April 11 is the World Parkinson’s Day.
Parkinson’s disease is a condition affecting the brain that is commonly found in the elderly population. Patients with Parkinson’s have altered motor functions. They have to struggle a lot to carry out movements at a normal speed. For them, simple things like walking, balancing themselves, eating or turning around are also challenging. Because of these problems, a lot of patients lead a poor quality of life and are even prone to chronic depression.
But what results in the loss of motor functions in these patients? People with Parkinson’s disease suffer loss of nerve cells in the brain that are responsible for releasing a brain chemical or neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopamine is a signalling chemical required for coordination and control of body movements. Once the neurons start dying, the production of dopamine is reduced causing loss of movement control and coordination in people suffering from the condition. Although we are far away from a better understanding of Parkinson’s, here are some key facts presented by studies till now.
1. The burden of Parkinson’s is increasing: As per current statistics, about 7-10 million people in the world are living with Parkinson’s disease. The burden is expected to double in a single generation.
2. In India, females are more affected than males: Parkinson’s disease is found mainly in people over the age of 50 years and prevails in both the sexes. But if you consider the Indian statistics, it is more common in females than in males.
3. It is characterized by 4 key motor symptoms: Loss of nerve cells in the brain results in 4 key symptoms: Tremors in the arms and legs (while at rest), stiffness or rigidity in the upper body, slow movements (bradykinesia) and impaired coordination and movement control.
4. It can have non-motor symptoms too: Apart from the 4 key symptoms, Parkinson’s can cause non-motor symptoms like pain, sleep problems, constipation, urinary problems, giddiness or ‘fainting’ spells when getting up from the bed, depression, anxiety and fatigue.
5. It is not a life threatening condition: Parkinson’s is definitely a life-altering condition but it’s not life threatening. With the help of appropriate care and therapy, patients can lead a fulfilling life.
6. The exact cause is unknown: As explained earlier, Parkinson’s disease is caused by death of nerve cells. But what exactly triggers death of those neurons is still a mystery. Scientists have found out several genes that were responsible for causing the disease in some cases.
7. It may be hereditary: Large population studies have indicated that people who have a family member or a relative suffering from the disease have a higher chance of developing the condition themselves. However, this is just an observation and further research on the inheritance aspect of Parkinson’s disease is underway.
8. No specific test can diagnose the condition: Although there are several tests like non-invasive diagnostic imaging tests that a neurologist uses to rule out the presence of other neurological conditions, there is no specific test that can confirm Parkinson’s disease. It is only based on individual description of symptoms and evaluation by a neurologist, a person is diagnosed of Parkinson’s. This the main reason why most cases of Parkinson’s go unnoticed.
9. Parkinson’s has no cure: Right now there is no cure for the condition but there are medicines available to slow down the loss of neurons. However, none of them are known to significantly alter the course of the disease. According to researchers, a deeper understanding of the cause of the disease is needed to find a cure for the disease.
10. Recent advances improve quality of life of patients: Although Parkinson’s can’t be cured, there are a lot of options for patients to lead a better life. Apart from oral medication, surgeries like deep brain stimulation and thalamotomy helps to reduce medication dosage to a great extent. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, movement therapy and specific exercises can help the patient to have better control over the condition and manage the symptoms.
Source: http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/world-parkinsons-day-2014-10-facts-about-parkinsons-disease/
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