Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately dopamine-producing (“dopaminergic”) neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra. Parkinson’s disease affected one in 100 people over the age of 60, the average onset is 60 years old. For this degenerative disease the symptoms develop slowly over the years. The progression of Parkinson’s disease varies from person to person. In the early stages of Parkinson’s some symptoms you may experience is, cramped handwriting or general writing changes, tremors mostly focusing on the hand and foot, uncontrollable movements during sleep, bradykinesia which is slow movement, ridged facial expression, and stooped posture. As symptoms get worse, people with the disease may have trouble walking, talking, or doing simple tasks. People with Parkinson’s may develop depression, sleeping problems and have motor problems. Dementia is very common with people with this disease, it occurs during the later stages of Parkinson’s (RG brown).
The cause of Parkinson’s disease is at this time is still unknown, there is evidence to believe that the role of genetics, environmental factors, and both combined play a big role in this disease. Parkinson’s is caused by a single gene mutation, because this is an autosomal-dominant disorder one mutated allele of the gene is enough to cause the disease. It is estimated that only 10% of these cases are due to genetic causes. The most known gene mutation that triggers Parkinson’s disease is LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2). The LRRK2 mutation is more prominent in North Africans and people of Jewish descent. Another mutation that is said to be responsible for Parkinson’s is Alpha-Synuclein, it is a protein that plays a role in many cellular functions. Alpha-synuclein are found in all lewy bodies that are clumped together. Environmental influences also cause Parkinson’s, significant exposure to pesticides or certain heavy metals and repeated head injuries, can increase the risk of getting the disease.
The progression of Parkinson’s can range from ten to 20 years from the time you get diagnosed to stage 5. At this current time there are no cures for Parkinson’s disease but there are treatments to improve the symptoms of the disease. The most common medication for Parkinson’s is Carbidopa/Levodopa, it is a chemical precursor of dopamine. Levodopa in particular helps the reformation of the brains supply of dopamine, this helps reduce the tremors and other motor systems that the disease diminished. Levodopa does have some side effects a medication called carbidopa is taken together with levodopa to alleviate the symptoms of nausea, vomiting, etc. As the disease progresses, people usually gradually increase the dose of the medication. Levodopa does not stop the progression of Parkinson’s and it is also not a cure. In the early stages of Parkinson’s an antiviral drug called amantadine is taken to help reduce symptoms and dyskinesia, which is the impairment of voluntary movement. Patients are prone on developing non-motor symptoms so doctors prescribe medications to treat depression and anxiety. As the disease worsens medications may become less effective which can lead to surgery. Surgery can decrease the symptoms and the impact of disease on the patient. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most common and most promising type of surgical treatment. In deep brain stimulation an electrode is implanted into a part of the brain, it stimulated the brain to help stop the motor symptoms of the disease. Deep brain stimulation is not a cure for Parkinson’s, some of the symptoms or problems may gradually return as time goes on.
Besides the medications and surgeries, there are supportive therapies that can also help. Going to physical, speech, and occupational therapies can help people with problems like walking and voice disorders, tremors, and cognitive decline. Regular exercise may improve body strength and balance in people with gait problems, this can strengthen certain muscles so that people can speak and swallow better. There is no proof that a well-balanced diet can help Parkinson’s but having a healthy diet can overall just help the well-being of a person.
The cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown, research has been done on how to possibly prevent it. One strategy to prevent the disease is caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea and cola. Having caffeine may prevent the production of free radicals that can attack the nerves cells that produce dopamine. Research has shown that by smoking tobacco it makes individual susceptible to adverse health effects, smoking tobacco helps reduce the risk of getting the disorder by a third, as compared to non-smokers. This is attributed to nicotine that is a dopamine stimulant.