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Saturday, March 23, 2024
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What Does Parkinson Do To Your Brain

How Does Parkinsons Affect The Face

Dr. James Beck – How does Parkinson’s disease affect the brain?

Everyday tasks such as getting dressed, writing, picking something up off the floor take twice as long as they used to. Some people describe the feeling of slowness and stiffness as walking through molasses or moving in slow-motion. Because subconscious muscle movements of the face are responsible for ones facial expressions and others interpretation of our mood, patients can be thought to be upset or depressed when they are not. This is known as having a masked face.

Why Big Pharma Wont Study Fasting

There is a lot of money involved in the pushing of food on people three times a day with snacks in between. Dr. Mattson addresses this issue toward the end of his TEDx talk:

Why is it that the normal diet is three meals a day plus snacks? It isnt that its the healthiest eating pattern, now thats my opinion but I think there is a lot of evidence to support that. There are a lot of pressures to have that eating pattern, theres a lot of money involved. The food industry are they going to make money from skipping breakfast like I did today? No, theyre going to lose money. If people fast, the food industry loses money. What about the pharmaceutical industries? What if people do some intermittent fasting, exercise periodically and are very healthy, is the pharmaceutical industry going to make any money on healthy people?

Dr. Mattson isnt the only one. Dr. Richard Horton, Editor in Chief of The Lancet, has stated that much of the scientific literature published today is false. This viewpoint is also supported by Harvard Professor of Medicine, Arnold Seymour Relman, who told the world that the medical profession has been bought by the pharmaceutical industry. An article titled Why Most Published Research Findings Are False, by Joan Ioannidis has also, not surprisingly, become one of the most widely accessed articles in the history of the Public Library of Science .

What Is Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery

Deep brain stimulation surgery involves implanting thin wires with electrodes on the ends into specific areas of your brain. Once in place, they produce mild electrical impulses that regulate abnormal brain activity a process known as neurostimulation. Dr. Watson can adjust these electrical pulses based on your condition and symptoms to achieve the best results.

To perform the surgery, the thin wires with the electrodes on the ends are inserted into different areas of the brain through tiny incisions in the skull. The internal pulse generator which provides the electrical current is implanted in the upper chest or abdomen. A single wire then connects the pulse generator to the wires with the electrodes on the end. This single wire is hidden underneath the skin of your head, neck, and shoulder.

After undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery, youll also receive a remote control, so youll be able to turn the device on or off. Deep brain stimulation surgery may provide significant relief from certain neurological symptoms. However, you should consider it an interventional therapy, not a cure.

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Living With Parkinson’s Disease

Coming to terms with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s and living with the disease is challenging and will take a lot of adjustment. There are still things you can do that can help you to feel more in control of your situation and to stay positive. Some things that might help could include:

  • choosing to lead a healthy lifestyle
  • making informed decisions related to your treatment
  • keeping a diary of your symptoms in preparation for meetings with health and social care professionals
  • attending a self-management course

Living With A Dbs Device

Researchers examine how Parkinsons disease alters brain ...

Batteries most often last three to five years, but this can vary. Rechargeable batteries may last up to 15 years.

There are several precautions related to electrical/magnetic devices that are important, but usually easy to accommodate. Items such as cell phones, computers, and home appliances do not generally interfere with the stimulator. Keep your stimulator identification card handy when you are out and about, in your wallet or purse.

Theft Detectors

Be aware that some devices may cause your transmitter to turn on or off. This includes security monitors that might be found at the library and retail shops.

If this occurs accidentally, it is not usually serious, but may be uncomfortable or result in your symptoms worsening if the stimulator is turned off. When you visit stores with these devices, you can ask to bypass the device by presenting your stimulator identification card.

Home Electronics

Keep the magnet used to activate and deactivate the stimulator at least 12 inches away from televisions, computer disks, and credit cards, as the magnet could potentially damage these items.

Air Travel/Metal Detectors

Talk to TSA personnel when traveling by plane, as the metal in the stimulator may set off the detector. If you are asked to go through additional screening with a detector wand, its important to talk to the person screening you about your stimulator.

Medical Diagnosis and Treatment

Occupational Electromagnetic Concerns

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Risks And Side Effects Of Deep Brain Stimulation

Like any surgery, deep brain stimulation can have side effects, and it carries potential risks. Its also important to consider the complications and side effects of medications you take since their dosages can often be reduced following surgery.

While DBS may cause side effects, it may also reduce side effects from medications.

Attention Difficulties In Parkinsons

Attention involves filtering information, and people with PD who experience attention difficulties have trouble maintaining focus, especially as the complexity of a situation increases. Attention difficulties can affect both intellectual pursuits and everyday activities, such as walking and holding a conversation at the same time.1,3

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What Causes Parkinsons Disease

Parkinsons disease occurs when nerve cells in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra become impaired or die. These cells normally produce dopamine, a chemical that helps the cells of the brain communicate . When these nerve cells become impaired or die, they produce less dopamine. Dopamine is especially important for the operation of another area of the brain called the basal ganglia. This area of the brain is responsible for organizing the brains commands for body movement. The loss of dopamine causes the movement symptoms seen in people with Parkinsons disease.

People with Parkinsons disease also lose another neurotransmitter called norepinephrine. This chemical is needed for proper functioning of the sympathetic nervous system. This system controls some of the bodys autonomic functions such as digestion, heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. Loss of norepinephrine causes some of the non-movement-related symptoms of Parkinsons disease.

Scientists arent sure what causes the neurons that produce these neurotransmitter chemicals to die.

Support For People With Parkinsons Disease

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Early access to a multidisciplinary support team is important. These teams may include doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, dietitians, social workers and specialist nurses. Members of the team assess the person with Parkinsons disease and identify potential difficulties and possible solutions.There are a limited number of multidisciplinary teams in Victoria that specialise in Parkinsons disease management. But generalist teams are becoming more aware of how to help people with Parkinsons disease.

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Role In Mental Health

Itâs hard to pinpoint a single cause of most mental health disorders and challenges. But they’re often linked to too much or too little dopamine in different parts of the brain. Examples include:

Schizophrenia. Decades ago, researchers believed that symptoms stemmed from a hyperactive dopamine system. Now we know that some are due to too much of this chemical in certain parts of the brain. This includes hallucinations and delusions. A lack of it in other parts can cause different signs, such as lack of motivation and desire.

ADHD. No one knows for sure what causes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder . Some research shows it may be due to a shortage of dopamine. This problem may be due to your genes. The ADHD drug methylphenidate works by boosting dopamine.

Drug misuse and addiction. Drugs such as cocaine can cause a big, fast increase of dopamine in your brain. That satisfies your natural reward system in a big way. But repeated drug use also raises the threshold for this kind of pleasure. This means you need to take more to get the same high. Meanwhile, drugs make your body less able to produce dopamine naturally. This leads to emotional lows when youâre sober.

Exercise And Healthy Eating

Regular exercise is particularly important in helping relieve muscle stiffness, improving your mood, and relieving stress.

There are many activities you can do to help keep yourself fit, ranging from more active sports like tennis and cycling, to less strenuous activities such as walking, gardening and yoga.

You should also try to eat a balanced diet containing all the food groups to give your body the nutrition it needs to stay healthy.

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Gut Health Should Be Included In Diagnosis And Therapy

In a study conducted at the Helsinki University Clinic and published in the Journal of Parkinson Disease, the respective researchers examined the extent to which the intestine could be involved in the development of Parkinsons disease. They concluded that if the intestines were taken into account in Parkinsons diagnosis and therapy, the disease could be recognized more quickly and its progression slowed.

The studys lead author, Dr Filip Scheperjans, states that some people suffer from gastrointestinal upset for years before experiencing typical Parkinsons symptoms, such as hand tremors.

However, if the disease is diagnosed when these tremors appear, many neurons will have died, making therapy much more difficult. For this reason, one of the goals of Parkinsons research is to discover new ways to detect the disease as early as possible, and the gut is clearly the center of attention.

Parkinsons Is A Progressive Disease Whats Meant By That

Our Parkinson

Parkinsons is not like a flu or fever that you take antibiotics and recover in 2-3 days. It is a progressive disease that means it develops and becomes worse over time.

At first, some abnormal changes appear in the brain that begins to damage parts of the brain responsible for movements. These changes are gradual and the effect is limited to the brain only.

After 15-20 years, the damage reaches the level where it begins to affect body normal movements. This is the early stage where typical symptoms of the disease start to develop. These early symptoms are mild and appear either on one or both sides of the body. At this stage, the disease can easily be diagnosed clinically.

After 10 years of diagnosis, the brains ability of performing movement functions is severely affected. The symptoms become severe and begins to affect the patients daily life activities. This is called the mid-stage of the disease.

When the disease has passed 20 years, it reaches its advanced stage. At this stage, the symptoms become very severe and most often the patient needs assistance for mobility.

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What Causes Parkinson’s Disease Dementia

Doctors don’t yet know the exact cause of Parkinson’s disease dementia, but they think it has to do with an accumulation of a protein called alpha-synuclein. When it builds up in the brain, it can create clumps called “Lewy bodies” in nerve cells, causing them to die.

The death of those cells usually results in the motor symptoms typically associated with Parkinson’s disease. As Parkinson’s disease progresses, those Lewy bodies may eventually damage the brain and cause problems with memory and thinking.

While many people with Parkinson’s disease experience cognitive changes, not all of them will go on to develop dementia. It’s estimated that between 50% and 80% of individuals with the disease eventually develop Parkinson’s disease dementia, usually in the later stages of the disease.

What Doctors Don’t Tell You

Yes, current Parkinsons Disease treatments help the first round of Parkinsons Disease symptoms.

But they eventually “stop working,” and here’s why!

Even your neurologist may not have told you…

That the Parkinsons Disease medication eventually will cause you to have moreshaking and stiffness.

Researchers discovered that many Parkinsons symptoms are NOT actually Parkinson disease symptoms, but rather, the sideeffects of the medications used as Parkinsons Disease treatments: Levodopa, L-dopa, or Sinemet.

  • Thats right, the eventual jerky SHAKING, or “dyskinesia,” is a drug side effect, often mistaken for later Parkinsons stages.

Dyskinesia describes jerky “involuntary” movements, stiffness, and difficult “voluntary” movements.

  • It then seems as if theParkinsons medications are “no longer doing the job” and the disease is getting worse. But this is likely not the case.

Consider that the meds have not just stopped working, or are “wearing off,” which they in effect do.

  • But rather, that the Parkinson Disease medication actually causes additional psychomotor and autonomic complications.
  • It turns out that the by-products of the Parkinson disease treatments in turn cause problems.

People who are older, or sick and move less, fail to eliminate the by-products of their medications. This causes a toxic build up so that new symptoms appear, including involuntary shaking!

  • And yes, these effects can be prevented or lessened with natural supplements!

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What Are The Treatments

Currently there is no cure for Parkinsons disease.

Symptoms can be mild in the early stages of the condition and people might not need immediate treatment. Your doctor and specialist will monitor your situation.

There are several different types of drugs used to treat Parkinsons disease. Drug treatments are tailored to each individuals needs and are likely to involve a combination of different drugs. Your medication should be reviewed regularly. It is likely that, over time, changes will be made to the types of drugs you take and the doses you take each day.

The main types of drug treatment for Parkinsons disease are:

  • drugs which replace dopamine
  • drugs which mimic the role of dopamine
  • drugs which inhibit the activity of acetylcholine
  • drugs which prevent the body breaking down dopamine
  • other drugs such as anti-sickness medication

Everybody is affected differently by medication. The possible side effects of Parkinsons disease drugs include nausea , vomiting , tiredness and dizziness. Some people might experience confusion, nightmares and hallucinations. For some people, dopamine agonists have been linked to compulsive behaviour such as addictive gambling or hypersexuality .

The effectiveness of the main drug treatment levodopa can wear off over time and its long-term use can cause some people to develop involuntary twisting or writhing movements of the arms, legs or face . To reduce the risk, doctors might delay the use of levodopa for younger people.

Is Parkinsons Disease Hereditary

Deep Brain Stimulation to Treat Parkinson’s

PD can strike one or more family members, but it is rarely inherited directly. Only about 2% of PD cases appear to be related toan inherited mutation. However, people of specific ethnic backgrounds Ashkenazi Jews, North Africans, and Basques are more likely to suffer from PD.

Changes in the LRRK2 gene account for 15-20% of cases in Ashkenazi Jews and 40% of cases in North African Arab-Berbers. Other changes in LRRK2 that raise the risk of PD have been found in people of Chinese descent.

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Surgery For People With Parkinsons Disease

Deep brain stimulation surgery is an option to treat Parkinsons disease symptoms, but it is not suitable for everyone. There are strict criteria and guidelines on who can be a candidate for surgery, and this is something that only your doctor and you can decide. Surgery may be considered early or late in the progression of Parkinsons. When performing deep-brain stimulation surgery, the surgeon places an electrode in the part of the brain most effected by Parkinsons disease. Electrical impulses are introduced to the brain, which has the effect of normalising the brains electrical activity reducing the symptoms of Parkinsons disease. The electrical impulse is introduced using a pacemaker-like device called a stimulator. Thalamotomy and pallidotomy are operations where the surgeon makes an incision on part of the brain. These surgeries aim to alleviate some forms of tremor or unusual movement, but they are rarely performed now.

In The Loop: Staying Ahead Of Parkinsons Disease One Ping Pong Game At A Time

Since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Steve Grinnell has worked hard to stay active, stepping up his table tennis game and, thanks to co-workers, testing his skills outside his home.

Four years ago, Steve Grinnell’s life was forever changed when doctors at Mayo Clinic in Rochester diagnosed him with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. Since that time, the progressive nervous system disorder has begun to take a toll on Steve and his family, just as it does on the millions of other Americans living with the disease. “It has greatly diminished his quality of life, leaving him with tremors, physical exhaustion, impaired balance, troubled grasping things with his right hand, slow right-arm movement and problems sleeping,” the Rochester Post-Bulletin recently reported. “That’s to name just a few of his symptoms.”

Reading that, one might assume the disorder is winning. And to Steve, sometimes it feels like it is. But much of the time, he tells us he also feels like he’s staying one step ahead of the disease by staying as physically active as possible. “Parkinson’s presents such a conundrum because it wears you down physically, and yet exercise is so valuable,” Steve says. “My legs, feet and right arm are always cramping, so it takes mental effort to get moving.”

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How Do I Prevent Falls From Common Hazards

  • Floors: Remove all loose wires, cords, and throw rugs. Minimize clutter. Make sure rugs are anchored and smooth. Keep furniture in its usual place.
  • Bathroom: Install grab bars and non-skid tape in the tub or shower. Use non-skid bath mats on the floor or install wall-to-wall carpeting.
  • Lighting: Make sure halls, stairways, and entrances are well-lit. Install a night light in your bathroom or hallway and staircase. Turn lights on if you get up in the middle of the night. Make sure lamps or light switches are within reach of the bed if you have to get up during the night.
  • Kitchen: Install non-skid rubber mats near the sink and stove. Clean spills immediately.
  • Stairs: Make sure treads, rails, and rugs are secure. Install a rail on both sides of the stairs. If stairs are a threat, it might be helpful to arrange most of your activities on the lower level to reduce the number of times you must climb the stairs.
  • Entrances and doorways: Install metal handles on the walls adjacent to the doorknobs of all doors to make it more secure as you travel through the doorway.

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