Parkinson's Disease Flashcards
Who is affected by Parkinson’s?
Elderly people over 50, but people can experience symptoms under 40
What are the main symptoms of Parkinson’s?
Body tremor
Slow movement
Stiff inflexible muscles
What are the physical and physiological symptoms of Parkinson’s?
Depression
Anxiety
Balance problems
Memory problems
Insomnia
Why is Parkinson’s caused?
A disease caused by the loss of nerve cells in part of the brain called substantia nigra
What are the nerve cells responsible for in the substantia nigra part of the brain?
Responsible for producing a chemical called dopamine
What is the action of dopamine?
Acts as a messenger between the parts of the brain and nervous system to help control and co-ordinate body movements
What happens to dopamine if cells die or are damaged?
The dopamine will be reduced
What is the vital role for dopamine?
Plays a vital role in regulating the movement of the body. A reduction in dopamine is responsible for symptoms of parkinson’s
What is parkinsonism?
Umbrella term used to describe symptoms of tremors, muscle rigidity and slowness of movement
How does medication cause parkinsonism?
Symptoms for parkinson’s can develop after taking certain meds such as types of antipsychotic meds
How does Parkinson’s cause blurred vision?
Due to the difficult of moving the eyes. It may also be a side effect of a parkinson’s drug (anticholinergics).
How does parkinson’s cause dry eye?
Due to PD patients have a stare type expression which decreases blink rate. Anticholinergic drug also contributes to dry eye
What is blepharospasm?
When muscles of the eyelid contract and blink uncontrollably. Can interrupt simples vision tasks
What is the main treatment for blepharospasm for PD?
Botox injections. They last for 3-4 months and will have to repeated if symptoms show again
How can open angle glaucoma affect pd?
May be risks when using anticholinergic drugs
