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What’s Parkinson’s Disease

Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery For Parkinson’s Disease At Ucla

What are the different stages of Parkinson’s disease?

If you’ve been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, your doctor will first prescribe medication. There are many drugs available that improve symptoms, but they have many side effects, including nausea, hallucinations and impulsive behavior. Some patients respond well to medications for years before seeing side effects. In these patients, the drugs may start to wear off quickly, or they may become extremely sensitive to the drugs and experience too much movement

Deep brain stimulation is a surgical option available to patients who are intolerant of medications or who experience serious side effects. This procedure involves implanting electrodes, or wires, deep inside the brain to change irregular brain activity. As a result, it improves motor function in patients with Parkinson’s disease. It is used more often to treat Parkinson’s disease than any other movement disorder.

What Is Rigidity In Parkinsons Disease

Rigidity, while seldom the main symptom early in Parkinsons, is experienced as a stiffness of the arms or legs beyond what would result from normal aging or arthritis. Some people call it tightness in their limbs. Stiffness can occur on one or both sides of the body and contribute to a decreased range of motion.

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.

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Surgical Treatment For Parkinsons

This is advised when the disease progresses and the medications are no longer controlling the symptoms of PD adequately.

  • As the disease progresses, Levodopa still works, but the brains response to the medication becomes less predictable. Levodopa may take longer to kick in and may wear off earlier, requiring patients to take medication more frequently during the day. Higher doses of levodopa are associated with abnormal involuntary movements, known as dyskinesias . Unpredictable medication effect results in OFF time when patients feel stiff, rigid, stuck, frozen, slow, or fatigued, compared to ON time when movements are smooth and closer to normal.
  • Treatment options as the disease progresses include taking levodopa more frequently making the medication last longer by adding medications to reduce the metabolism of levodopa, or dopamine adding or changing to long-acting forms of levodopa , or adding or changing to long-acting forms of dopamine agonist . Amantadine can be added to reduce dyskinesia. As these options are being considered and implemented, its time to consider deep brain stimulation surgery .
  • Deep brain stimulation surgery is FDA-approved for the treatment of motor complications in Parkinsons disease and is not experimental. DBS is not a last-resort treatment. It has been shown that DBS is more beneficial when performed earlier in the course of the disease compared to waiting for disability.

What Is Parkinsons Disease

Data School Week 3

Parkinsons disease is a nervous system disease that affects your ability to control movement. The disease usually starts out slowly and worsens over time. If you have Parkinsons disease, you may shake, have muscle stiffness, and have trouble walking and maintaining your balance and coordination. As the disease worsens, you may have trouble talking, sleeping, have mental and memory problems, experience behavioral changes and have other symptoms.

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What Are The Primary Motor Symptoms Of Parkinsons Disease

There are four primary motor symptoms of Parkinsons disease: tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability . Observing two or more of these symptoms is the main way that physicians diagnose Parkinsons.

It is important to know that not all of these symptoms must be present for a diagnosis of Parkinsons disease to be considered. In fact, younger people may only notice one or two of these motor symptoms, especially in the early stages of the disease. Not everyone with Parkinsons disease has a tremor, nor is a tremor proof of Parkinsons. If you suspect Parkinsons, see a neurologist or movement disorders specialist.

Tremors

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Stooping Or Hunching Over

Are you not standing up as straight as you used to? If you or your family or friends notice that you seem to be stooping, leaning or slouching when you stand, it could be a sign of Parkinson’s disease .

What is normal?If you have pain from an injury or if you are sick, it might cause you to stand crookedly. Also, a problem with your bones can make you hunch over.

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The Facts About Parkinsons Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurogenerative disease that causes nerve cells in the area of the brain that controls movement to weaken and/or die. While healthy neurons produce a chemical called dopamine, which the brain needs a certain amount of in order to regulate movement, weakened neurons produce lower levels of dopamine. What causes these neurons to weaken is currently unknown.

Some patients with Parkinson’s disease also suffer from a decline in norepinephrine, a chemical that transmits signals across nerve endings and controls various functions, such as blood pressure and heart rate.

More than 10 million people worldwide are currently living with Parkinson’s disease and nearly one million will be living with the disease in the United States this year, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

Groups For Care Partners

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Support groups may also be beneficial to care partners. Care partners must remember to look for themselves as well as their loved ones, according to the Parkinsons Foundation.

For individuals caring for someone with Parkinsons disease, care partner support groups can provide emotional support as well as practical advice. A person can inquire with their doctor about local support groups or look them up online.

The following organizations and websites provide assistance to care partners:

  • The APDA: The APDA provides resources and support for care partners as well as people with Parkinsons disease.
  • The Parkinsons Foundation: This organization also provides information for caregivers.
  • The Family Caregiver Alliance: This organization provides services for caregivers and the people who receive their care. FCA CareNav is an online resource for family caregivers.

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Is Parkinsons Disease Inherited

Scientists have discovered gene mutations that are associated with Parkinsons disease.

There is some belief that some cases of early-onset Parkinsons disease disease starting before age 50 may be inherited. Scientists identified a gene mutation in people with Parkinsons disease whose brains contain Lewy bodies, which are clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein. Scientists are trying to understand the function of this protein and its relationship to genetic mutations that are sometimes seen in Parkinsons disease and in people with a type of dementia called Lewy body dementia.

Several other gene mutations have been found to play a role in Parkinsons disease. Mutations in these genes cause abnormal cell functioning, which affects the nerve cells ability to release dopamine and causes nerve cell death. Researchers are still trying to discover what causes these genes to mutate in order to understand how gene mutations influence the development of Parkinsons disease.

Scientists think that about 10% to 15% of persons with Parkinsons disease may have a genetic mutation that predisposes them to development of the disease. There are also environmental factors involved that are not fully understood.

How Will The Disease Affect My Life

Most people who have Parkinsonâs live a normal to a nearly normal lifespan, but the disease can be life changing.

For some people, treatment keeps the symptoms at bay, and they’re mostly mild. For others, the disease is much more serious and really limits what you’re able to do.

As it gets worse, it makes it harder and harder to do daily activities like getting out of bed, driving, or going to work. Even writing can seem like a tough task. And in later stages, it can cause dementia.

Even though Parkinson’s can have a big impact on your life, with the right treatment and help from your health care team, you can still enjoy the things you love. It’s important to reach out to family and friends for support. Learning to live with Parkinson’s means making sure you get the backing you need.

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The Nervous System & Dopamine

To understand Parkinson’s, it is helpful to understand how neurons work and how PD affects the brain .

Nerve cells, or neurons, are responsible for sending and receiving nerve impulses or messages between the body and the brain. Try to picture electrical wiring in your home. An electrical circuit is made up of numerous wires connected in such a way that when a light switch is turned on, a light bulb will beam. Similarly, a neuron that is excited will transmit its energy to neurons that are next to it.

Neurons have a cell body with branching arms, called dendrites, which act like antennae and pick up messages. Axons carry messages away from the cell body. Impulses travel from neuron to neuron, from the axon of one cell to the dendrites of another, by crossing over a tiny gap between the two nerve cells called a synapse. Chemical messengers called neurotransmitters allow the electrical impulse to cross the gap.

Neurons talk to each other in the following manner :

What Are The Symptoms Of Parkinsons Disease

What is Parkinson

Symptoms of Parkinsons disease and the rate of decline vary widely from person to person. The most common symptoms include:

Other symptoms include:

  • Speech/vocal changes: Speech may be quick, become slurred or be soft in tone. You may hesitate before speaking. The pitch of your voice may become unchanged .
  • Handwriting changes: You handwriting may become smaller and more difficult to read.
  • Depression and anxiety.
  • Sleeping disturbances including disrupted sleep, acting out your dreams, and restless leg syndrome.
  • Pain, lack of interest , fatigue, change in weight, vision changes.
  • Low blood pressure.

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What Causes Leg Rigidity

The most common cause of muscle stiffness is a sprain or strain, which can affect both the muscles and ligaments. A strain is when the muscle fibers are stretched or torn. Strains are particularly common in the legs and lower back. A sprain is when the ligaments have been stretched, twisted, or torn.

Young Onset Parkinsons Disease

Parkinsons disease normally impacts people staring in their mid-to-late 60s. Young onset Parkinsons disease refers to people diagnosed with the condition before 50.

is incredibly rare, Beck said. The numbers are hard to come by but thought to be certainly less than 5% of all diagnoses each year are people under the age of 50.

There are some differences in people with young onset Parkinsons disease.

There seems to be a higher preponderance of those who may have a genetic mutation that can lead to Parkinsons disease, Beck explained.

Sometimes younger people face a delayed diagnosis. Take Days early symptom shoulder pain. Often achy muscles in a 40-something is a sign of aging.

The symptoms by themselves can make it difficult for the diagnosis. Its a constellation of symptoms, Beck said. There are four key symptoms that are called cardinal symptoms that people will develop.

The symptoms include:

  • Bradykinesia, a slowness of movement.
  • Tremors.
  • Balance or gait problems.

There are also a bunch of other symptoms that are associated with Parkinsons that are internal to the person, whats called non-monitory symptoms. So that if you look at somebody who has Parkinsons they may look like theyre doing great, Beck said. But inside theyre having lots of problems.

Those include:

  • Low blood pressure, also known as orthostatic hypotension.
  • Constipation.
  • Excessive sweating.

There is no cure for Parkinsons disease, but there are treatments.

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My Dads Parkinsons Progression Reminds Me Of Benjamin Button

Nerve cell damage in Parkinsons disease is caused by the buildup of toxic forms of the protein alpha-synuclein. The nerve cells most affected are those that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine, a chemical messenger essential for muscle control.

Genetic errors, such as in the mutations in GBA1 gene, lead to the buildup of toxic alpha-synuclein, among other proteins, inside nerve cells, which can drive Parkinsons development.

KM-819 is a molecule given by mouth that inhibits FAF1, a protein found at higher levels in Parkinsons patients. It works by promoting apoptosis, or regulated cell death.

In preclinical studies, KM-819 showed superior effectiveness in neuroprotection in cell models and in protecting dopaminergic neurons in animal models of Parkinsons disease. The therapy also has been shown to improve behavioral tests given the animals.

In a previous Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers, the medication showed a strong safety profile.

The goal of the Phase 2 trial is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics the way medication is processed within the body and preliminary efficacy of KM-819 at differing doses.

It will be placebo-controlled and divided into two parts. Part 1 will assess the safety and pharmacokinetics of escalating doses of KM-819. This will be followed by part 2, a two-year treatment of patients at the selected doses to evaluate the therapys safety and early efficacy.

Michael J Fox On How Accepting Parkinsons Diagnosis Changed His Perspective

Parkinson’s Disease and Depression: Symptoms and Treatments

I wasnt quite ready for that yet, she said. I immediately changed my diet. I immediately started exercising.

Exercise can help people with Parkinsons disease, James Beck, chief scientific officer of the Parkinsons Foundation, said.

Its not a cure-all, but it does wonders to help to manage symptoms, keeps people moving, which is really important, helps maintain muscle strength, he told TODAY. Its a rising tide that raises all boats helping people to live a better life.

Day did eventually start taking medication and her symptoms waned. But it was tough being so young and having a condition often associated with older people.

I didnt know anybody young and that was really hard, she said. I dreamed of having one friend or somebody that had my situation.

After a year of searching, she found someone with young onset Parkinsons disease. Then she met another and she decided to start a Facebook group of people in the area with the condition.

Its grown organically at this point. Theres 40 something people and weve gotten together of times in person, Day said. The optimism and hope that I bring to situations is not as common as I thought and I have an opportunity to help people and I enjoy that.”

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How Is Parkinsons Disease Diagnosed

Diagnosing Parkinsons disease is sometimes difficult, since early symptoms can mimic other disorders and there are no specific blood or other laboratory tests to diagnose the disease. Imaging tests, such as CT or MRI scans, may be used to rule out other disorders that cause similar symptoms.

To diagnose Parkinsons disease, you will be asked about your medical history and family history of neurologic disorders as well as your current symptoms, medications and possible exposure to toxins. Your doctor will look for signs of tremor and muscle rigidity, watch you walk, check your posture and coordination and look for slowness of movement.

If you think you may have Parkinsons disease, you should probably see a neurologist, preferably a movement disorders-trained neurologist. The treatment decisions made early in the illness can affect the long-term success of the treatment.

What Are The Causes

The cause of Parkinsons is largely unknown. Scientists are currently investigating the role that genetics, environmental factors, and the natural process of aging have on cell death and PD.

There are also secondary forms of PD that are caused by medications such as haloperidol , reserpine , and metoclopramide .

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Research And Statistics: Who Has Parkinsons Disease

According to the Parkinsons Foundation, nearly 1 million people in the United States are living with the disease. More than 10 million people worldwide have Parkinsons.

About 4 percent of people with Parkinsons are diagnosed before age 50.

Men are 1.5 times more likely to develop the disease than women.

How Does Parkinsons Disease Affect The Brain

What Causes Dizziness In Parkinson

The part of the brain that is affected is called the basal ganglia, which functions like the autopilot of your brain, facilitating subconscious movements. Because PD causes the brain cells in this deep circuitry to deteriorate, patients natural movements become slow and stiff. Many patients describe feeling as if they had aged overnight.

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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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