Movement Disorders Flashcards
hypoactive movement disorders
due to reduced activity of the DIRECT pathway
primary receptor in the direct pathway
D1 dopamine receptors are the main dopamine receptor
D2 receptor locations
preferentially located in the mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways
Parkinson’s disease presentation
unilateral resting tremor, cogwheel rigidity, bradykinesia, and hypomimia
PD years prior may present with
REM sleep behavior disorder, constipation, and anosmia
REM sleep disorder
complex nocturnal behavior involving vocalizations, hitting, punching, or gesturing
psych component of PD
major depression seen in half of patients
non-motor features of PD
autonomic dysfunction and hallucinations
PD with dementia
diagnosis of PD for at least 1 year before the onset of dementia symptoms
familial form of PD
10-15%
LRRK2 mutations (autosomal dominant)
PARK1 gene (alpha-synuclein) and PARK2 (Parkin)
LRRK2 mutations
autosomal dominant
lead to 10% of familial and 5% of sporadic PD cases
North African Arabs
PARK1 gene
alpha-synuclein
PARK2 gene
parkin mutations
PD pathology
alpha-synuclein inclusions/Lewy bodies primarily within the substantia nigra and locus coeruleus
PD diagnostic studies
most often made based on clinical history and examination
in some cases, dopamine transporter (DAT-SPECT) scans may be done which measures the availability of striatal dopamine
- would be normal in patients with essential or drug-induced tremors
PET scans for 11F or 11C dopa measure dopa decarboxylase activity while PET scans for 11C DTBZ assess vesicular monoamine transporter-2 activity
Parkinson’s therapies aim
at increasing intracranial dopamine effects by stimulating its production (dopamine precursors), mimicking its action at receptors (direct agonists), or blocking its peripheral conversion (carbidopa), preventing inactivation (COMT inhibitors), or decreasing its breakdown (MAO-B inhibitors)
dopamine precursor
levodopa
levodopa mechanism of action
levodopa is converted into dopamine after it crosses the blood-brain barrier thus increasing intraparenchymal levels of dopamine
levodopa side effects
nausea/vomiting, dyskinesias, orthostatic hypotension
why is carbidopa given
concurrently with levodopoa to reduce GI side effects and reduce levodopa’s peripheral plasma breakdown
levodopa half life
short
can lead to motor fluctuations and peak-dose dyskinesia
levodopa in pregnancy
safe
COMT inhibitors
tolcapone and entacapone
tolcapone/entacapone mechanism of action
reduces methylation of levodopa and dopamine, which increases levodopa’s half life