Parkinsons disease
Movement
disorders
Overview
The term movement disorders refers to a group
of nervous system (neurological) conditions that cause either increased
movements or reduced or slow movements. These movements may be voluntary or
involuntary.
Common types of movement disorders include:
·
Ataxia. This movement disorder affects the part
of the brain that controls coordinated movement. Ataxia may cause uncoordinated
or clumsy balance, speech or limb movements, and other symptoms. There are many
causes of ataxia, including genetic and degenerative disorders. Ataxia may also
be caused by an infection or another treatable condition.
·
Cervical
dystonia. In cervical
dystonia, the neck muscles contract involuntarily, causing the head to pull to
one side or to tilt forward or backward. There may be shaking.
·
Chorea. Chorea is characterized by repetitive,
brief, irregular, somewhat rapid, involuntary movements. The movements
typically involve the face, mouth, trunk and limbs. Chorea can look like
exaggerated fidgeting.
·
Dystonia. This condition involves sustained
involuntary muscle contractions with twisting, repetitive movements. Dystonia
may affect the entire body or one part of the body.
·
Functional
movement disorder. This condition
may resemble any of the movement disorders. Functional movement disorder isn't
due to neurological disease and is treatable.
·
Huntington's
disease. This is an
inherited, progressive disease that can be confirmed with genetic testing.
Huntington's disease has three components: uncontrolled movements, cognitive
problems and psychiatric conditions.
·
Multiple
system atrophy. This uncommon
neurological disorder affects many brain systems and progressively worsens.
Multiple system atrophy causes a movement disorder, such as ataxia or
parkinsonism. It can also cause low blood pressure, impaired bladder function
and acting out dreams.
·
Myoclonus. This condition causes lightning-quick
jerks of a muscle.
·
Parkinson's
disease. This slowly
progressive disease causes tremor, muscle stiffness, slow or decreased movement,
or imbalance. It may also cause other symptoms not related to movement such as
reduced sense of smell, constipation, acting out dreams and a decline in
cognition.
·
Parkinsonism. Parkinsonism is a general term for
slowness of movement along with stiffness, tremor or loss of balance. There are
many different causes. Parkinson's disease and certain dopamine blocking
medications are the most common causes. Other causes include degenerative
disorders such as multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy.
Stroke or repeated head trauma also can cause parkinsonism.
·
Progressive
supranuclear palsy. This is a rare
neurological disorder that causes problems with walking, balance and eye
movements. It sometimes may resemble Parkinson's disease but is a distinct
condition.
·
Restless
legs syndrome. This movement
disorder causes unpleasant feelings in the legs while relaxing or lying down,
often relieved by movement.
·
Tardive
dyskinesia. This
neurological condition is caused by long-term use of certain drugs used to
treat psychiatric conditions, called neuroleptic drugs. Tardive dyskinesia
causes repetitive and involuntary movements such as grimacing, eye blinking and
other movements.
·
Tourette
syndrome. This is a
neurological condition that starts between childhood and teenage years and is
associated with repetitive movements and vocal sounds.
·
Tremor. This movement disorder causes rhythmic
shaking of parts of the body, such as the hands, head or other body parts. The
most common type is essential tremor.
·
Wilson's
disease. This is a rare,
inherited disorder that causes excessive amounts of copper to build up in the
body, causing neurological problems, dystonia, tremor, parkinsonism or ataxia.
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder
that affects movement. It gets worse over time and can affect other brain
functions, too, such as learning and memory.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological
disease that causes degeneration in your dopamine-producing neurons in the
substantia nigra region of your brain. Decreased dopamine production causes
symptoms related to your movements. The condition also damages the nerves that
produce norepinephrine – the neurotransmitter responsible for many automatic
functions of your body like your blood pressure.
Parkinson’s disease progresses
gradually, but with treatment, you can lead a long and fulfilling life. The
precise cause of Parkinson’s disease isn’t known, but medical researchers have
found that people with the condition have unusual clumps of proteins called
Lewy bodies in their brains.
SYMPTOMS
OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE
At first, Parkinson’s disease often causes only mild
symptoms. As it gets worse, the symptoms can affect a person’s ability to work
or do everyday activities. When it becomes even more severe, people with the
disease sometimes need help taking care of themselves.
Parkinson’s disease can make people:
- Shake
(doctors call this “tremor”)
- Move
slowly
- Become
stiff or rigid
- Lose
their balance or have a hard time walking
Parkinson’s disease can also make some
people:
- Lose
the ability to think clearly
- At
times, lose touch with reality or see things that aren’t there (these are
called “hallucinations”)
- Feel
depressed, anxious, or less interested in everyday life
- Have
problems with sleep, such as insomnia (trouble falling or staying asleep)
and daytime sleepiness
- Feel
tired
- Lose
the ability to smell
The disease can even cause problems such as constipation,
sweating, trouble urinating, trouble swallowing, and sexual problems. Some
people with Parkinson’s disease develop “orthostatic hypotension.” This is the
medical term for a sudden drop in blood pressure that happens when a person
stands up. This drop in blood pressure can make the person feel dizzy or
lightheaded, or even pass out.
DIAGNOSIS
& TREATMENT OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE
There are several medicines that can improve
the symptoms of Parkinson disease. Researchers are also studying drugs that
might help keep Parkinson disease from getting worse. But for now, no treatment
can cure the disease.
The medicines used to
treat Parkinson disease symptoms can sometimes cause serious side effects. For
this reason, people often start taking them only after their symptoms start to
really bother them.
If you are thinking about treatment, ask your
doctor or nurse to help you understand the risks and benefits of the medicines
you might take.
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