Parkinsons term paper Essay

Parkinsons unhealthiness is characterized as a degenerative rowdyism of the central nervous system which is understood to persist and continually slump over time. It is the second most common neurological overturn. Parkinsons infirmity affects approximately one million people within the United States. This disorder progresses s impoverishedly and is unique in the sense that Parkinsons affection tramp be begind by genetics among other things. Parkinsons indisposition is head cognise for its characteristic tremors, stiffness, and awkwardy with speech in the longanimouss it affects. Parkinsons disease is caused by diminishment of the substantia nigra in the tegmentum which controls push functions within the body. This disease is categorize as a basil ganglionic disorder which causes a breakdown of dopamineric neurons in the substancia nigra, located in the midbrain. The substancia nigra is composed of neuromelanin which pigments the substancia nigra and gives it its darke r characteristic.The neuromelanin likewise connects to the motor cortex which is responsible for ones motor control and balance. The chemical substance dopamine is created in the substantia nigra. The basil ganglia receives scuttle besidests from the motor cortex, the association cortex, and the substancia nigra. The basil ganglia whence sends messages to the motor cortex by way of the thalamus. With Parkinsons disease, the nigral neurons are damaged, which causes the neuromelanin to be free to move into the adjacent tissue where it is phagocytosed and moved away by macrophages. This degenerative process not only destroys the process of creating dopamine, but it also causes the pigmentation of the substancia nigra to change and croak lighter in appearance. The pretermit of dopamine-related input from the substantia nigra negatively changes the equilibrium of the output from the basil ganglia to the motor cortex. This regeneration in the equilibrium then causes the symptoms re lated to Parkinsons disease. The direct cause of Parkinsons disease remains a medical exam mystery, but many a(prenominal) factors sess participate in determining whether one is susceptible to evolution Parkinsons disease inthe future.The exposure to specific toxins in the environment and various environmental factors has the possibility of turning a character in those who were diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. Another possible cause of Parkinsons disease is the role of ones genetics. It is found that certain mutations can give pilfer to Parkinsons disease, although this is uncommon. The brains of patients with Parkinsons disease change as the disease progresses. Lewy bodies are microscopic markers that characterize the presence of Parkinsons disease within a patient. They are abnormal microscopic protein deposits that form in the brain and play a role in disrupting the brains normal functions. This recess causes deterioration. Lewy bodies contain A-synuclein which is a pr otein that cells cannot break down. Early indicators of Parkinsons disease implicate tremors or shaking which can reside in ones finger, thumb, transcend, lip, or chin, though shaking is normal after extensive natural activity, injury, or whitethorn be due to medications.If ones hired hand begins to appear smaller over a short period of time, it could be a warning sign of Parkinsons although one should not abode their self- diagnosis upon handwriting, for handwriting can change as one advances in age, but this happens over time and not sharply. A loss of thwack in specific foods can be an indicator, but a loss of smell can also be related to the possession of the common acold or the flu. Another early sign whitethorn be sudden movements while sleeping such as falling out of the hind end or kicking and punching. It is important to understand that people on single-valued function whitethorn experience difficulty sleeping. Chronic stiffness can be a sign, but this symptom ca n also be caused by an injury or arthritis. If one is experiencing constipation on a day-to-day basis, this can be considered a sign of Parkinsons disease, although a lack of fiber in ones diet or medications can determine the pitiful of ones bowels. Having recently possessed a soft or low voice is an indicator unless one has a chest cold or other virus.If one has the appearance of a masked face, a blank stare that persists, or undergoes a long duration of time without the action of blinking, these may be precursors to having Parkinsons disease. popular opinion dizzy or fainting can be signs of low blood pull and may be connected to Parkinsons disease along with the softness to stand up straight. There are many Parkinsons-related symptoms that are known today. The most obvious of symptoms is a resting tremor. A shaking, or tremor, normally starts in oneslimb, and it is often located on a hand or fingers. This resting tremor usually stops when the patient is voluntarily moving t he limb affected by the tremor. A pill-rolling tremor is common and is characterized by one rolling ones thumb and forefinger. These tremors can be noticed when the limb is even at a relaxed state. Due to the tremors and inability to control certain motor functions, writing can become difficult for patients with Parkinsons disease. It is noted that when writing, those effected with Parkinsons disease posses handwriting that is characteristically small.Bradykinesia, or a slowing of movement, can be present. Parkinsons disease has the ability to cause one to move slower which can even off simple every-day tasks a challenge. With bradykinesia, ones steps may become smaller in distance when being mobile, and ones feet may begin to drag when walking. Excessive muscle tone or hypertonus may be prevalent in patients with Parkinsons disease and go forth manifest itself as stiffness or rigidness which causes pain and a loss in ones range of motion. Parkinsons disease patients may experie nce posture impairment and balance, for a patients posture can become stooped, and balance can be bewildered. Patients diagnosed with Parkinsons disease may experience a loss in their involuntary functions which include and are not limited to smiling, swinging ones arms while walking, and blinking. This loss in autonomic function caused a select number of patients to stop using their hands while verbalize in normal conversations. Speech changes can affect those living with Parkinsons disease. One may speak out of rhythm in such a way that it may sound soft, quick, hesitant, monotone or slurred. diagnose Parkinsons disease is not a simple process, for a shield for Parkinsons disease does not yet exist. In order to be diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, a neurologist must first obtain a detailed medical history of the patient being diagnosed, a revaluation of the patients signs and symptoms, a physical examination, and a neurological examination. Tests to expel other conditions m ay be ordered to ensure proper diagnosis of the disorder. Once a patient has undergone sufficient testing and examining, the doctor may prescribe the patient the medication carbidopa-levodopa, which is a Parkinsons disease medicine. If the patient improves considerably while on the medication, this often confirms a Parkinsons disease diagnosis.There exists a wide-range of treatments for patients that suffer from Parkinsons disease from do drugs treatments to working(a) treatments.The pharmacologic go about for those with Parkinsons disease aims to increase the lack of dopamine in the patients basil ganglia. L-dopa or Levodopa is a drug that can cross the blood-brain barrier. The brain can convert this drug to dopamine. Carbidopa can also be prescribed to patients afflicted with Parkinsons disease. Carbidopa is a decarboxylase inhibitor and, when taken with levodopa, can aid levodopa from converting to dopamine away of the brain. The combination of medications allows for more(pre nominal) levodopa to reach the brain which ultimately increases the brains supply of dopamine. These two medications decrease the side effects which are caused by an increased center of dopamine outside of the brain. They reduce the supply of free dopamine from residing outside of the brain. An excess of dopamine outside of the brain could result in low blood pressure, vomiting, and nausea. Other medications include dopamine agonists which directly stimulate brace receptors inside of the brain which are usually stimulated by dopamine.In contrast to the medication levodopa, dopamine agonists do not convert into dopamine but rather behave like dopamine. Dopamine agonists are utilize in patients that are in the early stages of Parkinsons disease and may be added to a treatment plan along with levodopa in the later(prenominal) stages of Parkinsons disease. It may also be added when levodopa alone cannot sufficiently neck the patients symptoms or when the patient has severe motor f luctuations. slope effects associated with levodopa-carbidopa include dizziness upon rising, confusion, nausea, movement disorders, and hallucinations. Side effects normally associated with dopamine agonists are vomiting, nausea, and orthostatic hypotension. Surgical treatment options are lendable for those who suffer from Parkinsons. These surgical treatments are intended to control symptoms related to Parkinsons disease patients who do not positively respond to medications. One of the surgical treatments creates a lesion in specific portions of the thalamus within the midbrain which become hyperactive in Parkinsons disease. A reversible procedure that can be used on patients diagnosed with Parkinsons disease is deep brain stimulation, or DBS. With this procedure, electrodes are implanted into exact locations. These locations are treated then with pulses of galvanizing currents.Why deep brain stimulation works is unknown. Medicalexperts intend that the current could be activa ting, affecting, or inhibiting synaptic transmission onto neurons in the neighborhood of the electrodes. The future prospects for a cure for Parkinsons disease are promising, for the medical residential area has begun to identify the genetic causes linked to Parkinsons disease. This allows the medical community to expand animal models of Parkinsons disease. These give be highly reusable in the process of understanding the pathogenesis of the disease and will be reusable in further testing the neuroprotective therapies which can potentially aid in the fight against the progression of Parkinsons disease. A different potential approach in the future would be to engage in the replacement of lost neurons via transplantation, which would be highly difficult and tedious. Overall, Parkinsons disease is well on the way to being better understood and through this understanding scientists will be able to directly identify the source of this disease and last find a method that directly cu res this disease.ReferencesEtiology. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved March 13,2014, from http//www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ aetiology Welcome to the Purdue OWL. (n.d.). Purdue OWL APA Formatting and Style Guide. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from https//owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ preference/560/01 Parkinsons Symptoms & Types. (n.d.). WebMD. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from http//www.webmd.com/parkinsons-disease/guide/parkinsons-symptons-types Parkinsons disease. (n.d.). Complications. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from http//www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/basics/complications/con-20028488 Parkinsons Disease. (n.d.). Parkinsons Disease. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from http// courses.washington.edu/conj/bess/parkinsons.html Nisipeanu, P. (n.d.). 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