Parkinson's disease

Question 1

what is Parkinson’s

Answer 1

progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disorder
average age of onset is 60

Question 2

what are the motor symptoms of Parkinsons

Answer 2

bradykinesia
rigidity
tremor (pill-rolling)
postural instability

Question 3

what are the non-motor symptoms of Parkinsons

Answer 3

neuropsychiatric (cognitive, depression, anxiety)
REM sleep
behaviour disorder
constipation
pain

Question 4

describe Lewy body progression

Answer 4

lewy bodies first appear in the medulla and olfactory bulb
then progressively spread to the pons, midbrain, limbic lobe, neocortex

Question 5

what do the basal ganglia circuitry do

Answer 5

process signals that flow from the cortex
allowing correct execution of voluntary movements

Question 6

what does degeneration of dopaminergic neurons do

Answer 6

degeneration of dopaminergic receptors of the substantia nigra triggers a cascade of functional changes that effect the whole basal ganglia network

Question 7

what does substantia nigra neuronal death lead to

Answer 7

nigrostriatal dopaminergic deficit

Question 8

treatment of Parkison’s

Answer 8

gold standard treatment is carbidopa and levodopa (must be taken together), they are dopamine precursors
other treatments are MAO-B inhibitors which stop dopamine breakdown, dopamine agonists and COMT inhibitors which stop reuptake of dopamine