What is a treatment for Parkinson's disease?
Parkinson's disease is not curable. Parkinson's disease is initially treated with medicines that relieve the symptoms and enable them to function well. Levodopa is the mainstay of treatment of PD and has been used since the 1960s and gives excellent relief in the first 3-5 years of treatment. With the progression of the disease, the beneficial effects of levodopa reduce and the symptoms of patients fluctuate through the day. These motor fluctuations can be a predictable early wearing off, of the benefits of a dose of levodopa which makes it necessary to take more frequent doses. There can be delayed onset of effect of levodopa or a sudden unpredictable loss of effect of levodopa. Levodopa can also induce dyskinesias which appear as involuntary dance - like flowing movements in the neck, trunk, or limbs. These phenomena occur in about 805 of patients during the course of the disease, within 5-10 years of onset of disease.
What are the early signs of Parkinson's disease?
Parkinson's disease usually starts with physical symptoms like: Tremor, on the one hand Tremors in both hands or limbs Reduces movement Stiffness to walk Uncoordinated limb movements.
Cognitive symptoms Cognitive issues Forgetfulness Concentration issues.
What is Parkinson's Disease?
Parkinson's Disease is a progressive neurological disease caused by degeneration of nerve cells in an area in the brain called the substantia nigra. It is a part of the basal ganglia circuit that controls movements. The cells in substantia nigra produces an important chemical called dopamine required for the normal functions of the basal ganglia
circuits which allows us to make the desired type of movements and prevent unwanted movements.
It is estimated that about 7-10 million people have the disease world - wide and about 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. While the risk of a PD increases with age (average age of onset in the early 60s), around 5-10 percent develop the symptoms before the age of 50 and about 1-2 % have other family members affected by the same condition.
What is the cause of Parkinson's disease?
Degeneration or date of basal cell ganglia and a part of the brain which releases dopamine can cause Parkinson's disease at a later age. A steep drop in dopamine is responsible for many symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
Loss of nerve endings that release norepinephrine, the chemical responsible for many motor actions. The exact cause of Parkinson's disease is not yet known, but scientists believe it to be a combination of hereditary and environmental factors(toxin exposure).
What are the symptoms of Parkinsonism?
Physical symptoms of Parkinsonism are: Muscle stiffness Rigid joints Tremors Imbalance Hunching or stooping Inability to walk.
What's the difference between Parkinson's disease and Parkinsonism?
Parkinson's disease is caused by brain degenerative nerve cells, causing a dopamine drop. In contrast, Parkinsonism can be caused due to several reasons: Side effects of medications Chronic head injury or trauma Metabolic diseases After effects of toxins Neurological diseases
Parkinsonism is a group of disorders that mimic symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
What are the causes of Parkinsonism?
Vascular Parkinsonism: reduced blood supply to some parts of the brain. The brain in that part does not function efficiently and causes Parkinson's symptoms. Post-traumatic Parkinsonism: Brian tissue damage due to chronic or repetitive brain injury, which results in reduced blood supply to parts of the brain. E.g., boxing. Toxin causing Parkinsonism: toxic chemicals which can cause changes to dopamine-releasing parts of the brain. Normal pressure hydrocephalus: this happens when excess CSF causes pressure in parts of the brain Postencephalitic: after encephalitis infection, Brain cells are damaged Atypical Parkinsonism Supra nuclear palsy Multiple system atrophy Alzheimer's. Wilson's disease. Huntington's disease.
Is Parkinsonism a progressive disease?
Parkinsonism can worsen only if treatment is not received at the right time. It is a reversible disorder if the reason causing Parkinsonism is removed. For, e.g., an obstructing artery, nerve pressure, or discontinuation of the medication causing it(drug-induced Parkinsonism)
Is vascular parkinsonism hereditary?
Hereditary transmission of vascular Parkinsonism is rare but can happen with cases involving inherited CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts) & leukoencephalopathy.
