Parkinson 's Disease : A Long Term Progressive Neurodegenerative Disease Essay

Each year more than 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PDF, 2014). That sixty thousand does not include the many thousand cases that go undetected each year. Parkinson’s is a progressive disorder that occurs in the nervous system. This disease affects a person’s movement. Parkinson’s disease develops progressively. The most common first sign of Parkinson’s is slight shaking of a body part. In the initial phase of Parkinson’s a person will experience slurring of speech and an expressionless face (Mayo Clinic, 2014). With time, the symptoms of Parkinson’s exacerbate. This disease is most frequently seen in people over the age of 50 (PDF, 2014). Parkinson’s disease is generated by a great number of reasons.

Parkinson 's disease is a progressive neurologic degenerative disease of the Central Nervous system. The brain produces Dopamine and Norepinephrine, which are chemicals needed for smooth muscle movement and coordination, heart rate, and blood pressure. Dopamine and Norepinephrine are released by basal ganglions that are produced in a bundle of nerve cells in the brainstem called substantia nigra. In Parkinson 's patients, the substantia nigra are destroyed and neither of the chemicals can be released into the body. (3) The decrease in Norepinephrine causes heart arrhythmia and low blood pressure, causing the person to get dizzy upon standing or tire easily. The lack of Dopamine, the smooth muscle movement and coordination controller is now gone, or significantly decreased, resulting in the first signs of Parkinson’s disease, pill-rolling, a one handed tremor and a decreased appetite. (2)

The World Health Organization projects that, by 2040, neurodegenerative diseases will become more common than cancer (Cashell, 2014). Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is widely listed as the second most common neurodegenerative disease (Wuong, 2012; Gillies et al., 2014; Cashell, 2014; Walker, Davidson, & Gray, 2012). This disease, usually characterized by a tremor, but featuring systemic effects, has been diagnosed in one to two percent of people over age 65 (Casey, 2013). Parkinson’s disease is incurable; the goal of the healthcare team is to help the patient to maintain function, independence and quality of life (Miertová et al., 2014; Magennis, Lynch, & Corry, 2014). In the discussion that follows, current understanding of the causes and treatment of PD will be summarized, along with examples of nursing interventions.

36. _ Dementia__ is a general term used to describe a permanent or progressive organic mental disorder. A common form of this disorder seen in individuals older than 60 years of age is _Alzheimer's Disease_ disease.

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

Parkinson disease (PD), also referred to as Parkinson’s disease and paralysis agitans, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is the third most common neurologic disorder of older adults. It is a debilitating disease affecting motor ability and is characterized by four cardinal symptoms: tremor rigidity, bradykinesia or kinesis (slow movement/no movement), and postural instability. Most people have primary, or idiopathic, disease. A few patients have secondary parkinsonian symptoms from conditions such as brain tumors and certain anti-psychotic drugs.

Of these, the one with the best chance of becoming available soon is called pimavanserin (NuplazidTM). If approved, this drug will be the first to specifically treat hallucinations experienced by people with Parkinson's disease (also known as Parkinson's disease psychosis). Hallucinations are the leading cause for nursing home check-ins for people with Parkinson's disease. As well, the Austrian company, Affiris, has entered clinical trials in humans for their own vaccine to destroy SNCA proteins (the main cause for Parkinson’s). There has also been research into using dissociated cells so that they can be injected into the substantia nigra so that they will replace lost dopamine-producing

The symptoms of Parkinson's disease that Ali experienced began in the early 1980's. His feet didn't seem to move as fast as they once did, and the usually proud man slouched forward in a defeated position. His thinking was also beginning to be impaired.

For many 50 year olds, tasks such as writing or walking can be easily preformed without much attention. In fact, the term “task” seems to stress that there is a greater level of effort than is truly exerted in order for the average person to perform these actions. However, for a patient of Parkinson’s Disease who is diagnosed on average at the age of 50, these every day activities take a great deal of time, attention, and effort to be preformed (Huston). With the growth of research about this disease, a variety of treatment options ranging from medication to surgery are currently available to patients who suffer from the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s Disease.

This paper is limited to Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s Disease was thoroughly researched and will be described in depth including: physiology, etiology, signs and symptoms, diagnostic testing, therapeutic measures, and short vs. long term effects.

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,

Parkinson’s Disease-like pathologies are found in different organisms. However, the pathology do not necessarily result in Parkinson’s-like symptoms. In horses, dysfunction of the pituitary pars intermedia due to the loss of dopaminergic neurons within the hypothalamus is a characteristic of Cushing’s disease (Spelta, 2015). Currently, it is hypothesized that with age, oxidation within the hypothalamus causes the loss of dopaminergic neurons. In equine Cushing’s disease, proopiomelanocortin peptides (POMC), such as acetylcholine (ACTH), α-melanocyte-stimulation hormone (α-MSH), and ß-endorphin, are mass-produced due to the lack of dopamine inhibiting melanotrope cells of the pars intermedia within the pituitary gland (Toribio, 2012). With

Parkinson’s Disease is a very common disorder these days. Over 10 million people live daily with Parkinson worldwide. Parkinson’s Disease was named after an English surgeon James Parkinson who wrote a detailed description essay called Shaking Palsy in 1817. The average age for Parkinson’s Disease is between 45 to 70 years old but you can also have juvenile or young onset as well. Most common symptoms of Parkinson are tremors, bradykinesia or akinesia, or rigidity or stiffness, and balance disorder. Parkinson’s Disease doesn’t have a cure and the cause is unknown it could be a number of things genetics, environmental triggers, age, or gender. Parkinson’s Disease happens because the dopaminergic neuron dies and

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 disease (PD) and related disorders (PRD) are conditions that influence elderly individuals with most extreme pervasiveness and occurrence rates inside of the age group of 75–85 years. Presence of several other co morbidities associated can eventually affect on the independence and also the life quality (Margarita et al, 2010). Parkinsonism is also a very common disease condition in the elderly population, especially the elderly with associated dementia (Friedman et al, 2004). Parkinsonism is neurologic progressive disorder which is induced by dopamine generating neurons loss in the substantia nigra of the brain (Schapira et al, 2010). The reduced level of dopamine produces a wide range of motor symptoms like the resting tremor, slow movement of the limbs, muscle rigidity and mask like expressions on the face also known as hypomimia (Cotton and Hesters, 2012). Parkinsonism is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative condition (Nolden, , Tartavoulle & Porche, 2014). In addition to these characteristic motor symptoms it will also be accompanied by cognitive problems, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal problems and also mood disorders (Lindahl and MacMahon, 2012). A qualified Nurse can help such a resident/ patient to manage their illness by making certain changes in the prescription whenever necessary, by monitoring their condition and also by bringing issues to light about Parkinsonism and its care.