Parkinson’s disease :Parkinson’s disease 6/7/08 ©Ayesha Rehman Source: Internet


Parkinson’s disease :Parkinson’s disease Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes slowed movements, tremor, rigidity, and a wide variety of other symptoms. "Neurodegenerative" refers to the degeneration of neurons, the type of cell in the brain that is the basis for all brain activity It takes place when the nerve cells in the brain part called substantia nigra (A region of the brain that controls movement) peg out. The loss of these cells disrupts the brain's normal control of movement, causing the person to experience slowed movements, inflexibility or rigidity, and tremor. 6/7/08 ©Ayesha Rehman Substantia nigra


Causes :Causes 6/7/08 ©Ayesha Rehman


Symptoms :Symptoms Primary symptoms of Parkinson’s disease Bradykinesia – slowness in voluntary movement such as standing up, walking, and sitting down. This happens because of delayed transmission signals from the brain to the muscles.  This may lead to difficulty initiating walking, but when more severe can cause “freezing episodes” once walking has begun. Tremors – often occur in the hands, fingers, forearms, foot, mouth, or chin. Typically, tremors take place when the limbs are at rest as opposed to when there is movement. Rigidity – otherwise known as stiff muscles, often produce muscle pain that is increased during movement. Poor balance – takes place because of the loss of reflexes that help posture. This causes unsteady balance, which oftentimes leads to falls. Secondary symptoms of Parkinson’s disease Constipation Difficulty swallowing Choking, coughing, or drooling Excessive salivation Excessive sweating Loss of bowel and/or bladder control Loss of intellectual capacity Anxiety, depression, isolation Scaling, dry skin on the face or scalp Slow response to questions Small cramped handwriting Soft, whispery voice 6/7/08 ©Ayesha Rehman


Diagnosing Parkinson's disease :Diagnosing Parkinson's disease 6/7/08 ©Ayesha Rehman


Treatment :Treatment Commonly Used Medication for PD Levodopa (Sinemet) - This is a combination of Levodopa (the chemical that patients with Parkinson’s disease lack) and Carbidopa (a chemical that helps the levodopa reach the brain). It works very well for controlling symptoms for most patients but can cause some side effects, especially after several years.  Its effectiveness tends to decrease after several years. Entacapone (Comtan) - This is a medication that helps Sinemet work better when it starts to lose its effectiveness.  It is also available together with levodopa and carbidopa in a combined product called Stalevo. Dopamine agonists - These include ropinorole (Requip) and pramipaxole (Mirapex).  These are medications enhance your bodies natural production of dopamine by stimulating your brain to produce more dopamine. 6/7/08 ©Ayesha Rehman


Physical Therapy, Exercise and Nutrition. :Physical Therapy, Exercise and Nutrition. 6/7/08 ©Ayesha Rehman


Prevention :Prevention 6/7/08 ©Ayesha Rehman