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Bio160 project essay

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Marian 1
Liviu Marian
Edwin Noboa
BIO160
Parkinson’s Disease
15 April 2020
Etiology
Parkinson's disease is a condition that affects the brain and leads to a progressive loss of
balance and motion. It is the most common type of disorders of parkinsonism and is often called
idiopathic or parkinsonism. In Parkinson's disease, nerve cells, also known as neurons, begin to
malfunction or die in a brain area. It’s a process called neurodegeneration. Some of the neurons
containing a chemical called dopamine are responsible for that. Dopamine functions as a
neurotransmitter that transmits neuronal signals. It's necessary to guide muscle movement and
coordination when transmitting signals from the brain. Parkinson's is a chronic condition,
meaning symptoms are getting worse over time. As more dopamine-producing neurons die, the
levels of dopamine in the brain decrease until patients are unable to control normal movements.
Pathology
Since the beginning of the last century the clinical symptoms that define idiopathic
Parkinson's disease have been recognized. Important recent advances include the identification of
α-synuclein as the main biochemical component of Lewy bodies, and explanation of the
relationship between Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders such as
Alzheimer's disease and dementia. In addition to providing insight into pathogenesis of diseases,
this new understanding could soon bring real benefits in the form of enhanced disease car.
Parkinson's is widely viewed as a complex neurodegenerative disease with a progression series.
There is clear evidence that it affects the vagus nerve's dorsal motor nucleus and olfactory bulbs
and nucleus first, then the locus coeruleus, and finally the substantia nigra. Cortical areas of the
brain are affected at a later stage.

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Marian 2
Response and Treatment
We still haven’t exactly found how our immune system contributes to the Parkinson’s
disease. But in this quote, I found in this article it states; “Our findings show that two fragments
of alpha-synuclein, a protein that accumulates in the brain cells of people with Parkinson’s, can
activate the T cells involved in autoimmune attacks”. Whether the immune response to alpha-
synuclein is an initial cause of Parkinson's disease or it leads to neuronal death and aggravating
symptoms after the onset of the disease the answer remains unknown.
Treatment is often not required in the early stages of the disease-when the symptoms do
not cause problems. If the symptoms worsen, medication can help by compensating for the lack
of dopamine. Sometimes, this can ease the symptoms. The medications can be less effective
overtime because it they cannot stop the disease from processing. The medication available for
this disease is released under the skin or directly into the small intestine.
Individual patient management requires close consideration of the symptoms, age,
disease stage, degree of functional impairment and physical activity and productivity level of a
patient. Exercise is a big part of treatment of this disease, especially because the very symptoms
of it makes you lazy and unproductive. Most of the treatment is typically medication and surgical
therapy. The intention of Parkinson's disease medical treatment is to have the best possible
control of signs and symptoms, while reducing adverse effects.
History
Medical experts have been treating what we now call Parkinson’s disease for a very long
time. Parkinson's disease was formally recognized in James Parkinson's 1817. He was a doctor in
London. He wrote an essay and it contained clear descriptions of some of the main symptoms:

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Marian 1 Liviu Marian Edwin Noboa BIO160 Parkinson’s Disease 15 April 2020 Etiology Parkinson's disease is a condition that affects the brain and leads to a progressive loss of balance and motion. It is the most common type of disorders of parkinsonism and is often called idiopathic or parkinsonism. In Parkinson's disease, nerve cells, also known as neurons, begin to malfunction or die in a brain area. It’s a process called neurodegeneration. Some of the neurons containing a chemical called dopamine are responsible for that. Dopamine functions as a neurotransmitter that transmits neuronal signals. It's necessary to guide muscle movement and coordination when transmitting signals from the brain. Parkinson's is a chronic condition, meaning symptoms are getting worse over time. As more dopamine-producing neurons die, the levels of dopamine in the brain decrease until patients are unable to control normal movements. Pathology Since the beginning of the last century the clinical symptoms that define idiopathic Parkinson's disease have been recognized. Important recent advances include the identification of α-synuclein as the main biochemical component of Lewy bodies, and explana ...
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