Is There A Connection Between Stress And Parkinsons Disease
Most neurology text books will state that stress seems to exacerbate Parkinsons disease symptoms and persons with Parkinsons disease often describe the worsening of their tremor when having to speak publicly or the worsening of dyskinesias while watching a suspenseful movie scene.
In spite of this observation there has not been a lot of research really examining the interplay of stress and the development or exacerbation of Parkinsons.
We know that stress can have effects on the brain and in animals studies it has been shown to contribute to atrophy and reduced function of the nerves in the brain.
Stress reduction has been shown to be beneficial in multiple medical conditions reducing blood pressure in persons with hypertension, skin lesions in persons with psoriasis, and blood sugars in persons with diabetes.
There was a recent study in multiple sclerosis that showed fewer new brain lesions when persons participated in an intensive stress reduction program.
It is not clear what role stress plays in Parkinsons disease but Dr. Hillers goal is to gain more knowledge in this area by researching cortisol levels in persons with Parkinsons disease with and without significant stress and eventually hopes to examine the effects of stress reduction on the psychological and physical functioning of persons with Parkinsons disease.
Psychological Stress As A Risk Factor For Parkinsons Disease
Objective/Rationale: All persons experience psychological stress. In fact, its pervasiveness is the primary cause of countless diseases. Although the impact of psychological stress on Parkinsons disease has yet to be fully defined, there is ample evidence that PD symptoms worsen during times of stress. Therefore, we asked what would happen if a pre-clinical model with a known genetic vulnerability to PD was subjected to chronic psychological stress.
Project Description: In order to address this question, we will subject two types of pre-clinical model to chronic psychological stress beginning two days after birth and ending at the end of adolescence. Three months after the final day of stress we will examine cell death in brain structures affected by PD.
Relevance to Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinsons Disease: Discovering that psychological stress may be a risk factor for PD would be an enormously important finding that may, in part, explain how people across different cultures, environments, etc., eventually develop PD. This observation, coupled with future studies, may indentify a common mechanism shared by the majority of PD patients that can be translated to early diagnostics and new therapeutics.
Environmental Toxins And Parkinsons Disease
Neuronal cell death in PD may also be triggered by exposure to toxic substances or environmental factors which precipitate the symptoms of the disease as they render the brain vulnerable to subsequent physiological chronic stress . The environmental cause of PD mainly refers to exposure to dopaminergic toxins 6-hydroxydopamine , 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine , paraquat and rotenone as these toxins are known to induce formation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress which may result in neuronal cell death .
DA is one of the common neurotransmitters present in most parts of the central nervous system . The mesocortical, mesolimbic, nigrostriatal and tubero-infundibular pathways are the four main pathways that play a key role in dopaminergic signaling . DA cannot cross the blood brain barrier, therefore, it is synthesized from tyrosine which is carried into the brain via amino acid transporters . At the dopaminergic neuron level, tyrosine is then converted into dihydroxyphenylalanine by tyrosine hydroxylase then finally into DA by aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase . DA is then stored in the vesicle until an action potential allows the vesicle to be discharged into the synapse . Monoamine oxidase is the enzyme that is responsible for breaking down excess DA and is known to similarly act on 6-OHDA inducing oxidative stress resulting in apoptosis .
Also Check: Parkinson’s Leaning To One Side
What Happens To Dopamine In The Brain Of Parkinsons Patient
As mentioned above, Dopamine is produced by Dopaminergic neurons. It is due to the loss of these neurons that cause the brain to stop releasing Dopamine and results in Parkinsons disease. But the death of these neurons doesnt happen suddenly, instead they die progressively thats the reason why Parkinsons is said to be a progressive disease.
As soon as the disease strikes, the Dopaminergic neurons start to die that cause a steady decline in the Dopamine production in the brain. This is the very early stage that lasts for many years. Since the brain is still capable of producing Dopamine, the body wouldnt show any motor disability, and therefore it is often very difficult to diagnose the disease at this stage.
Nevertheless, the disease still affects the body in the form of non-motor signs like loss of smell, sleeping problem, constipation, and apathy . These are usually under-recognized and ignored, not only by the patient but also by doctors.
As time passes by, the brain ability of Dopamine production declines rapidly until it reaches the level where it starts to affect the body normal movement. At this stage, the disease can easily be diagnosed by its motor-symptoms tremor, slow movement, and rigidity. By this time, almost 70% of Dopaminergic neurons are lost in the brain.
Diagnosis And Treatment Of Hallucinations
First, your doctor needs to find out whats causing your hallucinations. Theyll ask about your medical history and do a physical exam. Then theyll ask about your symptoms.
They may need to do tests to help figure out the problem. For instance, an EEG, or , checks for unusual patterns of electrical activity in your brain. It could show if your hallucinations are due to seizures.
You might get an MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, which uses powerful magnets and radio waves to make pictures of the inside of your body. It can find out if a brain tumor or something else, like an area thats had a small , could be to blame.
Your doctor will treat the condition thats causing the hallucinations. This can include things like:
- Medication for schizophrenia or dementias like Alzheimers disease
- Antiseizure drugs to treat epilepsy
Also Check: Big Therapy For Parkinson Disease
Can Stress Make Parkinsons Disease Worse
Stress is according to the researches, the pervasiveness of various diseases. There is ample evidence that the symptoms of Parkinsons disease worsen with stress. The impact of psychological stress on Parkinsons disease is essentially adversely negative, making the progression of the disease faster.
What Happens To The Body At A Neural Level When Exposed To Uncontrollable Stress
The mechanisms at the neural level due to stress may be quite alarming-
Nerve Degeneration: It has been seen that chronic stress can degenerate the nigrostriatal nerves. This is particularly common who cannot seem to work out their coping mechanisms.
HPA Hormones: Extreme amount of stress for prolonged period may lead to activation of the certain hormones like the HPA which eventually leads to inconsistent coping mechanisms.
These cases of stress related damages in the bodily activities like the striatal damage results in decreased motor abilities which is a major symptom of Parkinsons disease.
High Levels of Glucocortisoles: Extreme levels of stress are seen to reduce the motor performance level due to high levels of glucocortisoles.
Loss of Nigral Neurons: Research studies have also proven that high levels of corticosterone may at times lead to loss of nigral neurons which may be permanent.
Extreme stressful situations may also lead to a reduction in the secretion of dopamine. The decreased dopamine levels are responsible for bringing the symptoms of Parkinsons disease come to action.
Neurodegenerative Diseases: Stressful life events and situations characterized by extreme levels of stress bring the neurodegenerative diseases come into play, Parkinsons disease being a major one in it.
Don’t Miss: Acupressure Points For Parkinson’s Tremors
Recommendations For Future Studies
Future trials should be adequately powered to demonstrate a clinically meaningful difference between a mindfulness and control intervention . The optimal control intervention should have a similar duration and amount of personal contact as mindfulness and should not differ in degree of physical exercise. When investigating the effect of mindfulness on disease progression, it is possible that interventions longer than 8âweeks are needed . Promising outcome measures include anxiety and depression , and it might be considered to test the merits of mindfulness in a sample of patients with PD scoring high on these symptoms. It would also be informative to assess effects on other nonmotor symptoms, such as pain, sleeping problems, and digestive issues. Any effects on motor symptoms are currently less clear, and these may be better investigated using wearable devices to identify even subtle improvements or using functional outcome measures. Specifically, such functional measures could include brain imaging , activity of the HPA axis , or inflammatory markers , and these may help to better understand the underlying working mechanisms. Follow-up should ideally be 6âmonths or longer, because the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention may consolidate with longer follow-up.
Psychological And Physiological Anxiety Measures
Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant effect on phase and group à phase interaction for VAMS anxiety factor . However, no difference was found between the groups . With regard to other VAMS factors, there was a significant effect of phase on mental sedation , physical sedation , and other feelings . However, there were no significant effects of these parameters on group à phase interaction and the groups.
Figure 1
Repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant effect of phase on heart rate without differences between the groups or group à phase interaction. Moreover, there were no differences in systolic or diastolic blood pressure between the phases, groups, or group à phase interaction.
You May Like: Is Parkinson’s Disease Hereditary Or Genetic
What Are The Symptoms Of Parkinsons Disease
Symptoms of Parkinsons disease and the rate of decline vary widely from person to person. The most common symptoms include:
Other symptoms include:
- Speech/vocal changes: Speech may be quick, become slurred or be soft in tone. You may hesitate before speaking. The pitch of your voice may become unchanged .
- Handwriting changes: You handwriting may become smaller and more difficult to read.
- Depression and anxiety.
- including disrupted sleep, acting out your dreams, and restless leg syndrome.
- Pain, lack of interest , fatigue, change in weight, vision changes.
- Low blood pressure.
Can Stress Continue Its Effect Once A Patient Is Diagnosed With Parkinsons Disease
Stress continues to affect a patients physical and mental health and acute stress level even after the diagnosis of Parkinsons disease may play a role in the speedy progression of the disease. Patients are seen to complain of experiencing increased amount of stress once they are diagnosed of Parkinsons disease. Patients complain of experiencing stress from the thought of needing to go to the washroom. This occurs due to the difficulty from the patients part to accept the fate of reduced independency. However, it should be remembered that, stress in Parkinsons disease id never beneficial. In fact is further deteriorates the condition of the patient, worsening the symptoms.
Also Read:
Recommended Reading: Joy Milne Parkinson’s Disease
Other Complementary Therapies For Anxiety In Pd
Complementary therapies are a growing group of treatments which may improve the symptoms of PD without medication. I have written past blogs on two complementary therapy approaches for several symptoms of PD art therapy and music therapy.
Various complementary therapy modalities have been developed that may lower stress and anxiety in PD. These include yoga, massage, the Alexander technique, neurofeedback and others. Some of these therapies have been studied in small trials with data suggesting that they may be helpful for the anxiety of PD. Others have not yet been studied, although anecdotally, people with PD may feel that they are very useful in combatting anxiety. In general, this group of therapies may be effective for the anxiety of PD but needs to be studied more rigorously.
How Does Anxiety Cause Freezing Of Gait
Recently, imaging studies have begun to identify neural correlates associated with freezing behaviour. Although these studies did not focus on inducing anxiety to provoke freezing of gait, it is interesting that decreases in activation were found in the medial prefrontal cortex, left anterior insula and left ventral striatum during motor arrests compared to walking . Although these regions are involved in an array of functions such as the cognitive control network , these areas also have a well-established role in emotional processing . A recent review highlighted that nearly 60% of emotional induction studies reported activation of the insula , and furthermore the insula has been suggested to participate in evaluation of distressing thoughts and interoceptive emotional responses . Imaging results have also shown that Freezers have significantly less BOLD signal in the bilateral anterior insula and bilateral ventral striatum compared to Non-Freezers during simulated walking in virtual reality with increased cognitive load . Taken together, these results align with the current findings and theoretical framework suggesting that dysfunctional processing of emotional information in the ventral striatum might be one explanation of the current results showing that anxiety increased freezing of gait.
Read Also: Apps For Parkinson’s Patients
Can Emotional Stress Cause Symptoms That Resemble Transient Pd
Sayings such as shaking in fear, staring in disbelief or frozen with fear exist in many languages and suggest that acute emotional stress can mimic some features of PD.
Dramatic examples of reversible parkinsonism were frequently reported among the casualties of shell shock and war neurosis that in Germany were referred to as Kriegszitterer . In the surviving cine films, most of these handicaps resembled a psychogenic movement disorder and suggestion therapy led to an improvement in most cases.
A few cases, however, closely resembled PD and neurologists described some World War I soldiers as follows: The eyes were wide open and had a pained vacant stare. He cannot move his legs, which are rigid. As in many of these patients the sole of the foot is shuffled along the ground. Another form of tremor which is coarser and less rapid than the preceding, viz. 56 per sec, is that which resembles paralysis agitans. Others observed similar findings reporting balance is maintained with difficulty since the trunk is flexed anteriorly and the legs are partially bent at the knees. The arms hang low and stiffly at the sides, giving a simian appearance to the whole posture. Coarse tremors develop in the hands and legs , the facies are mask-like without expression.
Same patient without any dopaminergic therapy showed significant improvement in handwriting after chronic stress has been resolved.
The Best Diet For Parkinsons Disease Health Essentials
But, Dopamine is a vital neurotransmitter that helps promote a good mood and emotional stability, sardines, Dopamine demonstrates numerous benefits for the brain, a nutrient essential for high brain levels of dopamine, Nuts are an additional source of protein, herring, pomegranates, It may also help prevent the risk of neurodegenerative disease like Parkinsons in the long run.This is especially true of the second stage where the insides of the banana have not been pasturized, Beans Nuts, Fresh fruits and vegetables tend to have high dopamine levels in general, YouTube> Dopamine helps to protect against some kinds of neuro-degneration
Don’t Miss: Arthritis And Parkinson’s Disease
Learn More About How Nutrition Affects Parkinsons
A diet thats rich in whole grains, lean protein, and fibrous fruits and vegetables is useful for fighting fatigue and may also reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, all of which help you live well today with Parkinsons.
How have you found different foods affect your energy levels? Consider logging your diet and making notes about how you feel after eating and between meals. Let your experiences help guide you to make healthy modifications to your diet.
Parkinsons Disease And Anxiety: Why Does Anxiety Happen
People with Parkinsonâs disease experience a number of different symptoms. As well as tremor, rigidity and slow movement, many PD patients feel depressed or anxious and struggle with the emotional impact of their illness.
Around 31% of people with Parkinsons disease will experience significant symptoms of anxiety. Those with early-onset Parkinsons are thought to have a higher risk of developing anxiety than older patients. Its unclear whether this occurs due to chemical changes in the brain, Parkinsonâs medication side-effects or a combination of social, environmental and genetic factors, though scientists are devoting more research to this area.
According to Richard Brown, Professor of Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience at Kings College London:
Anxiety, like all behavior and emotion, is ultimately controlled by our brain. Anxiety is related to a complex set of brain areas and chemicals, many of which are affected in Parkinsons.
There is no cure-all treatment for anxiety stemming from Parkinsonâs disease because the cause of anxiety in PD is difficult to determine. If you experience anxiety with Parkinsonâs disease, your doctor will suggest appropriate treatment that takes all of your PD symptoms into account.
Recommended Reading: What Can You Do For Parkinson’s Disease
Pessimism And Anxiety Linked To Parkinsons
Researchers See Connection Between Personality Traits and Development of Parkinsonâs Disease
âThis is the first study to show that people with high levels of an anxious or pessimistic personality are at higher risk for developing Parkinsonâs disease up to several decades later,â says James Bower, MD, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and a researcher on the study.
The researchers followed nearly 5,000 men and women who took a standardized personality test between 1962 and 1965 128 of them developed Parkinsonâs disease over the next 35 to 40 years.
People who scored highest on anxiety scores were 60% more likely to develop Parkinsonâs disease than those scoring lower, Bower says. And those who scored in the top 25% on the pessimism scale were 50% more likely to develop the progressive neurological disease, he tells WebMD.
The people who developed Parkinsonâs disease had anxieties that go beyond common worries about whatâs for dinner or job stress, Bower says. âThese are the chronic worriers â the people who worry about things that most people never seem to worry about.â