Parkinson's Disease Research Paper

Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder, affects the neurons that produce dopamine in the substantia nigra region of the brain. Being the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, this disease affects over 1% of people over 55, and 3% of people over 75. A higher rate of Parkinson’s is present in males than in females, and Parkinson’s occurs more frequently in Hispanics and Caucasians as opposed to Asians and African Americans Nearly one million Americans and over ten-million people worldwide live with this disease. The symptoms of Parkinson’s usually develop after the age of 50, but can also develop at a much younger age, as nearly 4% of diagnoses occur before the age of 50 Parkinson’s disease begins to develop when the neurons …show more content…
However, not every stage is experienced by every person and each stage does not occur in the same sequence. Tremors, gait, and facial expression changes occur during stage one, but these changes have yet to affect activities of daily living. Most symptoms usually occur on one side of the body during this stage. In stage two, symptoms worsen and spread to both sides of the body. Activities become more difficult, and require longer amounts of time. Moving on to stage three, which is also called mid-stage, the person’s ability to maintain balance dissipates, and movement slows which increases the risk of falls. In stage four, symptoms greatly limit the person’s ability to function independently, and help is needed with most activities. A walker may be implemented to help the person stand and walk without assistance. Finally in the fifth and final stage, complete nursing care is necessary. Walking and standing becomes nearly impossible resulting in the requirement of a wheelchair or bedrest. Many other non-motor and motor symptoms can also occur such as hallucinations or …show more content…
While there is not a specific test to diagnose Parkinson’s disease, a neurologist can often identify it. Often a movement disorder specialist, a neurologist that has special training in disorders like Parkinson’s, is consulted in order to prevent a misdiagnosis. To begin diagnostic testing, a physical examination is completed in order to identify a minimum of two of the core motor symptoms of this disease. These core motor symptoms, mentioned earlier, include bradykinesia, tremors, and rigidity. If a diagnosis is uncertain, brain imaging may be used to help look for changes in the brain that are common with many Parkinsonian syndromes. Brain imaging studies include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a test that examines the structure of the brain, and a DaTscan, a test that detects how dopamine functions in the brain. Although not used often in the clinical setting, functional MRI’s, a test that examines brain function, and a PET, a test that measures certain brain functions, may also be used. Another method of diagnosis includes administration of a medication used for Parkinson’s disease. With idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, a positive response to the medication usually ensues, while other Parkinsonian syndromes usually do not react sufficiently to the medication, or may be completely absent. If a person does not react well to the medication, a DaTscan

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