parkinson's disease…

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substantia nigra, parkinson's disease, central nervous system, paralysis agitans, shaking palsy, parkinson's disease, the brain characterized by shaking, tremor, difficulty, walking, movement, coordination, disease is associated, damage to a part, the brain that is involved, movement, muscle cramps, parkinson's disease was first described in england in 1817 by dr, james parkinson, disease affects approximately 2 of every 1,000 people, most often develops after age 50, parkinson's disease occurs in younger adults, rarely seen in children, affects both men, women, the most common neurologic disorders, the elderly, cases the disease occurs, families, it affects young people, most late onset cases have no known cause, term "parkinsonism", combination, the types of changes in movement seen in parkinson's disease, most common cause of these symptoms, parkinsonism, disorders, secondary parkinsonism, by external factors, certain medications, treat schizophrenia, parkinson's disease, progressive deterioration, the nerve cells, the part, the brain that controls muscle movement, dopamine, is one, the substances used by cells to transmit impulses, produced in this area, deterioration of this area, the brain reduces the amount, dopamine available, insufficient dopamine disturbs the balance between dopamine, transmitters, acetylcholine, dopamine, nerve cells cannot properly transmit messages, in the loss of muscle function, exact reason that the cells, the brain deteriorate, affect one, sides, varying degrees of loss of function, loss of muscle control, parkinson's disease, become severely depressed, due to loss of dopamine in certain brain areas involved, pleasure, mood, lack of dopamine, affect motivation, ability to initiate voluntary movements, early loss of mental capacities is uncommon, severe parkinson's, exhibit overall mental deterioration, dementia, hallucinations, dementia, a side effect, the medications, treat the disorder, rare, parkinson's is found in children, appears to be, due to decreased sensitivity, the nerves to dopamine rather than deterioration, the area, the brain that produces dopamine, muscle rigidity, stiffness, difficulty bending arms, legs, unstable, stooped, slumped-over posture, loss of balance, gait, walking pattern, shuffling walk, slow movements, difficulty initiating any voluntary movement, difficulty beginning to walk, difficulty getting up, a chair, small steps followed by the need to run to maintain balance, freezing of movement, the movement is stopped, inability to resume movement, muscle aches, pains, myalgia, shaking, tremors, varying degrees, not be present, characteristically occur at rest, occur at any time, become severe enough to interfere, tired, excited, stressed, finger-thumb rubbing, pill-rolling tremor, changes in facial expression, reduced ability to show facial expressions, "mask" appearance to face, staring, unable to close mouth, reduced rate of blinking, voice, speech changes, slow speech, low volume, monotone, difficulty speaking, loss of fine motor skills, difficulty writing, illegible, difficulty eating, activity that, small movements, uncontrolled, slow movement, frequent falls, decline in intellectual function, severe, a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms, mainly constipation, initial symptoms mild, nonspecific, instance, a mild tremor, a slight feeling that one leg, foot is stiff, dragging, additional symptoms that associated, depression, confusion, dementia, seborrhea, oily skin, loss of muscle function, feeling, muscle atrophy, memory loss, drooling, anxiety, stress, tension, health care provider able to diagnose parkinson's disease, physical examination, symptoms difficult to, in the elderly, tremor, not appear, the person is sitting quietly, arms, in the lap, posture changes similar to osteoporosis, changes associated, aging, lack of facial expression a sign of depression, an examination, "cogwheel" rigidity, jerky, stiff movements, tremors, the parkinson's type, difficulty initiating, completing voluntary movements, reflexes, essentially normal, specific, parkinson's, required to rule out other disorders that cause similar symptoms, essential tremor, no known cure, parkinson's disease, treatment is aimed at controlling the symptoms, treatment must be tailored, individual, medications control symptoms primarily by increasing the levels of dopamine, in the brain, type of medication, dose, time between doses, combination, of medications used, adjusted, symptoms change, the medications, cause severe side effects, monitoring, follow-up by the health care provider is important, deprenyl, provide some improvement to mildly affected patients, amantadine, anticholinergic medications, reduce early, mild tremors, levodopa, medication that the body converts to a brain transmitter, dopamine, increase the body's supply of dopamine, improve movement, balance, carbidopa, medication that reduces the side effects of levodopa, makes it work better, additional medications to help reduce symptoms, control side effects of primary treatment medications include antihistamines, antidepressants, dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, maois, good general nutrition, health, exercise should continue, the level of activity adjusted to meet the changing energy levels, regular rest periods, avoidance of stress, fatigue, stress, make symptoms worse, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, help promote function, independence, simple aids, railings, banisters placed in commonly used areas, the house, special eating utensils, great benefit, person experiencing difficulties, daily living activities, social workers, counseling services, help the patient cope, the disorder, obtaining assistance, meals-on-wheels, experimental, less common treatments recommended, surgery to destroy tissues responsible, tremors, reduce symptoms, people, transplantation of adrenal gland tissue, brain has been, variable results, emotional support, parkinson's disease, everyone involved, help in coping, the changes, the national parkinson's foundation, another group, parkinson's disease, support group, untreated, disorder progresses to total disability, accompanied by general deterioration of all brain functions, lead to an early death, disorder impairs people in varying ways, most people respond to some extent to medications, extent of symptom relief, how long this control of symptoms lasts, highly variable, side effects of medications severe, varying degrees of disability, difficulty swallowing, eating, difficulty performing daily activities, injuries from falls, side effects of medications, symptoms occur, suggestive of parkinson's disease, symptoms of parkinson's disease worsen, progress, new symptoms appear, side effects of medications, involuntary movements, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, changes in alertness, behavior, mood, severe confusion, disorientation, delusional behavior, hallucinations, loss of mental functions, call health care provider condition deteriorates, caregiver is unable to care, the person at home, goetz, cg, textbook of clinical neurology, wb saunders, 713-720, noble j, textbook of primary care medicine, 3rd ed, mosby, 1612-1618.