Parkinsons

Question 1

What are the common examination findings?

Answer 1

• Trio - Rigidity, bradykinesia (moving thumb to fingers) and resting tremor

Inspection - Resting tremor, walking aids around the bed, stone face. shuffling gait

Tone - Cogwheeling, increased

Power - Normal

Reflexes - Increased

Sensation - normal

Coordination - normal

Ask to do things like to buttons up or writing

Question 2

What are the investigations?

Answer 2

• To finish the exam i would like to do - Upper/lower limb exam and cranial nerves
• By the bed - History, obs
• Clinical diagnosis
• CT head to rule out other things

Question 3

What are the key investigation findings?

Answer 3

Clinical

Question 4

What is the treatment?

Answer 4

• Conservative - Education, MDT referral for physio, OT to maintain independance
• Medical - Levodopa - only lasts for about 5 years so want to hold off - can cause psychotic symptoms (auditory and visual hallucinations). Lots of side effects like hypotension, arrhthymias and

Question 5

What causes it?

Answer 5

Loss of dopimanergic neurons in the substantia nigra which help control movement

Also Antipsychotics