Written by Dennis Kwan
Edited by Angus Yip
Consider a person with an expressionless face. He moves very slowly and with difficulty. His hands tremble, and his motions are stiff. It continues to worsen, and basic tasks like turning the pages of a book begin to need a great deal of effort. Is this not horrifying?
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative neurological condition in which a person loses balance and coordination of various body functions over time.
Symptoms appear gradually, and may begin with a barely detectable tremor (shaking movement) in only one hand. Tremors influenced by Parkinson’s are frequent, however, they are often accompanied by stiffness or slowed mobility. As Parkinson's progresses, individuals may experience difficulty with communication (jaw movement) and walking. Mental and behavioral changes may start to kick in consisting of bad sleep patterns, memory difficulties, constant fatigue and long-term depression.
Individuals of any gender can have Parkinson’s disease. The Parkinson’s Foundation have conducted an investigation and came up with a consensus that the disease affects 50% more men than women.
A vital factor that has a strong correlation with Parkinson’s is age. Although most individuals globally first develop Parkinson’s at an age of approximately 60, 5-10% of people with Parkinson’s experience “early-onset’ disease which kicks in before the age of 50. Parkinson's disease is generally inherited - some kinds have been related to specific gene alterations.
So what causes Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease takes place when nerve cells in the basal ganglia, where an area of the brain that monitors movement and coordination, become impared and dies. Ordinarily, these nerve cells known as neurons are supposed to produce a vital brain chemical called dopamine,but because of impaired neurons, less dopamine is being produced, which results in issues with movement and balance. Unfortunately, modern scientists still haven’t unveiled what causes cells that produce dopamine to impair.
Figure 1 highlighting the location of Basal Ganglia.
People with Parkinson's also lose the nerve endings that produce norepinephrine, the main chemical messenger of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls many functions of the body, such as heart rate and blood pressure. The loss of norepinephrine might help explain some of the non-movement features of Parkinson's, such as fatigue, irregular blood pressure, decreased movement of food through the digestive tract, and sudden drop in blood pressure when a person stands up from a sitting or lying-down position.
As reported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, individuals with Parkinson’s also lose the nerve endings that generate norepinephrine. This is known as the main chemical messenger of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls many functions of the body, like blood pressure and heart rate. Moreover, the lack of norepinephrine was featured as a reason behind non-movement features of Parkinson’s such as fatigue, decreased movement of food through the digestive tract, and irregular drops in blood pressure when an individual stands up in contrast to sitting down (resting position).
Figure 2 on the structural formula of Norepinephrine.
Based on past and continuous observations of Parkinson’s, the disease appears to be hereditary. In fact, few cases were associated with genetic mutations. Hence, current researchers assume the cause of Parkinson’s disease as a combination of genetic and environmental factors such as heavy exposure to toxins and pollution.
Symptoms and Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease:
The four main symptoms are used for diagnosis of Parkinson’s.
Tremor (shaking movement) throughout arms, jaw, head and fingers
Slow movement (gradual increase overtime)
Impaired balance and focus (may lead to falls overtime)
Stiffness of limbs
Treatments for Parkinson’s Disease:
Woefully, there is no direct cure for Parkinson’s, but many researchers and doctors have been working on medications prescribed for Parkinson’s disease.
These include drugs that:
increase levels of dopamine in the brain
affect other brain chemicals in the body
help monitor and control nonmotor symptoms.
Parkinson’s is indeed a petrifying condition that requires more of our attention and care. Even though it has been found strongly associated with old ages. Treatments and permanent cures should be further developed and tested. In hopes of finding cures, knowledgeable researchers, neurologists and scientists are trying to further grasp the abnormal functions of alpha-synuclein and its relation with genetic mutations that impact Parkinson’s disease and Lewly body dementia.
References
Parkinson's disease. Retrieved 29 January 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20376055
Parkinson's Disease. Retrieved 29 January 2022, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/parkinsons-disease
Parkinson's Disease: Hope Through Research. Retrieved 29 January 2022, from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Hope-Through-Research/Parkinsons-Disease-Hope-Through-Research
Parkinson's Foundation. Retrieved 29 January 2022, from https://www.parkinson.org/
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