Parkinsons

Question 1

what is PD

Answer 1

a degenerative disorder of the CNS that mainly affects the motor system and deep parts of brain cells which are involved in synthesizing dopamine

it mostly affects older people (3 percent of old people)

Question 2

what is dopamine

Answer 2

it is a neurotransmitters and a neurohormone that is released by hypothalamus

Question 3

what are the funcitons of dopamine (3)

Answer 3

movement - basal ganglia
cognition + frontal cortex function - frontal and prefrontal area
pleasure + reward/motivation - nucleus accumbens, striatum

Question 4

the precursor of dopamine, __-____ is made in the ____and the ______

Answer 4

L-DOPA
brain
kidneys

Question 5

5 main locations of dopamine

Answer 5

Blood vessels - acts as a vasodilator by inhibiting NE
Kidneys - increase in Na and urine excretion
Pancreas - decreases insulin production
Digestive - decreases gastrointestinal tract motlity and protect intestinal mucosa
Immune - decreases lymphocyte activity

Question 6

what are 4 main physical symptoms of PD

Answer 6

1. tremors
2. rigidty
3. bradykinesia
4. postural instability

Question 7

what are cognitive symptoms of PD

Answer 7

loss of executive functions like planning, decision making, and controlling emotions

Question 8

what are 2 main characteristics of PD pathophysiology

Answer 8

• lewy bodies

- degeneration of substantia nigra

Question 9

degeneration of neurons in the _______ _____ which results in deficiency of ________ in the striatum (controls the musle tone and coordinates movements)

Answer 9

substantia nigra

dopamine

Question 10

an imbalance b/w ________ (inhibitory) and __________ (excitatory) systems = motor defect

Answer 10

dopaminergic

cholingeric

Question 11

what is the substantia nigra

Answer 11

basal ganglia structure in the mid brain
impt for reward and mvoement
dark due to neuromelanin in DA neurons

Question 12

what is the DA path for mvoement regulation

Answer 12

substantia nigra -> striatum

Question 13

what is the DA path for regulating mood and behaviour

Answer 13

VTA -> LIMBIC SYS + PREFRONTAL CORTEX

Question 14

what are lewy bodies

Answer 14

clusters of alpha-synuclein

-dying DA neurons exhibit aggregated proteins (a-synuclein) in form of cytoplasmic lewy bodies

Question 15

what are negative consequences of lewy bodies? (6)

Answer 15

• oxidative stress
• disruption of axonal transport
• protein sequestration
• mitochondiral dysfunction
• synaptic dysfunction
• inhibition of ubiuitin proteosome system

Question 16

possible medications for PD? (3)

Answer 16

1. COMT inhibitors preserve levodopa (replaces DA)
2. DA agonists mimic DA
3. MAO-B inhibitors preserve existing DA