3C neurological disorders and parkinson's disease

Question 1

Parkinson’s disease

Answer 1

a progressive, degenerative neurological condition that affects the control of body movements

• destroys neurons in the subsantia nigra
• without these dopamine-producing cells, the brain’s ability to control movement is compromised
• idiopathic (we don’t know the cause)

Question 2

symptoms of parkinson’s disease

Answer 2

• tremor
• postural instability
• slowness of movement
• muscle stiffness
• other (speech, mental illness, pain, sleep disturbances)

Question 3

diagnosis and treatment of parkinson’s

Answer 3

• the average age of diagnosis is 55-65 y/o
• no known cure
• diagnosis does not require lab tests

Question 4

animal studies

Answer 4

helped us to
- understand physiological changes associated with
PD
- find ways to prevent and slow its progression
- develop treatments

however, there are limitations when generalising findings

Question 5

discovery of levodopa

Answer 5

movement can be restored by injection of levodopa because it balances out the dopamine levels

Question 6

deep brain stimulation

Answer 6

uses a surgically implanted neurostimulator to deliver electrical stimulation to targeted areas in the brain

Question 7

neuroimaging studies

Answer 7

CT and MRI scans provide detailed images of degeneration in brain areas