History Of Parkinson's Disease part 1 Essay - 4,268 words

History of Parkinson's Disease Parkinsons Disease (PD) was first described and named after by an English physician named James Parkinson in 1817. This disease is a disorder of the central nervous system and effects one to one-and-a half million Americans. For reasons not understood completely, nerve cells that produce dopamine (the substantia nigra) decrease in number with Parkinsons disease. As a result, there is a decrease in the quantities of available dopamine. In PD, there is a lack of dopamine and not enough to keep balance with the acetylcholine (www.aolsvc.worldbook.aol.com, 2000). Because of this, a lack of coordination in movement occurs and often appears as tremors. Before going in deeper about Parkinsons disease, it is essential to understand how human brain controls ones movement. Usually, a person never thinks about how the body moves. When he walks, the brain must gather all information needed about your bodys position.


The information joins in the central area of the brain, which is the striatum, that controls numerous aspects of body motion. The striatum works with different sections of the brain, including the substantia nigra, to send commands for balance and coordination (www.parkinsonsinfo.com, 1999). These commands travel from the brain to the spinal cord through nerve networks to muscles that help a person move. Your nervous system is made up of nerve cells, which serve as communication networks in your body. They use neurotransmitters to communicate. Neurotransmitters carry messages between nerve cells when they cross the synapse, or the space between cells. A very important messenger is dopamine that is created in the substantia nigra. It is important in human movement. These messages make sure muscles move smoothly, have control, and without movement that is unwanted.


Another neurotransmitter system that aids with the dopamine system to create smooth movement is acetylcholine. Different nerve cells in your brain are specialized to use either dopamine or acetylcholine when sending different messages, all depending on what it is you would like to perform. Two buckets one for the dopamine system and one for the acetylcholine system balanced on either end of a seesaw. This depicts the situation at rest when the dopamine and acetylcholine systems are balanced. When you decide to move, your brain understands the movement you want to make and it sends out a balance of dopamine and acetylcholine messages to keep that movement smooth (www.parkinsonsinfo.com, 1999). Parkinsons disease affects nearly one percent of the population that is of the age of 60 in the US. This disease has shown to be more common among men than among women and is more widespread in northern countries.


The occurrence of this disease increases with age, yet aging itself is not believed to be a factor. It has shown to be seldom inherited and actually less than a percent of cases are thought to be a result of a genetic inherent (Larsen, 2002). Symptoms of Parkinsons occur because this condition slowly but surely kills nerve cells that release dopamine. It carries many messages from one nerve cell to the next. A loss of dopamine messes up communication pathways of nerves that aid in controlling movement. As the cells die, patients have more and more difficulty controlling and performing certain movements.


A person with this disease would oftentimes walk with a shuffle with face muscles growing firm, which causes a masklike expression. James Parkinson first described Parkinsons disease in England in 1817. Parkinson wrote a description of six patients suffering from a slowly progressing disease characterized by involuntary tremulous motion, which lessened muscular power in parts not in action even when supported, with a propensity to bend their trunks forward from a walking to a running pace (Health & Illness, 1995). The disease he named shaking palsy is known as parkinsonism (Parkinsons disease) in his honour. Parkinsonism, also called paralysis agitans, is defined as a disorder of the brain characterized by shaking and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination. The disease is associated with damage to part of the brain that controls muscle movement. The term parkinsonism refers to any condition that involves a combination of the types of changes in movement seen in Parkinsons disease, which happens to be the most common condition causing this group of symptoms.


Parkinsonism may be caused by other disorders or by external factors (secondary parkinsonism). (Yahoo.Health). These symptoms include adverse reactions to prescribed medication, carbon monoxide poisoning, stroke, head injury, and brain tumours. In Parkinsons disease dopamine, which is important for transporting signals from one cell to another within your brain is lost. Resulting in impairment of walking, arm movement, and facial expressions. Parkinsons disease manifests itself in various manners. These may include 1) only one side of the body, 2) both sides, 3) both sides with mild postural imbalance, 4) both sides with critical postural instability and 5) severe and fully developed disease so that you may be restricted to a bed or chair (Family Health Book, 1990).


When present, it appears to be due to decreased sensitivity of the nerves (post-synaptic) to dopamine rather than deterioration of the area of the brain that produces dopamine. In Parkinsons disease, for reasons that are not fully understood, nerve cells in the part of the brain that produce dopamine, the substantia nigra, begin to decrease in number. Parkinsons disease is caused by progressive deterioration of the nerve cells of the part of the brain that controls muscle movement. Dopamine, which is one of the substances used by cells to transmit impulses (transmitters), is normally produced in this area. Deterioration of this area of the brain reduces the amount of dopamine available to the body. Insufficient dopamine disturbs the balance between dopamine and other transmitters, acetylcholine. Without dopamine, the nerve cells cannot properly transmit messages, and this results in the loss of muscle function (Yahoo. Health). The exact reason that the cell of the brain deteriorates is unknown.


The disorder may affect one or both sides of the body, with varying degrees of loss of function. In addition to the loss of muscle control, some patients are affected emotionally, yet because they differ in age and physical condition; it is difficult to pinpoint any specific problems shared by every patient (Parkinsoninfo.com). Although early loss of mental capacities is uncommon, with severe Parkinsons the person may exhibit overall mental deterioration (including dementia, hallucinations, and so on). Parkinsons diseas ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: parkinson's disease, parkinson, dopamine, brain, cell

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