Symptoms Of Parkinson 's Disease

The most common sign of Parkinson’s is shaking of a patients body, most commonly the hands. With time these symptoms worsen and can become as serious as having difficulty swallowing in the later stages of the disease (WebMD, 2014). The symptoms that occur in between these two stages vary greatly. A symptom that develops shortly after the beginning stage is bradykinesia, slow movement (Mayo Clinic, 2014). This affects a person’s ability to walk or even the capability to get out of bed. Another symptom such as muscle rigidity occurs in numerous patients. This muscle stiffness can arise in any part of a victim’s body. This decreases a person’s area of movement because of the immense amount irritation that takes place.

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 main symptoms and signs of Parkinson’s are bradykinesia, rigidity and rest tremor. Parkinson’s is mainly seen as a movement disorder, but other areas of health problems are associated with it. These include depression and dementia along with autonomic disturbances and pain, although considered to be rare they can present at a later stage of the condition. These rarer symptoms, as they progress, can lead to substantial disability and handicap which harms quality of life for the person living with Parkinson’s, this also has an impact on families and carer’s.

The symptoms of Parkinson’s are followed. These are some Moderate Parkinson’s symptoms can be noticed with movements on both sides of the body, or the body starts to move more

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.

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, primarily affecting voluntary, precise, and controlled movement. Parkinson’s occurs when cells in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra die off. These cells are responsible for producing dopamine. With less and less dopamine, a person has less and less ability to regulate their movements, body and emotions. The terms "familial Parkinson's disease" and "sporadic Parkinson's disease" are used to differentiate genetic from truly idiopathic forms of the disease.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease vary from person to person. They often affect one side of your body and steadily make its way to the other side. Regrettably, the first side is usually affected the worst. Tremors usually affect the body. Shaking begins in your hands or fingers. You can tell when your

Abnormal brain activity is caused when low levels of dopamine are decreased, which leads to symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The cause of Parkinson's disease is unknown, but symptoms of the disease are caused by low levels of a chemical in the brain called dopamine. All this information regarding Parkinson's disease is important because it gives us an understanding about what it is and who it normally involves. This disease affects the lives of many people, where it has an effect in their everyday activities. When trying to perform a certain task, their motor system interferes and creates an individual constraint which also plays a role with affecting both task and environmental abilities to perform certain activities that limits and restricts individuals motor movement. Haywood (2009) explains how every individual has their own constraints: individual, task, and environmental, but are limited when it comes to having a type of disorder. The main focus of this literature review is strictly focusing on Parkinsonian gait. Parkinsonian gait is the type of gait that is exhibited by patients who are suffering from Parkinson's disease. This disorder is caused by a lack of dopamine in the basal ganglia circuit leading to motor deficits, making gait one of the most affected motor

What exactly is Parkinson’s? Known commonly as a movement disorder. It affects movement, muscle control, and balance. “It is the second most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease, and the second most prevalent and disabling condition in the expanding elderly population” (Mikkelsen,Stinson, 2011, pg xix). For those that aren’t aware what neurodegenerative means it’s simply the loss of nerve cells. Nerve cells which are also known as neurons are located in the nervous system. Neurons are broken down into three different types. They are sensory (receptor), motor (effector), and interneurons (connector). Each one of these neurons plays a different role in the nervous system. The purpose of neurons is to receive incoming information and in return send signals to other neurons, muscles or glands. Neurons are made up of three parts. First the cell body which controls the neuron

Parkinson’s disease affects the brain of the individual. The disease affects the neurons in the brain that are responsible for producing dopamine. “In short, a person 's brain slowly stops producing a neurotransmitter called dopamine. With less and less dopamine, a person has less and less ability to regulate their movements, body and emotions” (“Understanding”). This leads to the symptoms frequently associated with Parkinson’s. While Parkinson’s disease is experienced differently in each case, there is a generic order in which the disease develops. There are five main stages that can be experienced. Not every patient will reach all stages, and the severity and rapidity varies. As the stages develop, the symptoms increase from mild and manageable, to intense.

Symptom severity varies person-to-person and early signs sometimes go unnoticed. Usually the symptoms will begin unilaterally and eventually progress to both sides, with the original side remaining worse (Tagliati, 2007). People with PD also have a slumped posture with an abnormally slow gait with shuffling feet. They also may suffer from an issue called freezing. Freezing causes the person to be frozen in place involuntarily for a moment (National Parkinson’s Foundation). Because Parkinson’s causes bradykinesia, or slowing in motion, everyday task take more energy and time to complete. Tasks that seem simple to the healthy individual like getting out of bed is an accomplishment to those suffering with this disease.

Parkinson's Disease is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder that can affect body movements which can cause uncontrollable tremors of the hands, arms, legs, and face

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that slowly erodes an individual's ability to care for themselves. Parkinson's does not have a standard set of symptoms and each person's experience with Parkinson's is unique. What is common is that the disease affects the body's ability to control muscle movements. This may result in tremors, muscle rigidity, difficulty walking, and an inability to perform any task requiring fine motor skills. There is no known cure for Parkinson's disease, and its progressive nature ensures that it is highly debilitating.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. The loss of dopamine neurons in the mid-brain substantia nigra region leads to Parkinson’s, in which a person has rigidity, slowness of movement, postural instability, and typically a resting tremor. It develops gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. But while a tremor may be the most common sign of Parkinson’s disease, the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of

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.