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Parkinson’s Disease – Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

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Changes In Cognition And Parkinsons Disease

Some people with Parkinsons may experience changes in their cognitive function, including problems with memory, attention, and the ability to plan and accomplish tasks. Stress, depression, and some medications may also contribute to these changes in cognition.

Over time, as the disease progresses, some people may develop dementia and be diagnosed with Parkinsons dementia, a type of Lewy body dementia. People with Parkinsons dementia may have severe memory and thinking problems that affect daily living.

Talk with your doctor if you or a loved one is diagnosed with Parkinsons disease and is experiencing problems with thinking or memory.

Diagnosis And Treatment Of Parkinsons Disease

There is no definitive test to check for Parkinsons, and so it is a case of monitoring the symptoms and then making a diagnosis based on these. If your doctor thinks you have the disease, they will refer you to a neurologist who will then assess your symptoms and conduct MRI scans and blood tests to rule out possibilities of other diseases.

Controlling Parkinsons is the best option when looking for a treatment because as yet, there is no cure. The best form of treatment is using drugs which mimic dopamine in the body to help keep the symptoms of Parkinsons under control. These drugs are not without their side effects and can cause sickness and a sudden need to sleep.

Other treatments are based on limiting the amount of dopamine which is broken down by the body and some treatments look at replacing the dopamine with a view to working on different areas of the brain in order to minimize side effects.

Surgery is used as a last resort and involves placing electrodes in the brain and stimulating those areas of the brain which are responsible for movement. This treatment is known as deep brain stimulation and tiny pulses are repeatedly sent to the brain to help control symptoms.

With proper care and management, there is no reason why sufferers of Parkinsons cannot live to full life expectancy.

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How Does The Brain Control Movement

The ability to move certain muscles when necessary is taken for granted by most people. The action of motor neurons to tell the skeletal muscle to contract seems to be the simplest of physiologic requests. The control of purposeful movement is vastly more complicated than that. Voluntary movement is regulated, in part, by neural activity in two interconnected regions deep in the brain, the basal ganglia, and the substantia nigra. Literally translated to black substance, because of the darkly colored pigmentation of the nerve cells in this region, loss of neurons within the substantia nigra is a hallmark of the pathology of PD.

Should I Exercise If I Have A Thyroid Disease

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Regular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. You do not need to change your exercise routine if you have a thyroid disease. Exercise does not drain your bodys thyroid hormones and it shouldnt hurt you to exercise. It is important to talk to your healthcare provider before you start a new exercise routine to make sure that its a good fit for you.

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Who Does It Affect

The risk of developing Parkinsons disease naturally increases with age, and the average age at which it starts is 60 years old. Its slightly more common in men or people designated male at birth than in women or people designated female at birth .

While Parkinsons disease is usually age-related, it can happen in adults as young as 20 .

Living With Parkinsons Disease

Coping with Parkinsons Disease can be difficult and frustrating thanks to its common, debilitating symptoms. Many patients experience mild to severe bouts of trembling, stiffness , slow movements, and the loss of balance and coordination. As well as these physical symptoms, people with Parkinsons and other similar conditions may face difficulty with the following:

  • Speaking and communicating with others
  • Being able to solve problems
  • Understanding abstract concepts
  • Remembering things
  • Paying attention

In many cases, the frustration that comes with symptom management stems from the loss of control. It can also be emotionally overwhelming to know that there is currently no cure for the disease. Nonetheless, patients have a number of tools at their disposal for better managing the symptoms of Parkinsons Disease and living a healthy, enjoyable life.

At the Dementech Neurosciences London clinic, we offer different levels of care to treat patients with Parkinsons. Because it is far more effective to prevent a disease, our approach involves risk assessments, prevention strategies, and tools to manage symptoms, treat the condition, and lessen its impact.

However, in cases where a diagnosis of a disease has been established, our multidisciplinary team will do everything possible to treat symptoms and prevent them from progressing further, improving the patients quality of life, emotional health, and well-being.

Get Support For Conditions That Mimic Parkinsons Disease Today

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What Is Parkinson’s Disease Its A Movement Disorder

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive brain illness that affects the way you move. In more clinical terms, Parkinsons disease is a neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system.

Normally, there are cells in the brain that produce a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine sends signals to the parts of your brain that control movement. When approximately 60-80% of the dopamine-producing brain cells are damaged, symptoms of Parkinson’s disease appear, and you may have trouble moving the way you want.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic illness and it slowly progresses over time. While there is no therapy or medicine that cures Parkinsons disease, there are good treatment options available that can help you live a full life.

Whats The Difference Between Progressive Supranuclear Palsy And Parkinsons

Managing hidden Parkinson’s symptoms

People with PSP generally progress more rapidly than people with Parkinsons. A person with Parkinsons tends to lean forward while a person with PSP tends to lean backward. Tremors are common in people with Parkinsons and rare in people with PSP. Speech and swallowing abnormalities are more severe and show up sooner in those living with PSP.

For more information on progressive supranuclear palsy, read this fact sheet and insights from the CurePSP organization website.

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Support For People Living With Parkinsons Disease

While the progression of Parkinsons is usually slow, eventually a persons daily routines may be affected. Activities such as working, taking care of a home, and participating in social activities with friends may become challenging. Experiencing these changes can be difficult, but support groups can help people cope. These groups can provide information, advice, and connections to resources for those living with Parkinsons disease, their families, and caregivers. The organizations listed below can help people find local support groups and other resources in their communities.

What Lifestyle Changes Can I Make To Ease Parkinsons Symptoms

Exercise: Exercise helps improve muscle strength, balance, coordination, flexibility, and tremor. It is also strongly believed to improve memory, thinking and reduce the risk of falls and decrease anxiety and depression. One study in persons with Parkinsons disease showed that 2.5 hours of exercise per week resulted in improved ability to move and a slower decline in quality of life compared to those who didnt exercise or didnt start until later in the course of their disease. Some exercises to consider include strengthening or resistance training, stretching exercises or aerobics . All types of exercise are helpful.

Eat a healthy, balanced diet: This is not only good for your general health but can ease some of the non-movement related symptoms of Parkinsons, such as constipation. Eating foods high in fiber in particular can relieve constipation. The Mediterranean diet is one example of a healthy diet.

Preventing falls and maintaining balance: Falls are a frequent complication of Parkinsonâs. While you can do many things to reduce your risk of falling, the two most important are: 1) to work with your doctor to ensure that your treatments whether medicines or deep brain stimulation are optimal and 2) to consult with a physical therapist who can assess your walking and balance. The physical therapist is the expert when it comes to recommending assistive devices or exercise to improve safety and preventing falls.

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What Is Dementia In Other Diseases

Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere with aggressive behavior. Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere with combative behavior. Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere with violent behavior. Major neurocognitive disorder in other diseases classified elsewhere with aggressive behavior.

March 25, 2019 / By Pamela Ewing, CPC

What is Parkinsons disease? It is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain called the substantia nigra.

The substantia nigra cells produce dopamine, a chemical messenger responsible for transmitting signals within the brain that allow for coordination of movement. Loss of dopamine causes neurons to fire without normal control, leaving patients less able to direct or control their movement. Parkinsons disease is one of several diseases categorized by clinicians as movement disorders.

Parkinsons disease has four main symptoms:

  • Tremor in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head
  • Stiffness of the limbs and trunk
  • Slowness of movement
  • Impaired balance and coordination

Parkinsonism refers to symptoms of Parkinsons disease , regardless of the cause, and is typically caused by another condition or external agent, such as drugs. These two conditions are not classified the same.

With the Parkinsons Disease progression listed are just a few of many symptoms. Some symptoms may include, but are not limited to:

specified NEC E21.4Parkinsons G20

Are There Risk Factors That Increase Your Chances Of Having Thyroid Problems

Early Signs Of Parkinson

Females are more likely to have a thyroid-related disease than males but other factors may increase the risk of thyroid problems. These include a family history of thyroid disease, having an autoimmune condition such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, ingesting excessive iodine , age older than 60, and having had a thyroid issue or thyroid cancer in the past.

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Where Can I Find Support

Hyperthyroidism impacts you physically, psychologically, and emotionally. Its critical that you have a strong network of people you trust and can turn to for support.

It starts with your family. Since thyroid disease runs in families, being honest and open with your relatives is the best policy, as you might be alerting them to a problem they didnt even know to look out for.

To help you build your own support network outside of those closest to you, check out the Graves Disease & Thyroid Foundations community resources to find a support group near you. If you dont want to leave home, their online forum is another great resource for connecting and widening your net.

Surgical Treatments & Deep Brain Simulation

Surgical interventions of varying types for limiting the symptoms of PD have emerged over the last three decades. While treatment with medications is always the first choice, these surgical treatments have proven useful for many people. The earliest surgical treatments involved intentionally damaging specific structures in the brain that are involved in modulating movement control. The idea behind this is that some of the symptoms of PD, largely the tremors, could be dampened. These included procedures known as pallidotomy and thalamotomy .

One option for treating Parkinsons disease is deep brain stimulation . This treatment helps particularly with the walking problems, tremors, slowed movements, rigidity, and stiffness. DBS is a surgical procedure in which the surgeon implants an electrode, or lead, into the patients brain at specific motor locations. The lead connects to an extension wire, which attaches to the neurostimulator. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke explains that the neurostimulator sends the electrical impulses through the extension to the lead, where the electrical impulses block the abnormal nerve signals that cause tremor and Parkinsons disease symptoms.

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Can Parkinson’s Disease Be Cured

No, Parkinson’s disease is not curable. However, it is treatable, and many treatments are highly effective. It might also be possible to delay the progress and more severe symptoms of the disease.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Parkinson’s disease is a very common condition, and it is more likely to happen to people as they get older. While Parkinson’s isn’t curable, there are many different ways to treat this condition. They include several different classes of medications, surgery to implant brain-stimulation devices and more. Thanks to advances in treatment and care, many can live for years or even decades with this condition and can adapt to or receive treatment for the effects and symptoms.

The Nervous System & Dopamine

What are the causes of Parkinson’s disease? Are there disorders that have similar symptoms?

To understand Parkinson’s, it is helpful to understand how neurons work and how PD affects the brain .

Nerve cells, or neurons, are responsible for sending and receiving nerve impulses or messages between the body and the brain. Try to picture electrical wiring in your home. An electrical circuit is made up of numerous wires connected in such a way that when a light switch is turned on, a light bulb will beam. Similarly, a neuron that is excited will transmit its energy to neurons that are next to it.

Neurons have a cell body with branching arms, called dendrites, which act like antennae and pick up messages. Axons carry messages away from the cell body. Impulses travel from neuron to neuron, from the axon of one cell to the dendrites of another, by crossing over a tiny gap between the two nerve cells called a synapse. Chemical messengers called neurotransmitters allow the electrical impulse to cross the gap.

Neurons talk to each other in the following manner :

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Activities To Promote Balance And Strength

Additionally, those with Parkinsons disease can participate in other activities to help build strength and improve balance. Kayaking motions can assist with reducing the stiffness in the trunk area of the body and some sports like boxing gives people practice shifting their weight back and forth. Tai Chi focuses on whole body movement while dances such as the tango or the waltz can also be beneficial as these dances use long, drawn-out movements. Also, multi-tasking activities, like walking while counting backwards, use both motor function and cognition.

What Is Parkinsons Disease

Parkinsons disease is a condition where a part of your brain deteriorates, causing more severe symptoms over time. While this condition is best known for how it affects muscle control, balance and movement, it can also cause a wide range of other effects on your senses, thinking ability, mental health and more.

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Genes That Cause Parkinson Disease

Several genes have now been implicated in hereditary forms of this disorder. Understanding the function of these genes is helping researchers to identify what things go wrong not only in inherited forms of this disease but also in non-inherited forms. Using genetic mapping studies, a list of genes, not surprisingly originally numbered according to the order in which they were discovered, have been associated with developing PD.

Studies of the proteins produced by these various genes have begun to suggest that alterations in certain cellular functions may be important to the development of Parkinson disease. More importantly, continuing research links some of the different genes to being active in the same pathways within the cell. Thus, evidence mounts as to the importance of these pathways in PD including 1) how cells degrade certain proteins after their useful service life is over, 2) how mitochondria generate enough energy for the cell, and 3) how specific RNA molecules in the cell are managed.

One recent study showed that types of genes called PINK1 and Parkin act together in one pathway affecting mitochondria inside the cell . An earlier study had shown that under energetically stressful conditions inside the cell that DJ1 and Parkin can interact with one another . These types of associations make it more likely that learning how to intervene in these specifically altered pathways may point the way to new treatments for this disorder.

Can I Live A Normal Life With A Thyroid Disease

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A thyroid disease is often a life-long medical condition that you will need to manage constantly. This often involves a daily medication. Your healthcare provider will monitor your treatments and make adjustments over time. However, you can usually live a normal life with a thyroid disease. It may take some time to find the right treatment option for you and control your hormone levels, but then people with these types of conditions can usually live life without many restrictions.

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What Is Parkinsonism Characterized By

Parkinsonism is characterized by the loss of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate movement.

Without dopamine, a person will experience the symptoms of bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremors that are characteristic of Parkinsonism.

The exact cause of the damage to dopamine-producing cells is unknown and likely differs from person to person.

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Multiple System Atrophy Formerly Called Shy

As predicted by the name of this parkinsonism, multiple system atrophy affects multiple systems of the body. It affects both the motor skills movement system and the involuntary system of the body. Though the symptoms can often be treated with medications, there is no cure. In addition, there are no drugs that are able to slow the progress of MSA.

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