Parkinsons Disease Essay -- Health

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a striatal dopamine deficiency disorder as a consequence of neuronal loss in the substania nigra. It is named after James Parkinson, a British apothecary, who first fully documented its physical signs in 1817. Since then, significant advances have been made in our understanding of characteristic pathophysiology as well as in the medical treatment of different stages of PD. An overview of condition features in terms of epidemiology, manifestations, diagnosis and disease management will be discussed in this paper. I. Epidemiology Parkinson’s disease is a common form of Parkinsonism, affecting as many as one out of every hundred people aged 65 years and over. The disease prevalence increases with age, with approximately 2% of those older than 80 years having PD. It is estimated that the number of patients diagnosed with PD is around 110,000 in the UK. No significant gender predominance has been recognised in most epidemiological studies although some evidence implies that men are more likely to develop PD than their counterparts. Owning to population aging, the incidence of PD is anticipated to rise dramatically in the coming decades. Despite being the second most common neurodegenerative illness after Alzheimer’s disease, the cause of PD remains elusive. To date, a considerable amount of literature has suggested that the disorder may be precipitated by either or both genetic and environmental factors (e.g. ingestion or inhalation of a neurotoxin called MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydro pyridine). II. Manifestations Parkinson’s disease is classically characterised by the tetrad of clinical features, as follows: bradykinesia or slowness of movement, rest tremor (usually described as pil... ...W, Poewe W, Stocchi F, et al. Rasagiline as an adjunct to levodopa in patients with Parkinson’s disease and motor fluctuations (LARGO, Lasting effect in Adjunct therapy with Rasagiline Given Once daily, study): a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group trial. The Lancet. 12;365(9463):947–54. 10. Rabey JM, Sagi I, Huberman M, Melamed E, Korczyn A, Giladi N, et al. Rasagiline mesylate, a new MAO-B inhibitor for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease: a double-blind study as adjunctive therapy to levodopa. Clin Neuropharmacol. 2000 Dec;23(6):324–30. 11. Oldfield V, Keating GM, Perry CM. Rasagiline: a review of its use in the management of Parkinson’s disease. Drugs. 2007;67(12):1725–47. 12. Chen JJ, Ly A-V. Rasagiline: A second-generation monoamine oxidase type-B inhibitor for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2006 May 15;63(10):915–28.