Parkinson's disease

Introduction

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the voluntary moment and control over the body. From over a decade, this disease has been a topic of research amongst the experts, for its pathophysiology and treatment. In United States alone, more than one billion persons affected by this disease every year. The disease is most commonly observed in old age persons, who are above 60. However, some younger cases have also been reported.

This assignment has taken the Parkinson's disease as its prime focus and aims to discuss the pathophysiology of the disease. The assignment also indicates the potential signs and symptoms of the disease and the treatment procedures, followed in the current healthcare practice.

Discussion

Pathophysiology

The term pathophysiology refers to the pathology of the disease and its factors on the physiology of the human body. The human brain has a specialized area called the substantia nigra. The cells of this section are responsible for producing a chemical messenger, called dopamine. The primary function of dopamine is to connect diverse areas of the brain together, like the substantia nigra with corpus stratum to initiate or control muscular movement. In Parkinson's disease, there is a critical loss of cells of the substantia nigra, resulting in decreased production of dopamine. The exact cause of this loss has not been known yet. However, the possibilities have been divided into two categories, i.e. the Genetic factors and the Environmental factors.

Apart from the dopaminergic pigmented neurons loss in the substantia nigra, the presence of Lewy bodies is another factor that has been noticed (Hauser, Benbadis, 2013). In patients of Parkinson's disease, these bodies increases with age and are not just specific to the Parkinson disease. The resultant of these pathologic circumstances is the decreased control over the muscular movements of the body, resulting in decreased quality of life.

Manifestation of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease chiefly impinges on the symptoms of producing motor and movement. There are several manifestations that occur due to Parkinson's disease. Amongst these, the four primary signs and symptoms are

Symptoms and Signs

Parkinson's disease chiefly impinges on the symptoms of movement and producing motor. The symptoms of non-motor that comprise of the autonomic failure, neuropsychiatric problems (changes of cognition, or contemplation) sensory and the difficulties of sleep, are also widespread. One of the most common manifestations of the Parkinson disease listed as follows

Tremor

Rigidity

Bradykinesia

Postural instability

Constipation

Akinesia

Dyskinesias

Swallowing disorders

Monotonous language

Bradilalia

Treatment

The complete cure of Parkinson's disease has not been found ...