How To Write An Essay On Parkinson's Disease
PARKINSON’S DISEASE
NAME:
INSTITUTION:
Introduction
Parkinson 's disease is a regarded as a common neurodegenerative condition. The etiology of the disease has not completely been understood, but the condition has been associated with a confluence of factors. The first is the loss of a number of neurotransmitters, most notably dopamine that produces neurons in the pars compacta of the substantia nigra. It has also been linked to the combined effects of environmental exposures and aging that accelerate the process of nigral cell death. There is also the possibility that some people may have a predetermined genetic susceptibility to environmental insults. For example, the disease is less common for Africans and Asians as compared …show more content…
The neurologist diagnose the disease based on a review of signs and symptoms, medical history and a physical and neurological examination. Other tests may be carried out to rule out other conditions. That might be causing the symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms
The symptoms of the disease vary from one person to another. The symptoms that appear on one person in the early stages of the infection may not appear on another person at all or they may appear later. The common symptoms include resting tremor in a hand, arm or leg, stiff and aching muscles, slow limited movement, weakness of face and throat muscles, difficulty with walking and balance and brief inability to move. For a small number of people, the symptoms have been observed to appear on only one side of the body and never move to the other side.
Comorbidities and Progression of the Disease
Due to the extensive involvement of a large number of brain structures, the disease may be associated with development of number comorbidities that challenge the diagnosis. For example, depression occurs to the about 50% of the patients. This may be underdiagnosed because some symptoms such as insomnia and fatigue may be considered as part of aging or PD. Another troubling comorbidity of the disease is psychosis. The symptoms of psychosis include hallucinations, agitation, paranoia and changes of sexual
NAME:
INSTITUTION:
Introduction
Parkinson 's disease is a regarded as a common neurodegenerative condition. The etiology of the disease has not completely been understood, but the condition has been associated with a confluence of factors. The first is the loss of a number of neurotransmitters, most notably dopamine that produces neurons in the pars compacta of the substantia nigra. It has also been linked to the combined effects of environmental exposures and aging that accelerate the process of nigral cell death. There is also the possibility that some people may have a predetermined genetic susceptibility to environmental insults. For example, the disease is less common for Africans and Asians as compared …show more content…
The neurologist diagnose the disease based on a review of signs and symptoms, medical history and a physical and neurological examination. Other tests may be carried out to rule out other conditions. That might be causing the symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms
The symptoms of the disease vary from one person to another. The symptoms that appear on one person in the early stages of the infection may not appear on another person at all or they may appear later. The common symptoms include resting tremor in a hand, arm or leg, stiff and aching muscles, slow limited movement, weakness of face and throat muscles, difficulty with walking and balance and brief inability to move. For a small number of people, the symptoms have been observed to appear on only one side of the body and never move to the other side.
Comorbidities and Progression of the Disease
Due to the extensive involvement of a large number of brain structures, the disease may be associated with development of number comorbidities that challenge the diagnosis. For example, depression occurs to the about 50% of the patients. This may be underdiagnosed because some symptoms such as insomnia and fatigue may be considered as part of aging or PD. Another troubling comorbidity of the disease is psychosis. The symptoms of psychosis include hallucinations, agitation, paranoia and changes of sexual