Parkinson's Disease Research Paper
Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that affects more than 1.5 million people in the United States alone. This disease is characterized by a decrease in spontaneous movements, walking difficulty, postural unsteadiness, rigidity and tremor. “The major symptoms of the disease were originally described in 1817 by an English physician, Dr. James Parkinson, who called it ‘Shaking Palsy’ (Peppe, Gasbarra, Stefani, Chiavalon, Pierantozzi, Femi, Stanzione, 2010). Men and women are equally affected by this disease and the occurrence of the disease is considerably higher in people over the age of 60, even though there is an alarming increase of cases of Parkinson’s in people
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Unfortunately, PD ultimately leads to disability. Early onset symptoms include tremors, or trembling in the hands, arms, legs and face. People with an early onset of PD may experience a sensation of feeling shaky and may exhibit depression and irritability. Eventually the arms, legs and trunk become rigid and the person develops bradykinesia, or a slowness of movement that includes sudden freezing of muscle movement. After a number of year’s akinesia also may occur, this is when the muscle also becomes rigid or “freezes” which leads into not being able to move at all. Along with bradykinesia and akinesia, balance and coordination become impaired which increases the risk of falls. Other symptoms include a slowing of the digestive system, leading to constipation, fatigue and weakness. Hypotension, also known as low blood pressure, can occur, leading to fainting spells. Eventually people with Parkinson's disease develop a characteristic shuffling walk, stooped posture and blank stare. Symptoms of PD eventually progress to become severely …show more content…
The primary area of the basal ganglia that is affected by PD is the substantia nigra. The substantia nigra contains a particular set of neurons that send signals through dopamine carrying neurotransmitters. These signals travel to the striatum through long fibers called axons and the activity of this pathway controls normal movements of the body. In PD the neurons in the substantia nigra degenerate and results in the loss of dopamine. This degeneration then causes the nerve cells of the striatum to fire excessively. This makes it impossible for people with PD to control their movements. Many Parkinson's patients eventually lose 80 percent or more of their dopamine-producing cells. Another cellular characteristic of PD is the presence of Lewy neuritis, swollen nerve fibers containing alpha-synuclein and other proteins (Krack, Bennazzouz, Pollak, Limousin, Piallat, Hoffman, Xie, Benabid, 1998). The buildup of alpha-synuclein in these nerve fibers may interfere with the transmission of nerve signals and other important neuronal
Unfortunately, PD ultimately leads to disability. Early onset symptoms include tremors, or trembling in the hands, arms, legs and face. People with an early onset of PD may experience a sensation of feeling shaky and may exhibit depression and irritability. Eventually the arms, legs and trunk become rigid and the person develops bradykinesia, or a slowness of movement that includes sudden freezing of muscle movement. After a number of year’s akinesia also may occur, this is when the muscle also becomes rigid or “freezes” which leads into not being able to move at all. Along with bradykinesia and akinesia, balance and coordination become impaired which increases the risk of falls. Other symptoms include a slowing of the digestive system, leading to constipation, fatigue and weakness. Hypotension, also known as low blood pressure, can occur, leading to fainting spells. Eventually people with Parkinson's disease develop a characteristic shuffling walk, stooped posture and blank stare. Symptoms of PD eventually progress to become severely …show more content…
The primary area of the basal ganglia that is affected by PD is the substantia nigra. The substantia nigra contains a particular set of neurons that send signals through dopamine carrying neurotransmitters. These signals travel to the striatum through long fibers called axons and the activity of this pathway controls normal movements of the body. In PD the neurons in the substantia nigra degenerate and results in the loss of dopamine. This degeneration then causes the nerve cells of the striatum to fire excessively. This makes it impossible for people with PD to control their movements. Many Parkinson's patients eventually lose 80 percent or more of their dopamine-producing cells. Another cellular characteristic of PD is the presence of Lewy neuritis, swollen nerve fibers containing alpha-synuclein and other proteins (Krack, Bennazzouz, Pollak, Limousin, Piallat, Hoffman, Xie, Benabid, 1998). The buildup of alpha-synuclein in these nerve fibers may interfere with the transmission of nerve signals and other important neuronal