Parkinson’s disease is described as a progressive nervous system disorder which affects movement. It is a long term nervous disease with symptoms developing slowly over time. It affects the brain nerve cells which produces dopamine hence affecting movement. The first medical description of Parkinson’s disease was written by James Parkinson in 1817 when he defined Parkinson’s disease as a neurological syndrome.  Later in the mid-1980s Jean-Martin Charcot refined and disseminated information about the disease by recognizing cases that would be classified as Parkinsonism-plus syndrome. The discovery of dopamine synthetic pathway and dopaminergic deficits of the disease initiated human trials of levodopa. The paper provides a detailed description of Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is one of the major common neurological disorders affecting close to 1% of individuals older than 60 years. Parkinson’s disease presents two main neuropathic findings including loss of pigmented dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compata and lewy neurites causing lewy bodies. In the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, the patient’s face shows little or no expression. The arms may also not swing when the patient walks. Your speech may become slurred or soft, and the symptoms become worse as the patient’s condition progresses over some time. The disease causes progressive disability that can be reduced but not halted through treatment.

The signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can be different for everyone. The symptoms are as a result of losing several neurotransmitters notably dopamine. Early signs are always mild and go without notice. They begin on a single side of the body and worsen on that side before it spreads to the other side. Its signs and symptoms include: Tremor or shaking which usually starts at the limb often the fingers or hand. Slowed movement (bradykinesia), the disease may slow your movement making it difficult to get out of the chair and dragging of the feet as one walks. Rigid muscle; stiffness of the muscle may occur in any part of your body. The stiffness is accompanied by painful muscles limiting the range of movement. Impaired balance and posture; it causes balance problems and stooped posture. Change of speech; the disease makes your speech monotone with no usual inflections.  It makes one to speak quickly, slur, slowly and hesitates before or when talking. Reduced automatic movements; it reduces your prowess of performing unconscious movements like smiling and blinking. Writing changes; the disease may make you to find writing very hard or makes your handwriting to appear small.

The exact causes Parkinson’s disease are unknown, but a number of factors play a role in its formation. It occurs due to loss of nerve cells that produce dopamine which is the significant chemical messenger that transmits messages between two brain regions to help in activity coordination. It connects corpus striatum and substantia nigra to help regulate muscle activities. The exact causes are: Genetic factors; specific genes are associated with the disease. At least 15-20% of patients who have Parkinson’s disease have relatives possessing Parkinsonian symptoms. Mutation of genes such as Parkin, LRRK2, PINK1, glucocerebrosidase, and DJ-1 in individuals early age is the leading genetic causes of Parkinson’s disease. The National Human Genome Research Institute and NINDS have found a particular gene on chromosome 4 known as alpha synclulein to be the cause of Parkinson’s in some families. The changed gene only accounts for a small number of the of the total number of people suffering from the disease. However, it contributes to a more significant proportion of familial Parkinson’s disease. Alpha-synlulein is the significant component of lewy bodies found in cells of patients who have Parkinson’s disease. An altered product of protein is formed in all patients with the mutated or changed gene of Alpha synlulein. The altered protein accumulates in the body cells and attracts more proteins which afterward form a deposit leading to neuron damage.

The other major cause of Parkinson’s disease is exposure to environmental toxins. Many toxins such as prohibited drugs which contain a chemical known as MPTP may lead to severe Parkinson’s disease. Research found out that once MPTP finds its way into the brain, it begins killing brain cells. Possible toxins include herbicides and pesticides used in farming, air pollution from road traffic and toxins originating from industrial plants. The specific insecticides are beta-hexachlorocyclohexane and permethrin while herbicides are 2, 4-diclorophenoxyacetic acid and paraquat. The other toxins causing Parkinson’s disease are Manganese dust, severe poisoning by carbon monoxide and carbon disulfide. The other minor causative agents of Parkinson’s disease include free radicals. These comprise of unstable molecules generated during chemical reactions in the body. When these radicals interact freely with other molecules, they have that ability to devastate neurons. Normal aging is also a cause of Parkinson’s disease because as one age there is an average decline of neurons producing dopamine leading to premature dopamine loss.

The complications that accompany Parkinson’s disease patients are: Thinking difficulties; in the late stages of the disease, the patient may experience thinking difficulties and cognitive problems (dementia). Emotional changes and depression; you may emotional changes like loss of motivation, anxiety or fear. The patient may also experience depression in the early stages of the disease. Chewing and eating problems; at late stages of the disease, the mouth muscles are affected hence making chewing to be a problem. Bladder problems; Parkinson’s disease patients may find difficulty in control of urine or urinating.  Sleeping disorders; people who have Parkinson’s disease often experience sleep problems like waking up early, falling asleep during the day or staying awake in the better part of the night. The patients with this disease may also experience fatigue, change in blood pressure, smell dysfunctioning, sexual, and pain.

The apparent cure for Parkinson’s disease is unknown because no specific tests exist for Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.  Therefore, it is critical to prevent the disease before the symptoms appear. Some research indicates that aerobic exercise done regularly may lower the risks of Parkinson’s disease by reducing the inflammation of the brain. Aerobic exercise also increases bone density, lung capacity, and longevity which have impacts on the brain.  Green tea is also recommended to prevent risks of Parkinson’s as it contains anti-inflammatory agents, improves brain functioning and increases the ability of fat burn. Studies have found out that B vitamin folic acid, that is chiefly found in vegetables significantly reduce cases of Parkinson’s disease; therefore it is in order to eat fresh, raw vegetables. Incorporation of omega-3 fatty acids in our diet is also a primary preventive measure.  Research has found that Omega-3 fatty acids can help in the prevention of cells death and degeneration hence can help prevent the disease. CoQ10 is also another preventive measure of Parkinson’s disease as it helps in cell growth and maintenance. It also acts as an antioxidant hence protecting the cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Parkinson’s disease has no cure, but the recommended treatment modes by doctors to control the disease are: use of Carbidopa-levodopa, the most effective medication for Parkinson’s disease which produces natural chemicals converted into dopamine in your brain. Carbidopa-levodopa infusion used in cases of advanced PD. Dopamine agonists; this drug mimics the effects of dopamine in the brain. The other recommended medication includes Amantadine, Anticholinergic, and MAO B inhibitors. Deep brain surgery is also recommended for implantation of electrodes in the specific region of the brain.

In conclusion, Parkinson’s disease arises majorly due to the deterioration of the part of the brain that controls movement due to reduced dopamine levels. Its causes are related to genetic and environmental factors, but research is still on to find its major cause. Therefore, preventive and control medications are recommended to reduce the complications caused by the disease in human health.

 
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