Research Paper On Parkinson's Disease

Merriam Webster defines Parkinson’s disease as a chronic progressive neurological disease that occurs predominantly in later life. Parkinson’s disease occurs when the neurons in the brain begin to die; therefore, they cannot communicate with other neurons. The movement disorder is linked to a deficiency in dopamine production and is marked especially by tremor of resting muscles, rigidity, slowness of movement, impaired balance, and a shuffling gait. People may refer to Parkinson’s Disease as Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s Syndrome, Paralysis agitates, or Shaking palsy. James Parkinson, described some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in his 1817 work, “Essay on the Shaking Palsy,” which is now known as a description of this disease. James Parkinson was born on April 11, 1975 in London. In 1784, he studied at the London Hospital Medical College as a …show more content…
People affected by this disease may experience symptoms such as tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, postural instability, or rhythmic movement. In continuance, others may experience motor symptoms that include uncontrollable movements, dyskinesia, slowness of movement, difficulty writing, speech problems, muscle pain, and loss of motor skills. Furthermore, the pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease is Lewy bodies, otherwise known as clumps of proteins. Lewy bodies found in the brain stem, olfactory bulb, and in the mid-brain indicate non-motor malfunctions. Symptoms of non-motor functions occur in advanced Parkinson’s disease where movement is not affected. It encompasses anxiety, depression, cognitive mood swings, hypotension, weight loss, hallucinations, and many other symptoms. Parkinsonism, underlying pathologies that have similar symptoms as Parkinson’s disease include strokes and motor symptoms which can confuse doctors on the diagnosis. As a result, scientists conduct additional testing to prevent this confusion and determine the stage of