Parkinson's Lecture Flashcards
What is Parkinsons?
- Loss of dopaminergic neurones in substantia nigra of basal ganglia
- = triad of bradykinesia, tremor and rigidity
Cause of loss of dopaminergic neurones in parkinsons
Alpha synuclein misfolds = deposits and forms Lewy bodies
Theories surrounding Parkinsons
- Link to pesticides (farmers?)
- Age genetics and environment interplay
- Start in gut? Constipation occurs before motor symptoms?
How much dopaminergic neruones do you have to lose before becoming symptomatic?
50% - LOTS it is a very slow onset disease
Ways to visualise brain to show parkinsons
DAT scan
* radioactive tracer attaches to dopamine transporters
* These are present on dopaminergic neurones
* Shows presence of these
* Reduced signalling comes from striatum in parkinsons
* Usually asymmetric reduction and eventually symmetric
Manifestations of bradykinesia
- Short shuffling steps
- Reduced arm swing
- Difficulty initiating movement
- When asked to finger tap index and thumb = decreased amplitude and irregular rhythm
Tremor in Parkinsons
- Not present in all - 70%
- Most marked at rest
- Starts unilaterally –> bilaterally
- 3-5Hz
- Pill-rolling between thumb and index finger
- Worse when stressed
- Improves with voluntary movement
rigidity in parkinsons
- Lead pipe
- Cogwheel if tremor present sometimes
- Difficulty turning, transferring and fine motor movement
Other manifestations of Parkinsons
- Hypomimia - loss of facial expression
- Flexed posture
- Micrographia
- Drooling
- Depression - or other psychiatric features
- Anosmia
- REM sleep disorder - acting out dreams
- Fatigue
- Autonomic dysfunction - postural hypotension
What does Parkinsons increase risk of?
Falls
Hip fracture from fall
Osteoporosis - decreased mobility
Tip for examining PD patients
Distract while examining to get them to fully relax to assess tone eg get them to do something with other hand or count back from 20
What can trigger freezing?
Walking through doors
Change of flooring
Scale for assessing severity of Parkinsons
Hoehn and Yahr Scale
Other way of staging severity of Parkinsons
- Early
- Maintenance
- Advanced/complex - PD drugs become less effective, increased doses needed, cognitive changes
- Palliative
Causes of Parkinsonism
- Parkinsons
- Parkinson plus syndromes
- Drugs
- Other - post encephalitis, tumour, vascular