...Diseases are sometimes extremely devastating and cruel. Some diseases move very rapidly while others are slow and painful. Treatments are sometimes useful yet other times nothing can stop the silent beasts that lurk in the body. Parkinson’s disease is a slow moving disease that slowly corrupts the brain. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic motor disorder that causes tremors, rigidity, slowed body movements, unstable posture and abnormal gait. This happens when neurons, nerve cells, in a part or the brain called the substantial nigra gradually die. These cells normally produce dopamine, a chemical that helps relay messages between areas of the brain that control body movement. The death of the cells leads to abnormal low levels of dopamine, and causes difficulty in controlling muscle tension and muscle movement both at rest and during periods of activity. PD as of now affects about 500,000 Americans, with about 50,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It is generally a disease that affects people of late or middle age at about age 60 however about 5 percent of patients have early-onset PD and are younger than 40 years old when symptoms begin. PD is slightly more common in men then women. So far scientists have not determined the reason why some people develop PD and others do not. Some experts blame a process called oxidation. During oxidation unstable molecules that areproduced in the brain as a result of its normal chemical reactions which ultimately damage the brain. Another...
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...Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects four major areas which are: the motor system, cognitive or thought changes, behavioral and emotional changes, and the autonomic nervous system. Symptoms of PD may be subtle at first and usually progress very slowly. They are often thought to be part of normal aging. However, early symptoms strongly correlated with eventual PD diagnosis include impaired sense of smell, constipation, slow reaction time, excessive daytime sleepiness, and impaired executive function (the brain's cognitive tasks that include organizing information, solving problems, forming concepts, and making decisions). Atlas, S., Matthews, J. R., Fritsvold, E., & Vinall, P. E. (2014). Ella’s father, Frederic is often referred to as the “shakey grandpa” by the grandchildren and great grandchildren due to the manifestation of some symptoms of his Parkinson’s disease. Joe who is Frederic’s grandson might see things differently and understand why his grandfather is called “shakey grandpa” as compared to Ella’s husband John who is superstitious. He might even tell the grandchildren Frederic is possessed with bad spirits that’s why he shakes. Even though he might understand that it is a disease he might be in denial and not accept it. There are challenges that a person with Parkinson's disease confronts. There will be times when he or she can function almost normally and then other times when he or she will be very dependent. This is a natural...
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...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...
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...Parkinson’s Disease Part 1 Melissa Whisman King University NURS 3005 Pathophysiology Jessica Belnap Parkinson’s Disease Part 1 Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common and complex neurodegenerative disorder. It is second only to Alzheimer’s disease in commonality (Lees, A. J.,2011). Parkinson’s disease is a slowly progressive degenerative disorder and is usually idiopathic. The first extensive description of Parkinson’s Disease was written over 2 hundred years ago. In 1817, English physician James Parkinson write an essay describing six causes of a condition called paralysis agitans (Lees, A.J., 2011). The essay, titled “Essay on the Shaking Palsy” described characteristic traits such as resting tremor, abnormal posture and gait, paralysis, and decreased muscle strength, and the way the condition progressed over a period of time (Lees, A.J., 2011). Early neurologists such as Trousseau, Gowers, Kinnier Wilson, and Erb made contributions to the knowledge of Parkinson’s 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...
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...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...
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...first sign of Parkinson’s disease and the most common, stiffness or slowing of body movement also can be signs of the onset of the disease. Even though many people have never seen nor have knowledge of Parkinson’s disease it is real, and it is a disorder that is progressive and involves the nervous system affecting your everyday movement. Your face shows little or no expression any more, if you have not learned to hide your expressions it maybe an early sign of Parkinson’s disease. The signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease will vary with each individual, and since early signs can be mild it is possible they are also unnoticed. This disease starts on one side of the body first, before the second side is affected, but the first side will always remain the worst. Some of the signs and symptoms may include: tremor or shaking which usually begins in your hands or fingers, slowed movement (bradykinesia) over time can occur, rigid or stiff muscles can occur in many parts of the body, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic movements (blinking, smiling, swing of arms when walking), speech changes, and changes in how a person writes. The cause of Parkinson’s disease still remains unknown, but there are several factors that seem to play a part in it. There are certain genetic mutations that have been identified that can cause Parkinson’s disease, but they are rare. There are certain gene variations that appear to increase the risk of this disease. If exposed...
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...Ask the expert Parkinson’s disease Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and degenerative neurological disease that occurs in 1 in 100 hundred people that are over 60 years old. But there are also people that are diagnosed with this disease as young as 18 years old. This disease develops gradually and in the beginning you may not even feel anything wrong with your body. But as time goes by, the symptoms will show up on your body and progressively worsens. Parkinson’s disease is caused by a deterioration of neurons in an area of brain known as the substantia nigra. This substantia nigra cells produce dopamine, a chemical messenger allowing communication between substantia nigra and other parts of the brain. The communication between these cells...
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...------------------------------------------------- Cellular Disease: Parkinson’s Disease One characteristic that all living beings share is the fact that they are considered to be highly organized, complex creatures. One of the most complex creatures are human beings. The human body contains thousands of genes, proteins and other cellular membranes. Each cell responds to chemical signals from the body or the environment and modifies its behavior in response to signals (Tremblay, 2010). When these cells behave differently from their intended design, the dysfunction is called cellular disease. Cellular disease can include a mutation of the DNA cells, an increase of the amount of cells, insufficiencies in existing cells, or loss of vital cells. Parkinson disease is considered to be one of the most common cellular diseases. It affects the nervous system and causes its victims to experience loss of muscle control. The disease takes place when there is a problem with certain nerve cells in the brain. These nerve cells produce a chemical called dopamine that sends signals to the part of the brain that controls movement. It allows muscles to move smoothly and operate as intended (WebMd, 2005). When the cellular disease known as Parkinson’s is present, these nerve cells break down causing a scarcity in the dopamine that is being produced. When there is a deficiency in dopamine, the body tends to move uncontrollably. Parkinson disease is considered a chronic illness. As time progresses...
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...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...
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...Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nerve cells in our brains that are responsible for the movement of our body. It comes slowly, so slow that you may not even notice it. But over time, a little bit of shakiness in your hand greatly impacts the way you walk, talk, sleep and even think. As this disease is something that not many people have heard of, it is one that we must be aware of as it is the second most common neurologic condition that affects about 0.3% of the population Parkinson’s Disease has many telltale symptoms that have large effects on the body. The most common one that is found among many who are diagnosed is tremors. This is an involuntary quivering movement that occurs in your hands, arms, legs,...
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...Parkinson’s Disease The genetic disorder I chose as my final project is Parkinson’s disease. I chose this topic because I have had numerous patients with Parkinson’s disease and I wanted to learn more about it. Before my research, I didn’t know much about the genetic structures or processes that are involved with Parkinson’s, I just knew the symptoms my patients exhibited, some of which included: uncontrollable tremors, slow motor decline where the patient became unable to feed/dress/take care of self, and mental decline with dementia/hallucinations (www.pdf.org, 2014, para: symptoms). In my experience, it is a hard disease to control later in life because it tends to be a slow progressing disease, which tends to leave the patient completely...
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...Introduction Parkinson's disease may be described as a progressive neurological disorder, it arises from degeneration of neurons in a region of the brain responsible for co-ordinating movement. The neuronal damage results in a shortage of the brain signalling chemical (neurotransmitter) known as dopamine, resulting in the movement impairments which characterize the disease. 71% of Parkinson’s disease cases are due to a sporadic cause, usually influenced by environmental factors. (1) However, Parkinson’s disease may also be caused by genetic mutations of 13 genetic loci, PARK1-13. These mutations may cause autosomal dominant or recessive Parkinson’s disease. Six of the thirteen loci feature genes which have been discovered and published by...
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...Parkinson’s disease (PD) can be defined as a neurodegenerative illness, in which there is a deficit of dopamine in the body. The body suffers from this in many different ways: impaired gait, bradykinesia, rigidity, tremors, diminished expression, kyphotic posture, seborrhoea, and sialorrhea (Baatile et al, 2000). There have been many studies related to the effect of exercise training on patients with Parkinson’s disease. Campbell et al found that exercise allows for dopamine to be synthesized in any remaining dopaminergic cells, which reduces symptoms of PD (2008). The most common question researchers want to solve is “Does physical activity benefit individuals living with PD?” In the bulk of studies where PD subjects accomplished an exercise...
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...Parkinson’s disease, sometimes abbreviated as “PD,” is a neurological degenerative disorder that of the central nervous system. It is a progressive disorder, which means that its symptoms worsen over time. The rate at which it progresses, however, varies from person to person. The disease itself is not fatal, but some of the more serious symptoms can cause complications that lead to death. It affects as many as one million people in the US. The average age of onset is around 60, but some people are diagnosed with it at age 40 or younger. The disease is named after an English doctor named James Parkinson, who was the first to extensively characterize it in 1817. Parkinson’s disease involves the breaking down or death of nerve cells in the brain, most notably in an area known as the substantia nigra. The substantia nigra, which is a Latin term for “black substance,” is a movement control center found in the midbrain as part of the basal ganglia. The substantia nigra has a high concentration of neurons that produce and release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that relays messages to other parts of the brain to control body movements. PD causes dopamine production to decrease, which in turn causes a loss of normal control over...
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...Parkinson's disease signs and symptoms can vary from person to person. Early signs can be very mild and even unnoticed. Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease usually begin on one side of the body, typically they remain worse on that side, even after symptoms start to affect both sides. It can be difficult to detect early signs of Parkinson’s disease but there are some signals or symptoms to look out for. Experiencing shaking or tremors is a symptom of Parkinson’s. The tremors usually begins in a limb like fingers or hands. Pill-rolling tremors are also something to look out for, this is when a person rubs the thumb and forefinger back-and-forth. If person is experiencing a tremor in the hand, when the hand is at rest, this is characteristic...
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