Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms:
- Narrowing or slowing of stride
- Insomnia and talking during sleep
- Depression and lethargy
- Reduced sense of smell
- Stiffness in facial expressions
- Reduced voice volume
- Curvature of posture
- Hands shaking slightly even when still
- Trembling hands when writing or doing tasks
- Constipation
Causes of Parkinson’s Disease:
- (Idiopathic) Parkinson’s Disease: Degeneration of dopamine cells
- Atypical Parkinsonian Syndromes (Parkinson Plus): Degeneration of dopamine cells along with decrease in other brain nerve cells
- Secondary Parkinsonism: Dopamine cells are normal but Parkinson’s symptoms appear
Dopamine is produced in the midbrain substantia nigra and secreted into the basal ganglia through the nigrostriatal pathway.
The basal ganglia plays a role in facilitating smooth and rapid movements of the body.
Abnormally accumulated alpha-synuclein protein in dopamine cells.
If not cleared properly, alpha-synuclein accumulates and dopamine cells die. The causes are a complex interplay of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors.
When more than 60% of dopamine cells decrease, activity becomes sluggish and tremor symptoms appear.
Parkinson’s Hoehn and Yahr Scale:
Stage 1 – Symptoms appear only on one side of the body
Stage 2 – Symptoms appear on both sides of the body
Stage 3 – Balance problems
Stage 4 – Use of a cane
Stage 5 – Use of a wheelchair
Parkinson’s Symptom Relief Therapies:
- Symptoms can be relieved through drug therapy and deep brain stimulation.
Drug Therapy:
- Levodopa: Has minimal side effects and is relatively inexpensive. Effective for 5-7 years but effectiveness decreases thereafter.
- Dopamine agonists: More expensive than levodopa but effective with fewer movement disorders.
- COMT inhibitors
- MAO-B inhibitors
- Anticholinergic agents: Effective in relieving tremors.
Parkinson’s Disease Disease-Modifying Therapies:
- Fundamental therapies such as stem cell therapy, gene therapy, and immunotherapy are being researched, but their effectiveness has not yet been proven.