BY: MACKENZIE SOARES ALYSSA MEDIEROS STEPHANIE GARDNER Parkinson's Disease

What is Parkinson’s? Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disease of the nervous system, displayed from slow, inaccurate movement, tremor and muscular rigidity. Movement in the body is controlled by a chemical called dopamine, which carries signals between the nerves in the brain. If there is a lack of dopamine, symptoms of Parkinson's disease occur.

Diagnosing Parkinson’s Tremor Slowness and stiffness Impaired balance Rigidity of muscles Fatigue Soft speech Problems with writing Stooped posture Constipation Sleep disturbances Symptoms of Parkinson's include: Diagnosing Parkinson's can take time. There are no x-rays or tests to confirm that someone has Parkinson's. Family doctors may notice it at first, but will probably refer you to a neurologist who will check your medical history, do careful physical examinations and certain tests to be as certain as possible that you have Parkinson's.

Treating Parkinson’s Currently there is no cure for Parkinson's, but there are options to help treat it. Treatments involve medication, surgery and therapies such as; Physical therapy Occupational therapy (helps with daily activities) Speech therapy Exercise Since Parkinson's progresses at different rates and some have it more severely then others, some treatments are more recommended then others.

Treatments Continued Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)  This type of treatment implants electrodes in certain areas in the brain. They produce electrical impulses that help regulate abnormal impulses in the brain.  It is controlled by a stimulator much like a pacemaker that connects to the electrodes in your brain  It is also being studied to treat Tourette's, epilepsy and depression.  Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Parkinson’s Australia 2:05-2:  One Year After DBS Surgery 0:00-1:30

Areas Affected by Parkinson’s Disease In a situation such as Parkinson’s disease the substantia nigra is affected which is where the dopamine neurons die off during the disease. The substantia nigra is located in the midbrain near the thalamus and has serious roles which are movement and transmission of dopamine neurons. In a normal brain the substantia nigra will have all of the dopamine neurons in order for that part of the brain to function correctly

Comparison: Normal Brain vs. Parkinson’s Brain A brain affected with Parkinson’s disease lacks dopamine neurons Dopamine is neurotransmitter that is responsible for transmitting the nerve cells of the brain Another thing that affects the brain is the iron count Iron is very important in the brain and helps the oxygen transport to the brain

Case Study This case study of a 55 year old man, shows us the severity of Parkinson’s disease, and the incredible change of DBS surgery. Case Study Parkinson’s 0:00-3:10 Michael J. Fox is a famous Canadian actor and who has Parkinson’s disease.

True and False Three signs of Parkinson’s are; tremor, stiffness and nausea. There is a cure to Parkinson’s disease. The substantia nigra is the part of the brain that is affected. A person with Parkinson’s disease lacks dopamine neurons. Most people who develop Parkinson’s are 60 years old or older.