, or entire body.
·
Most apparent when limb is
related and supported
·
Increased with stress
·
Ceased during sleep
·
Decreased with intentional
movements
·
‘Pill rolling tremor’ if most
prominent in fingers and hand
·
Most bothersome, yet least
disabling of all symptoms
Rigidity
·
Muscular stiffness and
increased muscle tone
·
Patients usually unaware of
rigidity but troubled with slowness
·
More apparent to doctor than
patient
·
Cogwheeling (affect when moving
arms)
Bradykinesia/Akinesia
·
Akinesia: inability to move
·
Bradykinesia: slowness of
movement
Most
Disabling Feature
·
Decrease in:
·
eye blinking
·
facial expression
·
eating and chewing
·
walking speed
Postural
Instability
·
Impaired righting ability
·
Toe-first walk develops
·
Decreased arm swing when
walking
·
Posture stooped, knees flexed
while walking
·
Unsteadiness while turning
·
Falls will occur
Stage
1
·
Mild one sided tremor or
rigidity
·
Affected arm in semi flexed
position with tremor
·
Patient leans to affected side
·
One sided disease plus axial
(waist) involvement
Stage
2
·
Bilateral involvement
·
Early postural changes
·
Slow, shuffling gait
·
Decreased stride length
·
Mild bilateral involvement
·
Recovery on pull test
Stage
3
·
Pronounced gait disturbances
·
Moderate generalization
disability
·
Balanced is a major problem
·
Server tremor, rigidity and/or
brandykinesia
Stage
4
·
Significant disability
·
Limited ambulation with
assistance
Stage
5
·
Loss of ability to function
independently
·
Brandykinesia very severe
·
Independent mobility impossible
Treatments
·
There is no known cure for
Parkinson's disease. Treatment is aimed at controlling the symptoms.
Medications control symptoms primarily by controlling the imbalance between the
transmitters.
·
The medications used vary,
depending on the case. The type of medication, the dose, and the amount of time
between doses, or the combination of medications used may need to be adjusted
as symptoms change.
·
Many of the medications can
cause severe side effects, so monitoring and follow-up by the health care
provider is important.
·
Deprenyl may be started early
in the disorder to slow progression of symptoms and reduce the need for other
medications.
·
Amantadine and/or anticholinergic medications
may be used to reduce early or mild tremors.
·
Levodopa is a medication that
the body converts to dopamine. (It may be used to increase the body's supply of
dopamine, which may improve movement and balance.)
·
Carbidopa is a medication that
reduces the side effects of Levodopa and makes the Levodopa work better.
·
Additional medications to help
reduce symptoms or control side effects of primary treatment medications
include antihistamines, antidepressants, bromocriptine, monoamine oxidase
inhibitors, and others.
·
Good general nutrition and
health are important, such as exercise, regular rest periods,avoid stress and
tiredness because this can make symptoms worse.
·
Physical therapy, speech
therapy, and occupational therapy may help promote functioning, positive
attitude, and independence.
Complications
·
disability, varying degrees
·
difficulty swallowing/eating
·
difficulty performing daily
activities
·
injuries from falls
·
side effects of medications
Additional
Information
·
Experimental or less common
treatments may be recommended. For example, surgery to destroy tissues
responsible for tremors may reduce symptoms in some people. Transplantation of
adrenal gland tissue (and fetal brain tissue) to the brain has been attempted,
with variable results.
·
Untreated, the disorder
progresses to total disability, often accompanied by general deterioration of
all brain functions. It may result in an early death if untreated.
wallahuaklam.