Parkinson’s disease has a dramatic impact on one’s ability to control everyday movements, thus affecting quality of life and independence. (Sage, Johnston, & Almeida,2011). Parkinson’s disease is chronic, progressive, as-of-yet incurable(Hirsch, Iyer, Englert, & Sanjak,2011). Pharmacotherapy remains to be the primary treatment for Parkinson’s disease. However, it arouses complications such as motor fluctuations, dyskinesia and wearing off (Sage, Johnston, & Almeida,2011). It prompted the researchers to discover alternative therapies such as exercising, which may have the potential to improve the individual’s suffering from Parkinson’s disease, as exercise is commonly associated with cardiovascular and musculoskeletal benefits. (Sage, Johnston, & Almeida,2011).Based on two journal articles written upon this subject, this article will analyse how exercise have potential to improve the indvidual’s suffering from Parkinson’s disease. It will also compare similarities and differences of the research. The first article, “Promoting exercise in Parkinson’s Disease through community-based participatory research” written by Hirsch, M.A., Iyer, S.S., Englert,D. & Sanjak,M., was published in 2011 by future medicine limited. The aim of this article was to introduce a novel approach on delivering physical activity (exercise) for clients with Parkinson’s disease. The authors describe the community -based participatory research (CBPR) which engaged people with Parkinson’s disease. Patients were advocating as co- researchers in the development of community based research programs (Hirsch, Iyer, Englert, & Sanjak,2011). This was followed by a further discussion of providing some examples of community exercise programs and suggestions(Hirsch, Iyer,... ... middle of paper ... ... exercise intervention. Thus, the only addition to a participant’s normal routine was the exercise program they were assigned.” (Sage, Johnston, & Almeida, 2011).Therefore this method used was appropriate as they only used diagnosed participants for research instead of using all people with different types of Parkinson’s disease as it might not yield the same results as it’s really hard to proceed with so much information; whereas according to Hirsch et al. (2011), study was based on community and engages people with Parkinson’s disease and patients were advocating as a co researchers. This study was not that much appropriate as research was done on whole community without diagnosed any participants with Parkinson’s disease. Results yield from this study was based on whole community and was not limited to the diagnosed participants for the exercise research group.
Many people, like myself, after watching an episode of “The Michael Jay Fox Show,” started to be come curious as to what exactly this disease is. You ask yourself; What is this disease? What causes it? Can it be passed down from generation to generation? Is there a treatment? What would your life be like suffering from this? Through my research on Parkinson’s disease, I am determined to answer these questions. I hope to have a better understanding on this disease, and how it affects the lives of patients that I might see in a hospital.
Salgado, S., Williams, N., Kotian, R., & Salgado, M. (2013). An Evidence-Based Exercise Regimen for Patients with Mild to Moderate Parkinson's Disease. Brain Sciences (2076-3425), 3(1), 87-100.
With more than 200,000 US cases per year, Parkinson’s disease has become a major part
Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the nervous system, and occurs when the brain cells that are in charge of producing dopamine in the body start to slow down the dopamine making process and/or stop it all together. These dopamine producing cells can be found in a grouping of cells called the substantia nigra, which is found in the mesencephalon, also known as the midbrain. What dopamine does is it sends the electrical signals in the brain between the dopamine producing nerve cells from the substantia nigra to the corpus striatum (part of the forebrain). With the right flow of electrical signals between nerve cells, your body will produce smooth muscle movements. When the production of the dopamine is interrupted, slows down, or comes to a stop, this will cause a lack of dopamine. With this lack of dopamine, the muscles in the body will produce shaky and jerky movements instead of the smooth and graceful movements which those muscles are used to. Disrupted for long enough, and during an acute attack of Parkinson’s disease, the dopamine producing cells and the tissue around them will then start to die off causing a short...
Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder that is named after "the English physician who first described it fully in 1817" (4). The disease causes disturbances in the motor functions resulting in patients having trouble moving. Other characteristics that are not always present in every patient are tremors and stiffening of limbs. All of these characteristics, of the disease are caused by "degeneration of a group of nerve cells deep within the center of the brain in an area called the substantia nigra" (5). Dopamine is the neurotransmitter for these cells to signal other nerve cells. However as the cluster of nerve cells fail to operate, the dopamine can not reach the areas of the brain that affects one's motor functions (5). On average Parkinson's patients have "less than half as much dopamine in their systems as healthy people do" (8). The problem and controversy that arises from this disease is in the cure. Researchers, for years, have been attempting to unravel the mystery of what causes Parkinson's disease and how it can be treated and or cur...
Nurse’s play a very important role in the delivery of care to an older person and in complex disease such as Parkinson’s disease, the care provided by a nurse is vital for both the patient and the family of the affected person. The aim of this essay is to understand briefly about Parkinson’s disease and associated issues and the role of the nurse in the management of the condition.
Parkinson disease (PD), also referred to as Parkinson’s disease and paralysis agitans, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is the third most common neurologic disorder of older adults. It is a debilitating disease affecting motor ability and is characterized by four cardinal symptoms: tremor rigidity, bradykinesia or kinesis (slow movement/no movement), and postural instability. Most people have primary, or idiopathic, disease. A few patients have secondary parkinsonian symptoms from conditions such as brain tumors and certain anti-psychotic drugs.
Parkinsons disease Learning is defined as, a change in the capability of a person to perform a skill that must be inferred from a relatively permanent improvement in performance as a result of practice of experience (Magill 247). For healthy people to learn a skill, they must show improvement, consistency, stability, persistence, and adaptability. However, for patients with Parkinsons Disease, it is not as simple. Bradykinesia, the slowed ability to initiate and continue movements, is a well-recognized side effect of Parkinsons Disease. In Rostami and Ashayeris study, Effects of motor skill practice on reaction time and learning retention in Parkinsons Disease, they investigated whether or not short-term practice could improve Bradykinesia. Patients with Parkinsons Disease frequently spend more time not only initiating voluntary movements, but also more time carrying out the voluntary movements. Thus, the study gathered 9 patients (7 males and 2 females) with Parkinsons Disease and 9 controls (7 males and 2 females) that were healthy and disease free. The participants were instructed to look at their monitor and to carry out a hand-to-mouth reach when prompted by the random stimulus on the monitor. The researchers used the Kinemetrix 3D Motion Analysis System and three markers that were positioned on the lateral aspect of the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints to record and analyze the movements in three-dimensional space. Though all of the participants were right-handed, they were all instructed to use their left hand to complete the task because in all of the participants the left arm appeared to be more bradykinetic. The purpose of this study was to see if reaction time coul...
Parkinson’s affects about one million people within the United States and about five million people worldwide. Most individuals who develop Parkinson 's disease are 60 years of age or older. Parkinson 's disease occurs in approximately 1% of individuals aged 60 years and in about 4% of those aged 80 years (Heyn and Stoppler, 2013). Since overall life expectancy is rising, the number of individuals with Parkinson 's disease will increase in the future. According to Sweeny (2013) Parkinson’s affects approximately 1.5% to 2.0% of people aged 60 years and older. Though it is rare, young adults may also be diagnosed with PD. Before the age of age if 21, the diagnosis is deemed juvenile onset. Between the ages of 21 to 40 it is called early onset. A significantly higher incidence rate of Parkinson’s disease was found among men with the relative risk being 1.5 times greater in men than women. (Wooten, Currie, Bovbjerg, Lee, and & Patrie,
Goldmann, David R., and David A. Horowitz. American College of Physicians Home Medical Guide to Parkinson's Disease. New York: Dorling Kindersley Pub., 2000. Print.
James Parkinson first discovered Parkinson's Disease in 1817. Parkinson's Disease is a common neurologic disorder for the elderly. It is a disorder of the brain characterized by shaking and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination. This disease is associated with damage to a part of the brain that controls muscle movement. Parkinson's Disease is a chronic illness that is still being extensively studied.
"Parkinsonism: Causes and Coping Strategies." Parkinsonism: What Causes It? N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2014.
There exists a group of people who live the final years of their lives in glass boxes. They are perfectly capable of seeing outside, but incapable of reaching out to the world around them. Their emotions can not be shown through facial expression, and as their condition continues, speech also becomes difficult or even impossible. These people are men and women of all races and geographical areas, constituting one percent of the world’s population over 50 years old. Parkinson disease is their affliction. Although Parkinsonism has been around almost as long as recorded history, there is yet to be found a cause or a cure. Medications tame the symptoms and prolong life, but are incapable of reversing the disease progression.. Diagnosis relies exclusively upon clinical signs and symptoms, because almost all laboratory and radiography tests are normal in the Parkinson patient. For this reason early diagnosis is very difficult. The fact that early signs of Parkinsonism can easily be overlooked as normal aging, further complicates diagnosis. Therefore, primary care physicians of the middle-aged and elderly population must be extremely sensitive to patients’ outward appearance and changes in movement ability.
...ry work, medical industry work and other areas that require steady and stable hand control. The Michael J. Fox Foundation website allows for people to post comments and I was touched by the strength that these individuals have. Jo Dee Biddle, who is a caregiver and loved one of Parkinson’s patient posted “If I have learned anything about PD in 28 years, it is to take things one day at a time. If it's a good day, seize the moment. If it's not, don't apologize.” I think that this is such an inspiring way to look at daily life with Parkinson’s. This attitude and approach will make the good days with this disease be even greater and the harder days easier to cope. There is much that is unknown about this disease, but there are many foundations and research efforts that support furthering the cause of research and continuous search for early diagnosis.
Parkinson’s disease, a chronic, progressive, and neurodegenerative brain disorder affecting body movement, known to have no cure, yet has treatments that will help in managing the disease. This disease is named after James Parkinson, an English physician who described this illness. Approximately one million people in the United States are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (What is Parkinson’s, n.d.). This disease is identified to be slow in progression and symptoms of this will only worsen as time goes on. Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disease (Simpson, Murray, & Eccles, 2010).