Parkinson Disease Research Paper

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Parkinson Disease
Parkinson Disease is a neurodegenerative disease that is progressive and chronic. This disease will slow down our executive movements, brings on rigidity of the muscles, establish tremors in our hands at rest and also impair balance (Lewis 1701).
This disease is a degeneration of the substantia nigra which is a dopamine producing neurons. The substantia nigra is part of the midbrain that is responsible for the voluntary movements. This degeneration effects the balance of the dopamine and acetylcholine in the basal ganglia. Dopamine is an inhibiting neurotransmitter which controls our posture, support and voluntary movements where acetylcholine is an excitatory neurotransmitter that controls our nerve impulse transmission. …show more content…

First off there should be an assessment of the client’s symptoms from Parkinson Disease, also Blood Pressure, respiration, Orthostatic Blood Pressure, Mental Status, Toxicity, Renal, Hepatic, hematopoietic, also for diabetes acromegaly if on long term therapy (Skidmore-Roth 685). Next should be the Therapeutic response, which for this medication would be a decrease in the Parkinson’s symptoms. Lastly there is the teaching aspect to the client and family. For Sinemet the client should learn and understand the following, that Orthostatic hypotension can happen and they should change positions slowly. Clients should report any type of side effects (e.g. Eye twitching), these side effects could be an indicator of an overdose. Clients should not stop taking the medication suddenly as this can lead to parkinsonian crisis; neuroleptic malignant syndrome(NMS), it is recommended that the client should slowly taper off of Sinemet. Urine can darken, physical activity is encouraged for more mobility and lessening of spasms and lastly there is the “on-off phenomenon”. (Skidmore-Roth 685)
There a number of side effects for Sinemet, some examples of the more common ones are involuntary movements, hand tremors, fatigue, headache, anxiety, twitching, numbness, weakness, confusion, agitation, insomnia, nightmares, nausea/vomiting, anorexia, abdominal distress, dry mouth, flatulence and dysphagia (Skidmore-Roth

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