Parkinson's Disease: Etiology

Question 1

Major degenerative changes from Parkinson’s occur in the basal ganglia, the gray matter that contributes to _____.

Answer 1

complex movements

Question 2

The substantia nigra becomes depigmented, affecting the production of ____,

Answer 2

dopamine

Question 3

In Parkinson’s, the production of dopamine is slowed; dopamine influences the? (4 things)

Answer 3

the speed and accuracy of motor skills, postural stability, cognition, and affect and expression. The loss or reduction of dopamine leads to the disabling symptoms.

Question 4

Secondary parkinsonism is a condition in which people experience symptoms similar to those of
PD, but the cause is related to

Answer 4

the ingestion of drugs or other toxic chemicals. Certain medications used to treat mental illness may produce parkinsonian symptoms if not monitored carefully

Question 5

What are the primary symptoms of Parkinson’s?

Answer 5

Resting tremor (described as pill rolling in hand), muscle rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability.

Question 6

What are the secondary symtpoms of Parkinson’s?

Answer 6

a. Gait dysfunction (e.g., festinating gait, or shuffling steps with limited or no arm swing) that
leads to balance issues
b. Fine motor and bimanual impairments
c. Freezing, or inability to initiate or continue movement, or overshooting a target, such as taking
five or six small steps past the goal.

d. Cognitive deficits, including impaired executive functioning, memory loss, and visuospatial defi-
cits; in later stages of PD, dementia

e. Communication difficulties, including smaller and smaller handwriting (micrographia), reduced
volume of speech (hypophonia), muffled speech, lack of verbal inflection, and reduced facial
expression or flat affect (e.g., infrequent eye blinking) affecting nonverbal communication
f. Sensory loss, including bowel and bladder as well as sexual dysfunction
g. Dysphagia causing an increase in saliva and subsequent drooling, slower and more intentional
eating, and episodes of coughing and choking
h. Mood and behavior disturbances, including depression, apathy, lack of initiative, disinterest,
social isolation, and withdrawal

Question 7

Festinating gait

Answer 7

shuffling steps with limited or no arm swing) that leads to balance issues

Question 8

Micrographia

Answer 8

including smaller and smaller handwriting

Question 9

Hypophonia

Answer 9

reduced volume of speech

Question 10

Mood and behavior disturbances common to Parkinson’s disease include

Answer 10

depression, apathy, lack of initiative, disinterest,social isolation, and withdrawal

Question 11

Cognitive deficits common to Parkinson’s disease, include:

Answer 11

impaired executive functioning, memory loss, and visuospatial deficits; in later stages of PD, dementia