Complications If Left Untreated
Depression Nearly 50% people with Parkinson’s disease develop depression. In some cases, depression may occur months or even years before Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed. Dementia Some people with Parkinson’s disease develop dementia, a condition that can include memory loss, impaired judgment and personality changes.Difficulty chewing and swallowing
Parkinson’s Disease Risk Factors
Although a primary cause for Parkinson’s disease is yet to be identified, a number of risk factors are clearly evident.
Advancing age– Although there is the occasional case of the disease being developed as a young adult, it generally manifests itself in the middle to late years of life. The risk continues to increase the older one gets. Some researchers assume that people with Parkinson’s have neural damage from genetic or environmental factors that get worse as they age.
Sex- Males are more likely to get Parkinson’s than females. Possible reasons for this may be that males have greater exposure to other risk factors such as toxin exposure or head trauma. It has been theorised that oestrogen may have neuro-protective effects. Or, in the case of genetic predisposition, a gene predisposing someone to Parkinson’s may be linked to the X chromosome.
Family history– Having one or more close relatives with the disease increases the likelihood that you will get it, but to a minimal degree. This lends support to the idea that there is a genetic link in developing Parkinson’s.
– Post menopausal who do not use hormone replacement therapy are at greater risk, as are those who have had hysterectomies.
Low levels of B vitamin folate– Researchers discovered that mice with a deficiency of this vitamin developed severe Parkinson’s symptoms, while those with normal levels did not.
What Is Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons disease is a nervous system disease that affects your ability to control movement. The disease usually starts out slowly and worsens over time. If you have Parkinsons disease, you may shake, have muscle stiffness, and have trouble walking and maintaining your balance and coordination. As the disease worsens, you may have trouble talking, sleeping, have mental and memory problems, experience behavioral changes and have other symptoms.
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Diagnosis Of Parkinsons Disease
There are big problem with the diagnosis of Parkinsons disease is that there are no definitive tests. The disease is paricularly hard to diagnose in its early stages. All the cardinal symptoms of Parkinson may be dismissed as the effects of aging.A diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is based on three things:
- medical history,
- observations of signs
- neurological examination, which includes an evaluation of walking, coordination and some simple tasks of dexterity
After a thorough neurological exam and medical history, the neurologist may order CT scan or MRI scan to meet the other criterion for a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and rule out disorders that produce similar symptoms.
What Medications Are Used To Treat Parkinsons Disease
Medications are the main treatment method for patients with Parkinsons disease. Your doctor will work closely with you to develop a treatment plan best suited for you based on the severity of your disease at the time of diagnosis, side effects of the drug class and success or failure of symptom control of the medications you try.
Medications combat Parkinsons disease by:
- Helping nerve cells in the brain make dopamine.
- Mimicking the effects of dopamine in the brain.
- Blocking an enzyme that breaks down dopamine in the brain.
- Reducing some specific symptoms of Parkinsons disease.
Levodopa: Levodopa is a main treatment for the slowness of movement, tremor, and stiffness symptoms of Parkinsons disease. Nerve cells use levodopa to make dopamine, which replenishes the low amount found in the brain of persons with Parkinsons disease. Levodopa is usually taken with carbidopa to allow more levodopa to reach the brain and to prevent or reduce the nausea and vomiting, low blood pressure and other side effects of levodopa. Sinemet® is available in an immediate release formula and a long-acting, controlled release formula. Rytary® is a newer version of levodopa/carbidopa that is a longer-acting capsule. The newest addition is Inbrija®, which is inhaled levodopa. It is used by people already taking regular carbidopa/levodopa for when they have off episodes .
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2 Adrenergic Receptor Agonists/antagonists
Alpha-synuclein is a protein that may be involved in the regulation of dopamine and other neurotransmitter release which are important in Parkinsons disease . Abnormal accumulations of -synuclein, such as in Lewy bodies, occurs in patients expressing mild to severe symptoms of Parkinsons disease .
The ability of noradrenergic neurons to regulate dopaminergic neurons may be involved in these drug effects. It is known that dopamine can interact with . This is undoubtedly important in Parkinsons disease and may explain the ability of these drugs to increase or decrease the risk of developing Parkinsons disease.
Drugs that are purported to remove -synuclein from the brain are being tested in clinical trials. Many of these drugs are antibodies or monoclonal antibodies. A major goal of these studies must be to demonstrate that the antibodies or monoclonal antibodies can cross the blood brain barrier. A study of a monoclonal antibody BIIB054 has produced preliminary results . The drug was found to penetrate across the blood brain barrier and was safe. Clinical trials to determine its efficacy in Parkinsons disease have not been reported. Other antibodies, such as ABBV-0805, NPT200-11, PRX002, MEDI1341, AFFITOPE and PRX002 have been studied in preliminary clinical trials .
What Is The Number One Risk Factor For Parkinson’s
Age is the greatest risk factor. About 1% of those over 60 and 5% of those over 85 are diagnosed with it. The increased risk is due to decreasing levels of dopamine metabolism and other changes that make the neurons vulnerable.
Reeve A, Simcox E, Turnbull D. Ageing and Parkinsons disease: Why is advancing age the biggest risk factor?Ageing Research Reviews. 2014 14:19-30. doi:10.1016%2Fj.arr.2014.01.004
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Age And Genetic Factors Are Not Everything
The rate of Parkinsons disease globally has exceeded far faster than the population has aged according to the American Parkinson Disease Association.
Cases of the disease are up by several multiples over the past decades. From 1990 to 2015, the cases of the disease globally more than doubled, suggesting that there is far more at work. From 2015 to 2040, cases are expected to double once again. This is far higher than the rate of aging in the population.
What Are The Different Stages Of Parkinsons Disease
Each person with Parkinsons disease experiences symptoms in in their own unique way. Not everyone experiences all symptoms of Parkinsons disease. You may not experience symptoms in the same order as others. Some people may have mild symptoms others may have intense symptoms. How quickly symptoms worsen also varies from individual to individual and is difficult to impossible to predict at the outset.
In general, the disease progresses from early stage to mid-stage to mid-late-stage to advanced stage. This is what typically occurs during each of these stages:
Early stage
Early symptoms of Parkinsons disease are usually mild and typically occur slowly and do not interfere with daily activities. Sometimes early symptoms are not easy to detect or you may think early symptoms are simply normal signs of aging. You may have fatigue or a general sense of uneasiness. You may feel a slight tremor or have difficulty standing.
Often, a family member or friend notices some of the subtle signs before you do. They may notice things like body stiffness or lack of normal movement slow or small handwriting, lack of expression in your face, or difficulty getting out of a chair.
Mid stage
Mid-late stage
Standing and walking are becoming more difficult and may require assistance with a walker. You may need full time help to continue to live at home.
Advanced stage
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Exercise And Healthy Eating
Regular exercise is particularly important in helping relieve muscle stiffness, improving your mood, and relieving stress.
There are many activities you can do to help keep yourself fit, ranging from more active sports like tennis and cycling, to less strenuous activities such as walking, gardening and yoga.
You should also try to eat a balanced diet containing all the food groups to give your body the nutrition it needs to stay healthy.
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3. Presence of Lewy bodies in the brain
Changes happening within the brain may also be a trigger for Parkinsons disease. Lewy bodies are proteins found in brain cells which are biomarkers of the disease and may hold the key to finding out the exact cause.
4. Alpha-synuclein in Lewy bodies
There are many different substances found in Lewy bodies, but scientists are focusing on alpha-synuclein proteins. Alpha-synuclein proteins dont break down they form clumps in the cells which are thought to contribute to the disease.
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Parkinsons News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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Parkinson’s Diseasewhat Are The Causes Of Parkinson’s Disease
Symptoms manifest due to a malfunction of dopamine neurons
The brain is the central control tower that governs the condition of the body. Messages sent out by the brain are transmitted from one nerve cell to the next by neurotransmitters that pass the message on like a baton during a relay race, causing your body to move in reaction to the message. In Parkinson’s disease, levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra, decrease, causing a loss of control over body movement. It is still not fully understood what causes the amount of dopamine to decrease. Changes in the brain associated with age and, in some cases, changes related to a person’s genes, are presumed to be the cause. Supplementing the deficient dopamine with medication can lessen the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Lack Of Exercise/physical Activities
The idea that exercise might have a role in Parkinsons disease is not new. Researchers have been trying to find a connection between Parkinsons and exercise for many years. They think that those who do regular exercise are less likely affected by the disease than those who dont.
A study published in the Journal of Neurology suggests that higher levels of physical activity may reduce the risk of developing Parkinsons disease. In this study, 125,828 provided information on physical activity in early adulthood. During the follow-up, a total of 387 Parkinsons cases were identified. The study found that the people who didnt develop the disease were mostly involved in some sort of higher levels of physical activity.
Similarly, one meta-analysis that included data from 8 prospective studies has concluded that moderate to vigorous physical activity may have an inverse relationship with a risk of Parkinsons.
Although it is not known how exercise could protect someone from developing Parkinsons, researchers think that it may inhibit abnormal changes in dopamine neurons and contribute to the healthy functioning of brain parts involved in body movement.
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Contact Our Information And Referral Helpline
The Parkinson Canada Information and Referral Helpline is a toll-free Canada-wide number for people living with Parkinsons, their caregivers and health care professionals. We provide free and confidential non-medical information and referral services. When you have questions or need assistance, our information and referral staff help connect you with resources and community programs and services that can help you. We provide help by phone or email, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. ET.
What Role Do Genes Play
Your genes are like your body’s instruction book. So if you get a change in one of them, it can make your body work in a slightly different way. Sometimes, that means you’re more likely to get a certain disease.
There are several genetic mutations that can raise your risk for Parkinson’s, each by a little bit. They have a part in about 1 in 10 cases.
If you have one or more of these changes, it doesn’t mean you’ll get Parkinson’s. Some people will, but many won’t, and doctors don’t know why. It may have to do with other genes or something in your environment.
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What Is The Outlook For Persons With Parkinsons Disease
Although there is no cure or absolute evidence of ways to prevent Parkinsons disease, scientists are working hard to learn more about the disease and find innovative ways to better manage it, prevent it from progressing and ultimately curing it.
Currently, you and your healthcare teams efforts are focused on medical management of your symptoms along with general health and lifestyle improvement recommendations . By identifying individual symptoms and adjusting the course of action based on changes in symptoms, most people with Parkinsons disease can live fulfilling lives.
The future is hopeful. Some of the research underway includes:
- Using stem cells to produce new neurons, which would produce dopamine.
- Producing a dopamine-producing enzyme that is delivered to a gene in the brain that controls movement.
- Using a naturally occurring human protein glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor, GDNF to protect dopamine-releasing nerve cells.
Many other investigations are underway too. Much has been learned, much progress has been made and additional discoveries are likely to come.
In The Loop: Staying Ahead Of Parkinsons Disease One Ping Pong Game At A Time
Since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Steve Grinnell has worked hard to stay active, stepping up his table tennis game and, thanks to co-workers, testing his skills outside his home.
Four years ago, Steve Grinnell’s life was forever changed when doctors at Mayo Clinic in Rochester diagnosed him with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. Since that time, the progressive nervous system disorder has begun to take a toll on Steve and his family, just as it does on the millions of other Americans living with the disease. “It has greatly diminished his quality of life, leaving him with tremors, physical exhaustion, impaired balance, troubled grasping things with his right hand, slow right-arm movement and problems sleeping,” the Rochester Post-Bulletin recently reported. “That’s to name just a few of his symptoms.”
Reading that, one might assume the disorder is winning. And to Steve, sometimes it feels like it is. But much of the time, he tells us he also feels like he’s staying one step ahead of the disease by staying as physically active as possible. “Parkinson’s presents such a conundrum because it wears you down physically, and yet exercise is so valuable,” Steve says. “My legs, feet and right arm are always cramping, so it takes mental effort to get moving.”
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The Genetics Of Parkinsons
A 2020 study including 1,676 people with Parkinsons in mainland China suggested that genes play a role in the development of the condition. An estimated 10 to 15 percent of people with Parkinsons have a family history of the condition.
In fact, a number of specific genes have been linked to the development of Parkinsons.
How do genetics factor into Parkinsons in some families? According to Genetics Home Reference, one possible way is through the mutation of genes responsible for producing dopamine and certain proteins essential for brain function.
Spanish Researcher Discovers The Direct Cause Of Parkinsons
Patricia Gonzalez-Rodriguez, is a prestigious scientific and medical researcher from Cadiz. She recently published the results of an international study in the journal Nature. In her results, the researcher explained about her work on Parkinsons disease. During studies, she claimed that it had been possible to detect that the bodys neurons affected by the disease do not die, but rather lose their faculties.
This discovery came about thanks to one of the genetically modified mouse models devised in 2015. New avenues of research for the disease have now been opened with this find. The research showed that the main cause of Parkinsons is in the degradation of mitochondria. These organics, found within cells, are responsible for their respiration and would seem to be directly related to the disease.
The Spanish researcher intentionally modified the mitochondria of neurons in the substantia nigra of the mice. That is, in a small part of the brain, which, when affected, Parkinsons begins to show.
As a result, the first symptoms of the disease become visible, and the neurons of this substance begin to secrete dopamine. The latter serves to control bodily movement, and when the mitochondria do not work properly, Parkinsons symptoms appear.
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History Of Parkinsons Disease
Symptoms and possible treatments for Parkinsons were discussed in texts related to Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medical practice thats been around since as early as 5,000 B.C. A Parkinsons-like condition was also mentioned in the first Chinese medical text, Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, more than 2,500 years ago.
Parkinsons disease was formally recognized in an 1817 paper, An Essay on the Shaking Palsy, by James Parkinson, MD, a London doctor and member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
Dr. Parkinson observed what are now known as the classic symptoms of Parkinsons disease, including tremors, rigidity, and postural instability. He theorized that the disease developed because of a problem in the brains medulla region.
Parkinsons essay received little attention until 1861, when French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot and his colleagues distinguished the disease from other neurological conditions and termed it Parkinsons disease.