Antiparkinson Drugs Flashcards
akinesia
classically defined as “without movement;” absence or poverty of movement that results in a mask like facial expression and impaired postural reflexes
adjunctive drugs
drugs that are added as a second drug for combined therapy with a primary drug and may have addictive or independent properties
bradykinesia
slowness of movement; a classic symptom of Parkinson’s disease
chorea
a condition characterised by involuntary, purposeless, rapid motions (e.g. flexing and extending the fingers, raising and lowering the shoulders, or grimacing
dyskinesia
term for abnormal and distressing involuntary movements; inability to control movements, which often occurs as a side effect of levodopa therapy
dystonia
impaired or distorted voluntary movement, often involving the head, neck, or feet
exogenous
a term describing any substance produced outside of the body that may be taken into the body (e.g. a medication, food, or environmental toxin)
on-off phenomenon
a common experience of patients taking medication for Parkinson’s disease in which they experience periods of greater symptomatic control (“on” time) alternating with periods of lesser symptomatic control (“off” time)
Parkinson’s disease
a slowly progressive, degenerative neurologic disorder characterised by resting tremor, pill-rolling of the fingers, masklike facies, shuffling gait, forward flexion of the trunk, loss of postural reflexes, and muscle rigidity and weakness
postural instability
a decrease or change in motor and muscle movements that leads to unsteadiness and hesitation in movement and gait when the individual starts or stops walking, or causes leaning to the left or right when sitting; occurs in Parkinson’s disease
presynaptic
drugs that exert their antiparkinson effects before the nerve synapse
rigidity
resistance of the muscles to passive movement; leads to the “cogwheel” rigidity seen in Parkinson’s disease
TRAP
(tremor, rigidity, akinesia, postural instability); an acronym for symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
tremor
In Parkinson’s disease, shakiness of the extremities seen mostly at rest
wearing-off phenomenon
a gradual worsening of parkinsonian symptoms as a patient’s medications begin to lose their effectiveness, despite maximal dosing with a variety of medications
