Parkinson's DiseaseParkinson's Disease

Katherine PatettaMarch 6, 2013

Period 1

Common and Scientific Name

•Parkinson's is both the common and scientific name

Cause

• Loss of certain nerve cells in the brain which cause a decrease in the amount of dopamine chemical produced

• Inherited gene defects and/or environment

• The overall cause is still unknown

• Brain tumors, herbicide and pesticide exposure, stroke, trauma, antipsychotic drugs, carbon monoxide poisoning, oxidative damage, age, etc.

Target Population

•Older people (50 years and older)

•Males are more likely to develop disease

•Family members with PD

•Melanoma skin cancer

•Exposed to toxins

Where and How

•Dopamine attaches to receptors on the surface of cells in the corpus striatum (part of brain), which controls muscle action

Symptoms

• Symptoms normally begin slowly, then develop more overtime

• Shaking while at rest

• Poor balance

• Freezing during movement

• Difficulty walking

• Trouble performing usual tasks

• Trouble speaking

• Shaky and small handwriting

• Seborrhea (red rash and white scales on skin)

Prognosis

•PD isn’t a fatal illness but the progression of the symptoms leave the patient debilitated

•Rate varies among different patients

Treatment

• Currently no treatments to cure PD

• Studies were performed using gene therapy but more research is needed

• Medication is given to treat the symptoms

• Maintain general health

• Muscle-building/physical therapy

• Speech therapy

• Emotional support and encouragement

Celebrities

•Hitler was believed to have PD in his later years

•http://www.history.com/videos/adolf-hitlers-parkinsons#adolf-hitlers-parkinsons

•Muhammad Ali was diagnosed in 1984 and is currently unable to speak in public

•Michael J. Fox (actor) diagnosed at 30 years old

Organization and Medical Facilities•National Parkinson’s

Foundation www.parkinson.org

•Parkinson’s Disease Foundation www.pdf.org

•Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research www.michaeljfox.org

•Parkinson’s Unity Walk- walk in NYC, all money goes to PD research

Bibliography

• Ford-Martin, P., Alic, M., & Cloos, R. (2009). Parkinson's Disease. In L. J. Fundukian (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine (3rd ed., Vol. 3, pp. 1706-1711). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3240100617&v=2.1&u=cary81451&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

• Carson-DeWitt, R. (n.d.). Parkinson's Disease: PD; Paralysis Agitans; Shaking Palsy. In Conditions & procedures inbrief. Retrieved from Consumer Health Complete database. (Accession No. HL11632). Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/chc/detail?vid=3&sid=71f34c60-71e6-4b80-9ed4-2e559225dace%40sessionmgr111&hid=127&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGN1c3R1aWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4NDU1ODYxJnNpdGU9Y2hjLWxpdmU%3d#db=cmh&AN=HL11632