...Parkinson's Disease Erick Magana PSY/340 January 21 2014 Melvin Council Parkinson's Disease As people start to become more health conscious there are some illnesses that cannot be prevented or cured. As to say it was destined from some kind of deity. To be given a disease or a disability that one cannot recover from must be a horrible feeling, the thought of death around the corner or not being able to do the things that one could do with ease at one point in their life. Not like the thought of death of one day everyone will all die by an unsuspecting death. But to know that having three months, a year or two year two live. How can one not crumble and fall under depression as to quit on one’s life. The human race is extremely resilient. Knowing that a person has a disease does not mean that it is the end of the world. There is treatment and therapies that help with the disease or disability to make life easy to deal with. One of the diseases is that has no cure is but treatment is available is Parkinson’s disease (PD). Parkinson’s is a disease that is hereditary, at least that is what some doctors believe even though no one really knows how Parkinson’s is developed. Parkinson's disease may be caused by a viral infection or by exposure to environmental toxins such as pesticides or carbon monoxide. Parkinson’s is usually found in older people from the ages of 50-65 but can occur at any age. It is slightly more common in men than in women. Parkinson’s is the gradual degeneration...
Words: 1010 - Pages: 5
...Parkinson’s disease Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disorder that affects the central nervous system. It affects the body’s movement abilities and creates symptoms such as involuntary shaking of the body. Researchers believe that at least 500,000 people in the United States currently have PD, although some estimates are much higher. Society pays an enormous price for PD. The total cost to the nation is estimated to exceed $6 billion annually. The risk of PD increases with age, so analysts expect the financial and public health impact of this disease to increase as the population gets older. To date, there are no specific diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease. Diagnosis can only be made by an expert examination after the person has already developed symptoms. Biochemical measures can be used such as a screening strategy monitoring the dopamine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid. Otherwise, specifically 6(18F)dopa positron emission tomography can be used for a direct measurement of dopamine activity. Using a computer to assess movement time is another test for Parkinson's disease. To examine the electrophysiological characteristics of tremor and preclinical nigral dysfunction characteristic of Parkinson's EMG (electromyography recordings) can be used. Finally, a symptomatic screening is often utilized and consists of nine symptom related questions, as well as disease specific and drug specific questions. This provides an indirect functional measure of the nigrostriatal...
Words: 1572 - Pages: 7
...Parkinsons Disease The cause of Parkinsons Disease & Which cells stop working? Parkinson’s occurs when certain nerve cells (neurons) in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra die or become impaired. Normally, these cells produce a vital chemical known as dopamine. Dopamine allows smooth, coordinated function of the body's muscles and movement. When approximately 70% of the dopamine-producing cells are damaged, the symptoms of Parkinson disease appear. The problems that result: 1. Tremor, (shaking, trembling) is the most well known symptom of Parkinsons, but is absent in one third of people when the condition is first diagnosed. Tremor usually begins in one hand and the spreads to the leg, before crossing to the other side. It may also be felt internally. Typically it is most noticeable at rest and when stressed or tired and disappears during movement and when asleep. 2. Rigidity or stiffness of the muscles is a very common early sign of PD whereby the muscles seem unable to relax and are tight, even at rest. You might feel that your muscles will not do what you want them to do. Rigidity may be experienced through the entire range of movement of a joint (called 'lead pipe rigidity') or just in parts (called 'cog-wheel rigidity). 3. Bradykinesia (slowness of movement) occurs because the brain is not able to control smooth and delicate movements. * Leads to a lack of spontaneous activity eg. arm swing diminishes. * Fine motor coordination...
Words: 346 - Pages: 2
...disease. But the most noteworthy was Jean-Martin Charcot. His specific studies between 1868 and 1881 proved to be the turning point in gaining knowledge about the disease (Lees, A.J., 2011). During this particular period of time, Charcot was able to distinguish between muscle rigidity, muscle weakness, and the slowness of movement, also known as bradykinesia. Charcot was instrumental in renaming the disease in honor of James Parkinson. In 1912, Frederic Lewy observed microscopic particles in the brains of individuals affected by Parkinson’s disease. He later named these particles, Lewy bodies (Lees, A.J., 2011). In 1919, Konstantin Tretia Koff reported that the main cerebral structure affected by Parkinson’s disease was the substantia nigra. Unfortunately, his findings weren’t confirmed until further testing was conducted by Rolf Hassler in 1938. In the 1950’s, Arvid Carlsson...
Words: 2250 - Pages: 9
...Parkinson’s disease Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease each year, and this number does not reflect the thousands of cases that go undetected. Parkinson's disease is a disorder that affects nerve cells in the part of the brain controlling muscle movement. Parkinson's is progressive, meaning the signs and symptoms become worse over time. Although Parkinson's may eventually be disabling, the disease often progresses gradually, and most people have many years of productive living after a diagnosis. We will be going through the organ system Parkinson’s affects as well as the signs, symptoms, and treatements. Organ System Affected With Parkinson’s The major organ system affected by Parkinson’s is the nervous system. The nervous system is the major controlling, regulatory, and communicating system in the body. It is the center of all mental activity including thought, learning, and memory. Together with the endocrine system, the nervous system is responsible for regulating and maintaining homeostasis. Like other systems in the body, the nervous system is composed of organs, principally the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and ganglia. These, in turn, consist of various tissues, including nerve, blood, and connective tissue. Together these carry out the complex activities of the nervous system. The various activities of the nervous system can be grouped together as three general, overlapping functions, sensory, integrative, and motor. Functions of...
Words: 1168 - Pages: 5
...Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Basal ganglia contributions to motor control: a vigorous tutor Robert S Turner1 and Michel Desmurget2 The roles of the basal ganglia (BG) in motor control are much debated. Many influential hypotheses have grown from studies in which output signals of the BG were not blocked, but pathologically disturbed. A weakness of that approach is that the resulting behavioral impairments reflect degraded function of the BG per se mixed together with secondary dysfunctions of BG-recipient brain areas. To overcome that limitation, several studies have focused on the main skeletomotor output region of the BG, the globus pallidus internus (GPi). Using single-cell recording and inactivation protocols these studies provide consistent support for two hypotheses: the BG modulates movement performance (‘vigor’) according to motivational factors (i.e. context-specific cost/reward functions) and the BG contributes to motor learning. Results from these studies also add to the problems that confront theories positing that the BG selects movement, inhibits unwanted motor responses, corrects errors on-line, or stores and produces well-learned motor skills. Addresses 1 Department of Neurobiology, Systems Neuroscience Institute and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA 2 Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, UMR5229 CNRS, 67 Blvd. Pinel, 69500 Bron, France Corresponding author: Turner, Robert S (rturner@pitt...
Words: 3279 - Pages: 14
...Abbey Ward Period 1 Parkinson’s disease Symptoms and Diagnosis Parkinson’s disease, other known as PD, is motor system disorder. The trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw and face are main symptom of PD; along with stiffness of limbs, slow movements, impaired balance and/or coordination. If symptoms begin to become worse patients with PD may difficulty walking, talking, or even completing simple tasks. A diagnosis can be made by looking at the patient’s medical history and a neurological exam sometimes a brain scan or labs test may be done to rule out the possibilities of other diseases. Etiology PD is caused by low dopamine levels, a chemical that is involved in controlling movements. Low levels happen when the brain makes dopamine break down; there is no known cause for the breakdown to occur. Scientists believe that PD may have links with genetics and/or age. Pathogenesis The lack of dopamine in the basal ganglia, where most of motor controls are located, causes the motor functions to be greatly affected. This lends to the constant trembling within the hands, arms, legs, etc. The trembling throughout the body limbs can cause balancing and/or coordination problems. Epidemiology PD can affect anyone no matter what their social or economic class, or even geographic area. About fifty thousand American are diagnosed with PD. Statistics show that it affects men more often than women, along with affecting whites more than African Americans or Asians. Age is an...
Words: 297 - Pages: 2
...arkinson's Disease: Is It All In the Brain? :: 6 Works Cited :: 6 Sources Cited Length: 1098 words (3.1 double-spaced pages) Rating: Red (FREE) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Parkinson's Disease: Is It All In the Brain? "When I should go lay down on the couch, but I know that I will never find a comfortable position, so if I'm to be uncomfortable, it may as well be here, in front of this gently glowing screen. I feel the last of last night's meds burn away in my throat and then the dreaded "heebie-jeebies" come" (6). Parkinson's disease otherwise named the "shaking palsy" in 1817 by James Parkinson affects 50,000 Americans every year. The risk of the disease is higher amongst men giving them twice risk of developing Parkinson's disease compared to women (5). It is not clear why men are more prone to getting the disease, but it may be related to them not having the female hormone estrogen. (5). The general population that is at risk for developing Parkinson's disease are people older than fifty (1,5).The disease is related to a motor system disorder that cause the patient's hands, legs, jaw, face, and arms to tremor. Parkinson's disease may also cause bradykinesia (slowness of movement) as well as a loss of balance, and a difficulty in doing ordinary daily activities such as walking, talking, eating, and writing (1,2,5). How does this disease then affect the I-Function? If we already have all of our learned capabilities...
Words: 1183 - Pages: 5
...Parkinson's Disease Erick Magana PSY/340 January 21 2014 Melvin Council Parkinson's Disease As people start to become more health conscious there are some illnesses that cannot be prevented or cured. As to say it was destined from some kind of deity. To be given a disease or a disability that one cannot recover from must be a horrible feeling, the thought of death around the corner or not being able to do the things that one could do with ease at one point in their life. Not like the thought of death of one day everyone will all die by an unsuspecting death. But to know that having three months, a year or two year two live. How can one not crumble and fall under depression as to quit on one’s life. The human race is extremely resilient. Knowing that a person has a disease does not mean that it is the end of the world. There is treatment and therapies that help with the disease or disability to make life easy to deal with. One of the diseases is that has no cure is but treatment is available is Parkinson’s disease (PD). Parkinson’s is a disease that is hereditary, at least that is what some doctors believe even though no one really knows how Parkinson’s is developed. Parkinson's disease may be caused by a viral infection or by exposure to environmental toxins such as pesticides or carbon monoxide. Parkinson’s is usually found in older people from the ages of 50-65 but can occur at any age. It is slightly more common in men than in women. Parkinson’s is the gradual degeneration...
Words: 1010 - Pages: 5
...Parkinsons Disease Introduction Defination Parkinson’s diseases is a slow progressive neurological movement disorder that eventually leads to disability. Its associated with decreased levels of dopamine resulting in distruction of pigmented neuronal cells in the substantia ingrain the basal ganglia region of the brain. (brunner and suddarth eleventh edition) Signs and symptoms Tremor is the characterisitic shaking associated with Parkinsons diseas and often begins in the hand. Pill-rolling and bacj and forth rubbing of the thumb and forfinger is alos seen and may occure whrn the hand is at rest. Slloowed motion is another common sign and symoptom of parkinsons disease, over time there is reduced ability to initiate voluntary movement therefore making simple tasks difficult anf time consuming. This causes the patient to have a short steps while walking and a shuffling walk. Muscle rigidity is occurs in any part of the body, it may sometimes be so severe that it limits the range of movement s and causes pain. The posture is impared and there is no balance therefore the patient is seen to have a stooped posture. This causes a problem with balance in later stages of the disease. Loss of automatic movements such as blinking smiling swinging the arms while walking are diminishes and sometimes even lost Some patients with Parkinsons disease have a problem with speech they may speak more softly, rapidly or in monotone and sometimes slurring or repeating words is seen. hestitance...
Words: 303 - Pages: 2
...Parkinson’s disease Parkinson’s is a disease that affects the nervous system. Parkinson’s is caused by the progressive impairment or deterioration of neurons in the brain known as the substantia nigra. The brain produces a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine works as a chemical messenger in the brain allowing communication between the substania nigra and the corpus striatum. The communication works by coordinating smooth and balancing muscle movement. When there is a lack of dopamine it results in abnormal nerve functioning causing a loss in ability to control body movements. It is not known how Parkinson’s occurs or how the neurons in the brain become impaired. There is evidence that Parkinson’s may be genetic or inherited. In a small number of families, specific genetic abnormalities leading to the illness have been identified. Yet the majority of people with Parkinson's disease do not have any of these identified genetic abnormalities. It is thought that early onset Parkinson’s disease may be genetic. The cause of Parkinson’s is still very unclear. There is also evidence that Parkinson’s may be caused by certain toxins in the air. Scientists have suggested that external or internal toxins may selectively destroy the dopaminergic neurons and can cause Parkinson's disease. Chemicals that may cause Parkinson’s are manganese, carbon monoxide, carbon disulfide, and some other pesticides. The symptoms of Parkinson's disease can vary from person to person. Early signs may...
Words: 421 - Pages: 2
...different. Both of these disorders happen for completely different reasons. While both diseases can have effects on the body and treatments that seem similar, most are specific to the individual disease. It takes a combination of different types of therapies to combat the toll these diseases take on the body. The treatments can only help with the symptoms however, because both of these diseases have no cure. These two disorders do have some similar attributes, but are more different than alike. The causes for both Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) originate in the brain, but for different reasons. . Primary PD is attributed to a decrease in dopamine production in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra. The substantia nigra is part of a system of interconnecting nerve centers, called the basal ganglia, and a router called the thalamus. They are located in the core of the brain and brainstem that controls the coordination of the movement of muscles. The basal ganglia take in and process information, and the motor cortex sends the commands out for movement (Parkinson's Disease and NPH, 2013). When there is lack of dopamine, the brain cannot send it out to areas of the body it needs to, which is what causes the effects of the disease. The cause of MS however, is still not known, but scientists believe that a combination of several factors may be involved. It is now generally thought that MS involves an immune-mediated process. An immune-mediated...
Words: 1135 - Pages: 5
...Parkinson’s Disease Carley Drye Bio 330-002 Dr. Blais Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that falls under the category of motor disorders. It is caused by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons, which allow for the ability to move with ease. The four signature symptoms of PD are a resting tremor, stiffness, slowness of movement, and postural instability. The disease is most common in people over the age of fifty and also affects more men than women. 6,000 people in the United States are diagnosed each year with the disease. There are currently no consistent blood or imaging tests that indicate a person has Parkinson’s. Instead, a complete family history is taken, and a neurological examination is performed by the physician to test for the most common symptoms. There is presently no cure for this progressive disease, but several treatments have been developed that effectively treat many of the symptoms. The discovery of Parkinson’s disease began in 1817 when James Parkinson wrote a book after observing several patients in his hospital with what he called a “shaking palsy” (1). Fifty years later, in 1867, the scientist Jean-Martin Charcot broadened the description of the disease. He and his students were able to distinguish PD from multiple sclerosis and other diseases characterized by tremoring. Additionally, they developed a clinical spectrum for the disease based on different typed of symptoms (1). They had observed that...
Words: 2971 - Pages: 12
...cepa Pea Pisum sativum Peanut Arachis hypogaea Potato Solanum tuberosum Pumpkin Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita maxima Spinach Spinacia oleracea Sweet potato Ipomoea batatas Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum Watermelon Citrullus lanatus ~ andi fayian 28 ~Apple - MalusBlue Bindweed - Solanum dulcamara * Bird's Nest - Daucus carota * Bird's Nest Plant - Daucus carota * Birch - Betula spp. * Black Birch - Betula lenta, Betula nigra * Bolean Birch - Betula papyrifera * Canoe Birch - Betula papyrifera * Cherry Birch - Betula lenta * European Weeping Birch - Betula pendula * European White Birch - Betula pendula * Gray Birch - Betula alleghaniensis * Mahogany Birch - Betula lenta * Paper Birch - Betula papyrifera * Red Birch - Betula nigra * River Birch - Betula nigra, Betula lenta * Silver Birch - Betula papyrifera * Spice Birch - Betula lenta * Sweet Birch - Betula lenta * Water Birch - Betula nigra * Weeping Birch - Betula pendula * White Birch - Betula papyrifera, Betula pendula * Yellow Birch - Betula alleghaniensis * Bittercress - Barbarea vulgaris, Cardamine bulbosa, Cardamine hirsuta * Hairy Bittercress - Cardamine hirsuta * Bittersweet - Solanum dulcamara * Trailing Bittersweet - Solanum dulcamara * Bitterweed - Any plant in the Ambrosia genus, specially Ambrosia artemisiifolia; Artemisia trifida; Helenium amarum * Blackberry - Rubus spp., Rubus pensilvanicus, Rubus...
Words: 2648 - Pages: 11
...also comparable to sugar maples. Black walnut (Juglans nigra) The black walnut tree is a valuable timber species, whose sap flows in autumn, winter, and spring. It is more common in the Midwest than in the Northeastern United States. Heartnut (Juglans ailantifolia) A cultivar of Japanese walnuts, heartnuts have sugar contents comparable to sugar maples, but produce much less sap. English walnut (Juglans regia) These are the walnuts commonly eaten and purchased from supermarkets. They are not typically found in the Eastern United States, but rather are grown most abundantly in California. English walnut trees can be tapped successfully, especially when subjected to a freezing winter and spring. Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) The paper birch has a lower sugar content than sugar maple (less than 1%), but is the sweetest of the birch trees. Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) The yellow birch tree has been found to have a higher mineral composition, lower sugar content, and a higher ORAC value (measure of antioxidant capacity) than sugar maple. Black birch (Betula lenta) Native to eastern North America, black birch is most popular for its use in making birch beer. And, as this list suggests, the black birch can be tapped. River birch (Betula nigra) Found growing abundantly in the southeastern United States, and planted as an ornamental in the Northeast, the river birch can successfully be tapped. Gray birch (Betula populifolia) Gray birch is more of a shrub than a tree...
Words: 1044 - Pages: 5
