The Shaking Palsy : Parkinson 's Disease

Information from the nigra cells passes through the synapses with the aid of a specific hormone, dopamine, which is a significant chemical transmitter in the brain. Because the existence of dopamine is essential to the function of the substania nigra, it is also essential for the various muscular activities controlled by the striatum, such as walking, balance, etc. (16).

Parkinson’s disease, a type of dementia also known as idiopathic or primary parkinsonism, paralysis agitans, or hypokinetic rigid syndrome/HRS, is on the rise in the U.S. Each year there are over 60,000 new cases in the U.S. alone. With the average person diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease over the age of 65 and America’s rapidly growing elderly population, awareness and concern are becoming significant points of interest for many healthcare professionals.

Parkinson Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease symptomized by tremor, muscular rigidity, and slow imprecise movements. Typically, the disease affects middle-aged and elderly individuals. PD is associated with degeneration of the basal ganglia of the brain causing a deficiency of the neurotransmission of dopamine.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that affects the motor system. It is marked by tremor at rest, muscular rigidity, postural instability, and slow, imprecise movement. The most obvious symptoms are movement related, which include; shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement, difficult with walking, balance, and gait. Other motor symptoms include: posture disturbances, such as a decrease in arm swing, a forward flexed posture, and the use of small steps when walking. Speech and swallowing disturbances are also common motor problems that can appear as well to a patient with Parkinson's disease. Young adults rarely experience Parkinson's disease because it is more common to affect

The substantia nigra is where the neurotransmitter dopamine is made by cells. Neurons between the substantia nigra and the stratum send messages via dopamine. As the cells of the sustantia nigra deteriorate in Parkinsons so does the levels of dopamine in the brain, which is necessary for sending messages to other areas of the brain for movement control (Obeso, Rodríguez‐Oroz, Benitez‐Temino, Blesa, Guridi, Marin, & Rodriguez, 2008). The decrease in dopamine production also changes the dopamine to acetylcholine relationship in the brain, which the striatum require to function properly. While the striatum is very complex system which involves signal suppression and enhancement within the brain, the altered ratio of dopamine and acetylcholine can cause some tracts to be under suppressed and over suppressed (Obeso, Rodríguez‐Oroz, Benitez‐Temino, Blesa, Guridi, Marin, & Rodriguez, 2008). The degradation of the cells in the basal ganglia cause is unknown, but many suggest pesticide exposure, serious consecutive brain injury and possible genetic factors.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Two other names for PD are shaking palsy and Paralysis agitans. Parkinson’s disease is initiated when the cells in the brain that produce dopamine die over time. Dopamine is a brain chemical used by nerve cells that helps to control the body 's muscle movement. Without those brain cells and the dopamine they produce, it becomes increasingly more difficult for the cells that control movement to send messages to the muscles; affecting the body’s movement. As time goes on the damage worsens. There is not a known cause as to why these brain cells die, although there are a few theories ("MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia:

A popular joke among college science majors is “you make my dopamine levels go all silly,” in reference to the physiological function of dopamine linked to hormone secretion and emotional behavior. However, dopamine plays an important functional role in movement the generation of movement [4]. A deficiency of dopamine levels in the brain leads to many life-altering side affects experienced by patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is identified as a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the brain affecting the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system [1]. Among the basal ganglia network, clusters of nerve cells known as substantia nigra and their nuclei, synthesize dopamine by mesencephalic neurons [2]. It is the slow disintegration of substantia nigra that lead to Parkinson’s disease affecting

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system, specifically the movement. The most common and most notable symptom is the tremor. The tremor is often found in the arm or hand. Symptoms of Parkinson’s have appeared throughout history. In India, as early as 5000 B.C. certain symptoms of Parkinson’s have showed up. Scientists and researchers

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive chronic incurable neurological disorder that affects 0.3% of the populations in the United States. The incidence of Parkinson’s disease increases with age and it is estimated to affect 5% of the population over the age of 85 (Nolden 2014). Historians have found evidence of the disease as far back as 5000 B.C. It was first described as “The shaking Palsy” by British Doctor James Parkinson. Because of his early work in identifying the symptoms, the disease came to bear his name. (Parkinsons foundation, n.d.) (Parkinsons foundation, n.d.)

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that affects approximately ten million people worldwide (Hellqvist & Berterö, 2015). Unfortunately, the cause of PD is still unknown. However, PD’s pathology involves degeneration in noradrenergic, serotonergic, and dopaminergic pathways (Hellqvist & Berterö, 2015). In addition, abnormally folded Lewy bodies form nodules in brain cells and infect healthy neurons (Hellqvist & Berterö, 2015). PD causes motor and cognitive impairments which include tremor, postural instability, depression, and anxiety (Chenoweth, Sheriff, McAnally, & Tait, 2013). PD is one of the most debilitating and costly chronic diseases in the world, and could have serious

Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder that affects movement, speech, and other brain function due to insufficient amounts of dopamine release. It is currently incurable, however there are some treatments that can be given to a patient depending on their symptoms and how severe they are. These treatments are administered to Parkinson’s disease patients with the goal of controlling symptoms and minimizing their affects for as long as possible as the disease progresses. Parkinson’s disease is still being researched however, and many treatments are considered experimental. Current treatments that are being administered include dopamine drugs, speech and physical therapy, and in more severe cases, deep brain stimulating surgery. Moreover,

    Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and possessive moving disorder that causes malfunctions and death of vital neurons in the brain (Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, 2017). It is a severe disease that affects many americans. Risk factors include age and gender. More often than most, older men of over the age 60 are the target for Parkinson’s. Symptoms include tremors, slowness in movement, muscle stiffness, and more severely the inability to walk. Treatments include medications, therapy, and surgery while depending on the factor of how severe the Parkinson’s case is.  Parkinson’s disease varies in five stages, one being the less severe symptoms and case of treatments .

Parkinson’s disease is affected by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons which is responsible to produce dopamine. Dopaminergic neurons have their cell bodies in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in basal ganglia (O’Sullivan and Schmitz, 2007). Basal ganglia are a collection of interconnected gray matter nuclear masses deep within the brain”. These gray matter masses are caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus and the substantia nigra. Basal ganglia receive its input through striatum (O’Sullivan and Schmitz, 2007).

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor symptoms or tremors, rigidity, (bradykinesia) or slowness of movement and posture instability. Parkinson’s involves the malfunction and death of vital nerve cells in the brain. This disease primarily affects neurons in area of the brain called substantia nigra. Some of these dying neurons produce dopamine a chemical that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease usually begin on one side of the body and within time spread to both sides of the body. The primary process that causes Parkinson’s disease signs and symptoms is when dopamine producing nerve cells in the brain die prematurely. Dopamine is one of the main neurotransmitters in the brain. In a healthy brain, ample dopamine is produced so that the brain cells can coordinate smooth and precise muscle movements. However, when dopamine cells are lost, brain cells communicate abnormally with muscles, which can lead to impaired body movement. (Null, 2013, pp. 153-176)

It has been known that PD is a disorder affecting the basal ganglia. The term basal ganglia is generally applied to a collection of nuclei situated deep within the cerebral hemispheres, lying laterally to the thalamus (Gazzeniga, George, and Mangun, 2008). The basal ganglia are important subcortical structures. They are composed of five nuclei: caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus, and substantia nigra. These nuclei are not thought of a single anatomical entity; rather, they form a functional unity whose contribution is greatly to motor control. Interestingly, this system does not influence movement through spinal cord pathways, but rather acts as part of a feedback loop to all areas of the cerebral cortex, with primary input into motor areas (Aird, 2000). A number of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters are what control this whole process, and a balance of both is required to ensure that smooth, purposeful movement takes place. In order to understand the pathways of which the basal ganglia take part in, it is essential to know the input and output connections of the basal ganglia. The input