Download Parkinsons Disease 815KB Jan 14 2015 08:21:48 AM

Paramedic Fall 2007
By Aaron Pittis
What is Parkinson’s
 Parkinson’s is “a common chronic degenerative disease
of the central nervous system that produces movement
disorders and changes in cognition and mood”. (Venes
1519)
History of Pakinson’s
 1817 first documented by Dr. James Parkinson
 1960 researchers indentify that patients with
Parkinson’s have low dopamine levels
 Dopamine crucial to smooth muscle movement
 This led to first available treatments
 ~500,000 People in America affected
 ~50,000 new cases yearly
 Average age of onset 60 y/o
Parkinson’s S/S
 Tremors
 Affecting the hands, legs, arms, and jaw
 Rigidity or Stiffness
 Affecting the limbs and trunk
 Bradykinesia
 Slowing of movement
 Impaired balance and coordination
Signs and Symptoms Cont.
 Parkinson’s due to its progressive nature its effects will
vary from patient to patient.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L15wsLWquc
Causes
 Nerve cells in an area of the
brain called the Substantia
Nigra are damaged or
destroyed. These cell release
dopamine which is essential
for transmissions for your
muscles to make smooth,
controlled movements.
 Genetic
 People with a direct relative
with Parkinsons is more
likely to develop the disease
than someone with no
relationship
Causes Cont.
 Environmental Factors
 Rural living, well water,
herbicide, pesticides.
 Synthetic narcotic agent
called MPTP can cause
immediate and
permanent
parkinsonism if
injected.
Treatment
 There is no cure…
 Treat the disease by treating the symptoms
 Current treatments:
 Pharmacologically
 Surgically

Deep Brain Stimulation
 Future treatments and possibly a cure from
controversial embryonic stem cell research?
Pharmacological Treatment
 Medications that are converted to dopamine in
the brain or dopamine agonists tricking the brain
into thinking it is receiving dopamine.
 Most commonly used medication is Levodopa


No longer produced in United States according to the
U.S. National library of Medicine
Is commonly prescribed as Sinemet® which is a
combination of Levodopa and Carbidopa
 Levodopa is converted into dopamine in the brain
 Carbidopa prevents the Levodopa from breaking down
before it reaches the brain
Information from US National Library of Medicine
Surgical Treatment
 A surgically implanted
device similar to a
pacemaker except the
electrodes go into the
brain near the
Subthalamic Nucleus
delivering low-voltage
stimulation to correct
errant impulse that
impair motor function
Information and Picture from www.wired.com
Embryonic Stem Cell Research
 Embryonic Stem Cells
 The inner cell mass of a human embryo, have the
potential to develop into all or nearly all of the tissues in
the body.
 Possible/Desired Research Outcomes
 Replacement of dopamine secreting neurons in the
brain of a Parkinson patient
 Ethical Issues and Controversy
 The harvesting of the stem cells
Courtesy of The Whitehouse Fact Sheet on
Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Myths
 Aspartame can cause Parkinson’s
 False (www.aspartame.org)
 Ecstasy will cause Parkinson’s
 False (http://everything2.com)
That’s all I could find
References
 Venes,D MD, Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary , Philedelphia: F.A. Davis
Company 2001
 http://www.pdf.org/
 http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/levodopa_ids.htm
 http://memorylossonline.com
 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a682394.html
 www.wired.com
 www.whitehouse.gov
 www.aspartame.org
 Paramedic Care By Brady Textbooks