Parkinson's Disease Dementia Neurodegenerative Nature - Essay Example

Parkinson’s disease Customer Inserts His/her Name Customer Inserts His/her ID Customer Inserts University/College Name (October 22, 2014) Word Count: 1420 words Outline Introduction Description Definition Effects on attention Diagnosis Effects on everyday functioning Treatment Study: Parkinson’s disease: clinical features and diagnosis Referencing of journal Summary of the study Data collection methods Major findings Conclusion Introduction Parkinson’s disease is one of the neurological disorders that affect the normal functioning of the body. It particularly affects the movements of the essential body parts like hands and legs, and also affects the coordination and memory capabilities of the brain. Despite its serious effects on its patients, there is no cure for the disease, and thus patients are forced to rely on medical and neurosurgical management of the disease. Medical management has arguably lost its popularity because it has side effects that prove as debilitating as the disease. The causes of the disease have not yet been definitively established but exposure to environmental toxins is thought to be a contributing factor (Shafique, Blagrove, Chung & Logendrarajah, 2011). This paper is an in-depth analysis of Parkinson’s disease. Description Definition Parkinson disease refers to a neurological disorder that worsens with time. The disease worsens as a result of continued degeneration of dopamine-producing cells known as neuronal cells, which are found in the substantia nigra (What is Parkinson’s? 2008). Destruction of these cells leads to deficiency of dopamine – the chemical responsible for transmission of impulses that control movements. Effects on attention In its early stages, Parkinson’s disease affects facial expression, causes slurred or soft speech, and affects movement of arms when a victim is walking. A victim’s attention is particularly affected in the late stages of the disease. Some victims may exhibit dementia, which is often a result of the degenerative nature of Parkinson’s disease, although in most victims, intellectual functioning is retained. Other attention problems that a victim may experience include problems in performing sequential tasks, and difficulties in performing tasks that need short-term memory. Diagnosis Diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is difficult because there are currently no indentifying markers or pathological tests that can confirm that an individual has the disease. Parkinson’s disease is therefore diagnosed by clinical impression and evaluation of the history of functional deterioration in a victim. The disease is predominant in people in their later years and middle years. That is, people in the 50-75 age group (What is Parkinson’s? 2008). It is however important to mention that an approximate 20% of the victims of Parkinson’s disease are between the ages of 30-50 years (What is Parkinson’s? 2008). Effects on everyday functioning People with Parkinson’s disease have substantial physical impairment. The functional mobility of their body parts and their ability to function normally in daily tasks is affected. They experience freezing, which refers to inability to start movement, and unanticipated motor fluctuations (“Human Molecular Genetics”, 2007). They also experience physical abnormality of movements such as tremors, which can lead to social isolation as a result of embarrassment (Diseases and Conditions, 2014). Parkinson’s victims also suffer from slow muscle activity, which makes them have problems with ingestion and digestion of fluids and food, elimination of body waste, temperature regulation, sexual relationships and sleep. These problems can substantially affect the victim’s relationships and friendships. The slow muscle activity can also render the victim incapable of performing tasks that require physical input, thereby affecting the victim’s work life. Virtually all people with Parkinson’s disease suffer from an anxiety disorder, which results from the unpredictability of movements and the victim’s future. They also suffer from communication problems due to diminished gestures, a stiff face, indiscernible handwriting, and a soft voice. The increased dependence on others due to physical incapacitation and the stigma associated with the disease often leads to isolation of the victim, which his/her affects social activities. The aforementioned occurrence of dementia in the late stages of the illness and the resultant loss of memory affects the victim’s ability to work and play. Treatment Presently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. However, management of the disease using drug therapy has proven helpful because it alleviates the symptoms of the disease. Treatment therefore takes the form of medication that seeks to restore dopamine to reliable levels. Two types of drugs are currently being used. These include the drugs that can stimulate the production of dopamine in the brain and those that can be enter the brain and be transformed into dopamine. The effectiveness of drug treatment is questionable because it is only used to alleviate symptoms. Drug treatment is further complicated by that result from continued use of the drugs used to manage Parkinson’s disease. The side effects are also distressing because they affect the victim’s functional capability. One side effect is the so-called ‘on-off’ syndrome that is characterized by fluctuations in functional ability. Neurosurgical management is another option that has been put to use since the 1940s (What is Parkinson’s? 2008). However, the popularity of neurosurgical management of the disease decreased after levodopa medication was introduced in the late 1960s (What is Parkinson’s? 2008). Recently however, the improvement of imaging techniques and the disabling side effects of medical management of Parkinson’s disease have led to considerable interest in neurosurgical management of Parkinson’s disease. It is however important to mention that the treatment method is hitherto experimental. Study: Parkinson’s disease: clinical features and diagnosis Referencing of Journal Jankovic, J. (2008). Parkinson’s disease: clinical features and diagnosis. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry Summary of the study Parkinson’s disease refers to a disorder that worsens with time, with characteristic motor and non-motor manifestations that affect the physical and coordination functions of its victim. The main purpose of this study is to describe the clinical manifestations of Parkinson’s disease, with the aim of identifying the unique features that distinguishes it from other parkinsonian disorders. The main features that exhibit themselves in patients with Parkinson’s disease include rigidity, tremor at rest, postural instability and bradykinesia. Additionally, freezing and flexed posture are predominant features of parkinsonianism, which includes Parkinson’s disease. Other motor abnormalities may also occur in patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease. These include hypophonia, sialorrhoea, dysarthria and dysphagia. Such motor symptoms can prove more disabling than the common features mentioned above. A number of non-motor features may also manifest themselves in Parkinson’s disease victims. These include neurobehavioral and cognitive abnormalities, autonomic dysfunction, sleep disorders and sensory abnormalities. The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is based on clinical criteria because the disease lacks a definitive diagnostic test. In practice, exclusionary manifestations and cardinal motor symptoms, coupled with an assessment of how an individual responds to levodopa, indicate whether an individual has Parkinson’s disease or not. Despite the fact that a Parkinson’s diagnosis may be apparent in some cases, it may be challenging to differentiate the disease from other parkinsonian syndromes, especially when Parkinson’s disease is in its early stages. The distinguishing feature between Parkinson’s disease and other parkinsonian syndromes is the presence of ataxia, dysautonomia and ophthalmoparesis, coupled with poor response to levodopa or lack thereof (Jankovic, 2008). Data collection methods The study utilized the online medical resource MedLine in conducting its research (Jankovic, 2008). The research included identification of studies, which discuss the clinical manifestations of Parkinson’s disease. In conducting its research, the study used a variety of search terms, which included ‘Parkinson’s disease’, ‘signs and symptoms’, and ‘diagnosis’ (Jankovic, 2008). Major findings Parkinson’s disease does not have a definitive test that can diagnose it. The disease therefore has to be diagnosed on the basis of clinical criteria. Rigidity, rest tremor, bradykinesia and loss of reflexes generally describe the cardinal signs of Parkinson’s. Presence and presentation of the aforementioned symptoms is a valuable distinctive feature of Parkinson’s disease with other related parkinsonian disorders. In addition, manifestations like secondary motor abnormalities and non-motor symptoms like freezing and dystonia may occur. Absence of hallucinations, dementia, gait difficulty, postural instability, rest tremor, and the presence of ataxia, dysautonomia and ophthalmoparesis, coupled with poor response to levodopa or lack thereof, indicate a diagnosis of other parkinsonian disorders (Jankovic, 2008). Conclusion Parkinson’s disease worsens with time because of its neurodegenerative nature. The disease is exhibited by motor and non-motor symptoms that may also be symptoms for other parkinsonian syndromes (Merello, 2014). It is therefore important to distinguish the features that cardinally indicate the presence of Parkinson’s disease because the disease lacks a definitive diagnostic test. Parkinson’s disease is predominant in people in their later years and middle years, that is, between 50-75 years of age. As a result of its neurodegenerative nature, a patient progressively becomes unable to perform normal tasks and also becomes impaired in speech and coordination ability. This affects the patient’s ability to work, socialize, play, and even the ability to form relationships. Currently, Parkinson’s disease does not have treatment. However, there are medical management and neurosurgical options for mitigating the effects of the disease. Reference List Diseases and Conditions: Parkinson’s disease. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/basics/definition/con-20028488 Human Molecular Genetics. (2007). Parkinson’s disease. Oxford Journals. 16 (2), 183-194. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddm159 Jankovic, J. (2008). Parkinson’s disease: clinical features and diagnosis. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 79(4), 368-376. doi 10.1136/jnnp.2007.131045 Merello, M. (2014). Parkinson’s Disease & Parkinsonism. Retrieved from http://www.movementdisorders.org/MDS/About/Movement-Disorder-Overviews/Parkinsons-Disease--Parkinsonism.htm Shafique, H., Blagrove, A., Chung, A & Logendrarajah, R. (2011). Causes of Parkinson’s disease. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JPRLS.S37041 What is Parkinson’s? (2008). Retrieved from http://www.parkinsons.org.au/about-ps/whatps.html Read More