Understanding Parkinson’s Disease: Symptoms and Causes

Understanding Parkinson’s Disease: Symptoms and Causes

Parkinsonism.
Answer:

Parkinsonism Synonyms:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Paralysis agitans
• Shaking plasy.
• It is named after discoverer James Parkinson.

Parkinsonism Causes:

• Damage to basal ganglia.
• Viral infection of brain.
• Cerebral arteriosclerosis.
• Degeneration of dopaminergic nigrostriatal tract.
• Unknown cause called idiopathic parkinsonism.

Parkinsonism Features:

Age: Late middle age.

1. Rigidity:

• Affects mainly large proximal groups of muscles of limbs.
• Statue like state is produced.
• Limbs becomes more rigidity like pillars.
• This condition is called lead pipe rigidity.

2. Tremors:

• It consists of regular, rhythmic, alternate contraction of antagonist and agonist muscle.
• In parkinsonism, tremors occurs during rest thus called resting tremor.
• It increases in emotional states, anxiety, etc over first two fingers.
• This is known as “Pill-rolling” movement.

3. Akinesia and hypokinesia:

• Patient is unable to initial voluntary movements called akinesia. Hypokinesia means reduced voluntary movements.

4. Slow and monotonous speech.

5. Poverty of movements.

• It leads to
• Mask – like face
• Loss of normal subconscious associated movements.
• Shuffling gait patient walks quickly in short.
• Steps by bending forward.

6. Emotional changes:

• Patients are often emotionally upset.