Parkinson's disease (2) Flashcards
workshop questions
what is parkinson’s disease?
A degenerative disorder that affects nerve cells with the basal ganglia and the substantia nigra.
which population are most affected by parkinson’s disease?
older populations, particularly males are 10-15% more likley to be diagnosed than women.
how does parkinson’s disease affect the brain and whart are the symptoms of parkinson’s?
○ Causes degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons connecting the substantia nigra with the caudate nucleus.
○ Common physical symptoms include bradykinesia (slowness in movement), resting tremor, rigidity and postural instability (hunched over, cant regain correct posture)
What is the pioneering treatment being used to help patients with Parkinson’s disease?
○ Ultrasound surgery – focusing high intensity ultrasound to “burn out” a section of the thalamus responsible for the tremor
Can reduce the tremors to minimal, doesn’t cure the disease put helps with alleviating the symptoms.
How do Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease differ? Consider how they affect the brain, the commonly affected populations as well as the management of the conditions.
**Parkinson’s **
- Environmental and genetic causes
- Affects men more than women
- Most common onset aged 50+
- Geographical regions with older populations and higher life expectancy tend to have a higher prevalence of PD
- Affects dopaminergic pathways
- Basal ganglia: Substantia Nigra
- Characterised by involuntary tremor, stiffness, slow movement and balance issues
**Huntington’s **
- Hereditary (dominant allele)
- Affects both men and women
- Symptom onset between 30 and 50
- More common among populations of western European descent
- Affects GABAergic, Cholinergic pathways
- Caudate Nucleus and Putamen
- Characterised by jerky involuntary movements as well as stumbling/clumsiness
what is the role of the membranous labyrinth?
helps amplify sound waves through the vestibule/ vestibular duct/ cochlea duct and tymphanic duct.
how does the cochlea process sound?
Cochlea processes info about sound, movement and changes in lymph picked up by hair cells which is transduced into electrical signals (neurotransmitters) through the vestibular and cranial nerve and enters the brain.
what is the significance of the semicircular ducts?
anterior, lateral, posterior all correspond wiuth lateral, horizontal and transverse planes of movement
filled with endolymph fluid
how many pair of crania nerves are there?
12
how many nerve pairs do we have in the body?
43
how many pairs of spinal nerves are there in the body?
31
what is the otoconia?
Calcium carbonate crystals- more dense than the otolithic membrane
maintains bodily balance
what is the otolithic membrane?
a fibrous structure located in the vestibular system of the inner ear. The membrane serves to determine if the body or the head is tilted, in addition to the linear acceleration of the body.
what are the 3 clincal conditiopns that affect the inner ear?
labyrinthitis
tinnitus
benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
what are the treatments of labyrinitis?
medication to control the symptoms, warm olive oil in the ear.
