Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder which is primarily diagnosed in people aged 50 and above. This degenerative disease affects the muscular movement, creates tremor and increases posture rigidity. First explained in 1817 by James Parkinson, this disease is prevalent throughout the world. In the United States as well as the UK around 2% of the elderly population is afflicted by this neurological disorder. In the U.S. alone there are around 1 million patients and every year 50,000 new cases are diagnosed with Parkinsonism and as a nation with a high percentage of elderly and aging population the figures may increase rapidly in the near future. A brief overview of the etiology, symptoms, treatment, patient care and education, would help us better understand the disease condition and its management.
Pathophysiology of Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the motor structures in the basal ganglia region of the brain. One of the observed features of this disease is the degeneration of the neurons in the 'substantia nigra' which are responsible for the production of dopamine. Dopamine is one of the important neurotransmitters of the body which plays a critical role in controlling the physical movements. A balance between acetylcholine (another neurotransmitter) and dopamine is essential for maintaining the normal motor functions of the body. So a decrease in dopamine producing neurons creates an imbalance in dopamine - acetylcholine ratio resulting in the manifestation of symptoms. The loss of pigmentation in the 'substantia nigra' region indicates the damage to the dopaminergic neurons. However the existence of lewy bodies and damage to other neuronal regions are also observed. [Jeff Blackmer]
Etiology
The exact cause for the onset of Parkinson's disease has not yet been clearly established though a combination of factors have been identified as being responsible for the disease condition. Various theories are put forward to explain the etiology of the disease such as 'Accelerated Aging', 'Oxidative Stress', 'Environmental and Neurotoxins' and finally the theory of 'Genetic Predisposition'. It is generally observed that with increasing age there is a gradual decline in the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain. Experts suspect that in subjects with Parkinson's disease this normal aging process is accelerated in combination...
Parkinson disease is considered to be an idiopathic condition. This means that there are no known cures and researchers are still trying to determine its primary causes. When someone is first diagnosed they will exhibit a number of symptoms. The most notable include: shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement, trouble walking and gait. (Sanchez, 2009) (Follet, 2010) (Cummings, 1992) (Leroy, 1998) As the disease progresses, it will contribute to dementia and depression.
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