Lecture 5 - Parkinson's Disease Flashcards
What is an axon?
An axon is a continuation of the cell body
Most of the time the length of the brain cell is a representation of the length of the axon
Longer axon=Longer cell body=has to maintain the whole fibre
Where does the basal ganglia lie?
deep in the forebrain
What makes the human brain so special?
unparallel complexity and organisation
What is Parkinson’s disease?
Progressive disorder of the CNS
effects Basal Ganglia
typically affects victims aged =around 60ish
90% of people experience parkinson’s disease
Dopamine producing neurons degenerate
thought to be due to absence of dopamine production
or
concentration between ACh:DA
exact cause is unknown (idiopathic parkinsons disease)
probable: toxic chemicals (herbicide spray absorbed through skin) & intentance
List the 5x symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.
Mood Tremor Rigidity Bradykinesia Hypokinesia
How does Parkinson’s Disease affect a person’s mood?
“Parkinsonian Stare”
absent of any emotion
emotionally flat = cannot express emotion through facial expression
due to impaired mood and movement function of the basal ganglia
cannot read /communicate externally, even though feeling the same emotions
SLOWER THINKING
What is the most characteristic symptom of Parkinson’s Disease?
Tremor
then Brady/Hypokinesia
+ Slower THINKING
“often involuntary skeletal muscle contractions interfere with voluntary movements”
What does the Parkinson’s Disease related symptom of Tremor involve?
INvoluntary Tremor AT REST
side OPPOSITE the Basal Ganglia
Muscles of the UPPER limbs may ALTERNATIVELY contract/relax which causes the hand to shake
involuntary m. interferes with voluntary m.
What does Kinesia mean?
movement
What does the Parkinson’s disease related symptom of Bradykinesia involve?
Brady=Slow
Slowness (pace) of movement
Motor Performance is impaired
Slower THINKING
shaving more difficult
slow to get going
What does the Parkinson’s disease related symptom of Hypokinesia involve?
Hypo=Smaller
Reduced muscular movements DECREASE RANGE of motion
handwriting illegibly SMaller
walking steps shorter
What does the Parkinson’s Disease related symptom of Rigidity involve?
is the Rigidity(^muscle tone) of FACIAL muscles
face gets a MASK like appearance
UNBLINKING stare (parkinsonian stare in mood)
OPEN mouth
uncontrolled DROOLING
INcrease in muscle TONE
What is the impaired role of the Basal Ganglia in Parkinson’s disease?
Integration of Mood and Movement
= vacant stare
What is the pathway which degenerates in Parkinson’s disease?
Dopaminergic Nigrostriatal pathway
S.Nigra –> Striatum’s Putamen
What cells are affected by Parkinson’s Disease and where are they located in the brain?
Dopamine cells in the anterior part of the MidBrain
-black pigmented cells in the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta (SNc) (very COMPACT) die
black –> more pale
start dying on one cell –> spread to other side (becomes a bilateral disease)
spreading is variable dependant on the person
When do Parkinson’s symptoms start appearing?
after 60 ish percent of the dopamine cells in the Substantia Nigra(Basal Ganglia) have died
substantial amount have been killed
What is the term for when death of dopamine cells has spread over both sides? and of what area?
BiLateral Disease
Substantia Nigra