How Parkinson's Disease Affects Your Body

J.N., a 65-year-old Caucasian female with a history of anxiety and depression, presents for diagnostic testing at Saint Mary Medical Center in Hobart, Indiana to confirm or deny a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease, after presenting with recent onset of upper extremity tremor affecting both sides and facial masking. Patient history also includes bradykinesia, restlessness, fatigue, muscle weakness, and poor balance and coordination, all of which are common in a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. J.N. was referred to the Neurology Department of Saint Mary Medical Center after a routine appointment with her Cardiologist, who noted the recent onset of additional signs and symptoms. J.N. is my mother and my inspiration for this assignment.

By the time someone shows signs and symptoms of Parkinson 's, Dopamine production in the brain has been reduced by 60 to 80% and is fairly advanced. This results in the most recognizable sign of Parkinson 's disease, the resting tremor of the hand or hands. During deliberate movement, the resting tremor goes away, at first. At rest, the tremor will become exacerbated,

Parkinson disease (PD) is one of the most common neurologic disorders. and it affects approximately 1% of individuals older than 60 years old. Parkinson’s disease is a condition that progresses slowly by treatment. In addition, loss of pigmented dopaminergic neurons of the substantianigra pars compacta and the presence of Lewy bodies and Lewyneurites are the two major neuropathologic findings in Parkinson disease (Hauser, 2016).

Parkinson’s disease is caused by the destruction of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the midbrain (Substantia nigra). These nerve cells are used to coordinate smooth and regular body movement. In the absence of these cells, people often experience tremors (involuntary shaking or

Parkinson’s disease is a “neurodegenerative disorder of the basal nuclei due to insufficient secretion of the neurotransmitter dopamine” (Marieb & Hoehn, 2013, p. G-17). The cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown, but many factors play a role in the development of Parkinson’s disease. One factor that has been found in an individual who has Parkinson’s disease causes over activity of targeted dopamine-deprived basal nuclei. This over activity is caused by the breakdown of neurons that release dopamine in the substantia nigra (Marieb & Hoehn, 2013). Another factor that is present in a person who has Parkinson’s disease, is the presence of lewy bodies in the brain stem ("What is lbd?," 2014). Lewy bodies are unusual

One primary symptom of PD is “pill-rolling” tremor—this movement resembles rolling a pill between the thumb and the forefinger. This is also referred to as resting tremor, where the shaking typically starts from one finger and appears when the client’s

Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized mainly by physical and psychological disabilities. This disorder was named after James Parkinson, an English physician who first described it as shaking palsy in 1817 (Goetz, Factr, and Weiner, 2002). Jean- Martin Charcot, who was a French neurologist, then progressed and further refined the description of the disease and identified other clinical features of PD (Goetz, Factr, and Weiner, 2002). PD involves the loss of cells that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine in a part of the brain stem called the substansia nigra, which results in several signs and symptoms (Byrd, Marks, and Starr, 2000). It is manifested clinically by tremor,

Parkinson’s Disease is known as one of the most common progressive and chronic neurodegenerative disorders. It belongs to a group of conditions known as movement disorders. Parkinson disease is a component of hypokinetic disorder because it causes a decreased in bodily movement. It affects people who are usually over the age of 50. It can impair an individual motor as well as non-motor function. Some of the primary symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are characterized by tremors or trembling in hands, legs and arms. In early symptoms the tremor can be unilateral, appearing in one side of body but progression in the disease can cause it to spread to both sides; rigidity or a resistant to movement affects most people with Parkinson’s disease,

It is unclear if Parkinson's is caused by genetics, environment, or a combination of both.

Scientists generally agree that most cases of Parkinson’s disease result from some combination of nature and nurture the interaction between a people’s underlying genetic make-up and his or her life activities and environmental exposures. A simple way to describe this is that “genetics loads the gun and environment pulls the trigger.” In this formulation, “environment” has a very broad meaning that is, it refers to any and all possible causes other than those that are genetic in origin. The interactions between genes and environment can be quite complex. Some environmental exposures may lower the risk of PD, while others may increase it. Similarly, some people have inherited a genetic makeup that makes them more or less susceptible to the effects of toxicants, or poisonous agents, than others. The effect of a combined exposure can be greater or lower than a single exposure. All of this means that the particular combination of factors leading to PD is likely to be unique for each person. These combinations, in different ways, may trigger a common series of biological changes that will ultimately lead to the disease. Scientists are beginning to tease apart the non-genetic factors that influence PD risk. In particular, epidemiologists are working to identify differences in the experiences of people who develop PD, compared to those who do not. But identifying these risk factors can be difficult.

The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease remains entirely clinical in most cases, based on a history and examination. Recently published guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) advise that PD should be suspected in someone primarily presenting with the following cardinal signs: slowness, muscular stiffness, tremor at rest, balance problems and/

Parkinson’s disease is a disease of the central nervous system that affects movement, causing widespread tremors along with other symptoms. It is a result of the loss of dopamine-releasing cells in the midbrain, specifically the substantia nigra pars compacta. There are many theories as to how Parkinson’s disease develops, including the possibility of genetic mutations, certain toxins in the environment, and oxidative stress. The vast majority of Parkinson’s patients are males older than fifty; however, there are cases of Parkinson’s disease in children as young as thirteen. Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include isolated or widespread tremors, stiffness, and slowing of movement. There

Parkinson’s disease is a disease that is associated with disorders of the basal ganglia. Parkinson’s disease is a disease where the muscles cannot be still and the person shakes a lot. The shaking is caused by disorders inside the brain and the basal ganglia. When the person with Parkinson’s disease is not using their muscles, or moving, this is when the uncontrolled movement or tremors start happening. Parkinson’s disease also causes a person to be slow in movements. They may understand and know exactly what it is that they want to do and how they want to move, but their disease prohibits them from doing so in a timely manner. Basically what Parkinson’s disease affects in a person is the control of their motor functions. There are tremors,

Definition: “Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive disease of the nervous system characterized by the cardinal features of rigidity, bradykinesia, tremor, and postural instability” (O’Sullivan and Schmitz, 2007). The condition can develop between age group 60 and 80 years and symptoms mostly appear around 60 years of age (O’Sullivan and Schmitz, 2007).

In the United States there is an estimated 1 million people living with Parkinson’s disease, with the worldwide numbers reaching an estimated 10 million people (American Parkinson’s Disease Association, 2017). Parkinson’s disease, commonly referred to as Parkinson’s, is a neurodegenerative disorder that slowly and progressively deteriorates the central nervous system (Falvo, 2014). This progressive deterioration occurs mostly in the basal ganglia, a structure in the brain composed of grey matter that contributes to complex movement. As a result, the production of dopamine produced by the basal ganglia is reduced. The cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, but both genetic and environmental factors are considered to contribute to its onset. The extreme