Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder. A specific area ofthe brain, called substantia nigra, harbors the dopamine-producing ('dopaminergic') neurons; in PD, these neuronal cells become affected. When dopaminergic neuronal cell death occurs or becomes damaged, they produce less amount of dopamine; as a result, it causes movement problems in PD patients. The researchers still do not know the dopamine-producing cells death causing factors. Lewy bodies, unusual clusters, or clumps of the alpha-synuclein protein are formed in the brain cells of people with Parkinson's disease. Researchers are exploring to understand better alpha-synuclein's normal and abnormal functions and its association with the genetic alteration that influence Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia. Many scientists now consider Parkinson's disease the consequence of hereditary and environmental issues such as contact with pollutants. Though some cases of Parkinson's seem to be hereditary, and a few can be outlined as precise inherited alterations, the disease happens arbitrarily in maximum instances. It does not run in families. Parkinson's disease has four primary symptoms: 1. Limbs and trunk stiffness; 2. Involuntary movement or tremor (trembling) in the head, jaw, hands, arms, or legs; 3. The sluggishness of movement or action; and 4. Compromised coordination and balance sometimes lead to falls. As there is no remedy for PD, medicines, surgical treatment, and other steps can often relieve some signs and symptoms. The primary therapy for Parkinson's is levodopa or L-dopa. L-dopa helps to produce dopamine by the neuronal cells of the substantia nigra to refill the brain's declining supply. Typically, PD people receive L-dopa along with another medicine called carbidopa. Carbidopa stops or reduces some side effects of levodopa therapy—such as nausea, vomiting, restlessness, and low blood pressure—and lessens the amount of L-dopa required to progress the symptoms. If PD patients are unresponsive to medicines, a surgical procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS) may be suitable to stop the movement-related symptoms. [Mahmud Hossain]