Hello everyone, and welcome to my seventh blog post. Today we will be talking in-depth about a specific degenerative brain disease called Parkinson's Disease!
Parkinson’s Disease:
Parkinson's disease is a motor illness that affects the nerve system. It is a brain ailment that produces unintentional or uncontrolled movements, including shaking, stiffness, and balance and coordination problems. The first signs may be a barely visible tremor in only one hand. Tremors are common, however they are frequently accompanied by stiffness or decreased movement. In the early stages of Parkinson's disease, your face may have little or no expression. Your arms may not swing when you walk. It's possible that your voice will become muffled or slurred. Parkinson's disease symptoms worsen as the condition progresses.
Nearly 1 million people in the U.S are thought to have Parkinson’s disease and around 1 in 500 people are susceptible to it. The majority of people with Parkinson's disease acquire symptoms after the age of 50, while around one in every 20 people with the disease develops symptoms before the age of 40. Men are somewhat more likely than women to get Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson’s disease has a number of risk factors, including:
The most significant risk factor for Parkinson's disease is becoming older. The typical onset age is 60 years old.
Men are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than women.
Parkinson's disease is two times more likely among people who have a parent or sibling who has the disease.
Working with heavy metals, detergents, and solvents, as well as farming chemicals like pesticides and herbicides, and Vietnam-era exposure to Agent Orange, have all been implicated and researched for a clearer relationship.
Head trauma
Causes:
Certain nerve cells in the brain eventually break down or die in Parkinson's disease. Many of the symptoms are caused by the death of neurons in your brain that generate dopamine, a chemical messenger. Dopamine deficiency produces aberrant brain activity, which leads to poor mobility and other Parkinson's disease symptoms. According to studies, some genetic defects can trigger Parkinson's disease. They are uncommon, except in rare cases where a high number of family members are affected with Parkinson's disease. Certain chemicals or environmental factors may also raise the likelihood of developing Parkinson's disease later in life, but the risk is low.
Treatment:
Carbidopa/Levodopa- Levodopa belongs to a family of drugs known as central nervous system agents. It functions by converting dopamine in the brain. Carbidopa belongs to the family of drugs known as decarboxylase inhibitors. It works by blocking the breakdown of levodopa before it enters the brain. This enables a lower dose of levodopa to be used, resulting in less nausea and vomiting.
Therapy- Physical therapy can help you improve your gait and find the proper workout program for you. If you want to improve your fine motor abilities, occupational therapy can assist. Speech therapy can help people with Parkinson's disease overcome speech and language problems.
Deep Brain Stimulation (surgery)- This method involves implanting electrodes into a targeted area of the brain. Patients with medication-resistant tremors may benefit from the surgery. It can also benefit individuals with large motor fluctuations, such as when drug reaction fluctuates throughout the day and dyskinesias or additional movements occur as a result of the medicine.
Works Cited:
“Levodopa and Carbidopa: MedlinePlus Drug Information.” Medline Plus, medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601068.html. Accessed 7 June 2022.
American Parkinson Disease Association. “Treatment and Medication | American Parkinson Disease Assoc.” American Parkinson Disease Association, 23 May 2022, www.apdaparkinson.org/what-is-parkinsons/treatment-medication.
“Parkinson’s Disease Risk Factors and Causes.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, 10 Apr. 2022, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/parkinsons-disease/parkinsons-disease-risk-factors-and-causes.
“Parkinson’s Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments.” National Institute on Aging, www.nia.nih.gov/health/parkinsons-disease#:%7E:text=Parkinson’s%20disease%20is%20a%20brain,have%20difficulty%20walking%20and%20talking. Accessed 7 June 2022.
That concludes today's blog; thank you for your interest and desire to study about degenerative illnesses, since knowing these ideas will make it simpler for you to grasp neuroscience. We'll continue our neuroscience trip next time with insight into a different neurological illness. Do contact me if you have any questions, and please let me know how I can improve my posts to make neuroscience more enjoyable.
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