Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease (PD), known for its degenerative abilities and debilitating affects, is an illness that affects approximately 1 million Americans. The cause of this disease has not been pinpointed, although strides have been made towards a cure. As our elderly population increases, so does our overwhelming need to find a suitable cure that may one day eliminate this disease.

Concepts of PD

After watching the video: My father, My Brother, and Me, viewable at www.pbs.org , I took away four significant concepts pertaining to PD. The first concept is that although there is not a definitive cause to this disease, research has shown that factors such as genes and toxic chemicals may play a pivotal role in the onset. The second concept is that PD normally does not get diagnosed until the disease has progressed significantly and symptoms are more prominent. The third concept is that PD is a degenerative disease that results from a lack of dopamine-producing brain cells. Finally, the fourth concept that I took away from the video is that there currently is no cure for PD.

Factors Thought to Contribute to the Onset of PD

Scientist have spent decades trying to find an underlying cause to the onset of Parkinson’s Disease. So far, research has shown that certain genes in a family line may make it more likely for one person over another to develop PD. These genes can be traced back to where a family line developed, such as Africa or Norway, which are thought to be countries that produced more PD prone people.

One particular research that caught my eye was the discovery that the toxin MPTP, which was a chemical in a special mix of heroin in the 1980’s, was causing the same symptoms of PD in its users. ...

... middle of paper ...

...ent. The need to find a cure for PD is becoming more evident as our elderly population is growing allowing for the occurrence of the disease to also rise.

References

Experiment Resources. (2008). Stem cell research: Pros and cons. Retrieved on August 29, 2011, from http://www.experiment-resources.com/stem-cell-pros-and-cons.html#ixzz1WSjumU9E

Frontline. (2009, Jan. 29) My father, my brother, and me. Retrieved on August 29, 2011, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/parkinsons/

Irish Medical News. (2010, March 8). Finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease. Retrieved on August 29, 2011 from www.imn.ie/clinical/clinical-focus/2816-risk-assessment-for-cvd-an-update

NINDS. (2011). Parkinson’s disease: Hope through research. Retrieved on August 29, 2011, from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/parkinsons_disease/parkinsons_disease.htm