Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative neurological disease that affects approximately one million persons in the United States. It primarily impacts the specific part of the brain that controls movement called the substantia nigra. This degeneration creates a shortage of the brain-signaling chemical (neurotransmitter) known as dopamine, causing impaired movement. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease include trembling (tremor), stooped posture, muscular stiffness (rigidity), short shuffling steps, speaking softly in a rapid tone, poor balance, poor handwriting, and slowness of body movements (bradykinesia). The cause of Parkinson's disease is not yet known although there may be a genetic link. Some researchers believe it may result from toxins, head trauma or stroke. Presently there is no cure for Parkinson's disease but available medications control the slow decline in function and manage symptoms quite effectively. Parkinson's disease is usually diagnosed in people in the prime of their life. Unfortunately, this also usually means that Parkinson's strikes during the peak of the individual's career. Parkinson's involves the gradual death of cells in the substantia nigra. In the early stages, a very large percentage of the cell
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fighting back against Parkinson's disease can be exhausting, and unfortunately, there is not much the patient can do against the disease. However, the psychological attitude of the patient can prove to be either detrimental or helpful to the patient's condition. By focusing on an enjoyable task, such as a simple evening walk, can seem to improve the patient's condition, even if only for a limited time and only under specific circumstances. Other ways that the patient can fight back against the disease including things such as obtaining the best available medical care, staying as independent as possible as long as possible, surrounding him or herself with a caring and supportive environment, and seeking assistance from organizations such as the American Parkinson Disease Association. In patients with Parkinson's disease, this pathway is disrupted. There is a severe lack of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the striatum. The dopamine-producing nerve cells, called the substantia nigra, normally contains much black pigment. These pigment-containing, dopamine-producing cells progressively become depigmented and die. The remaining cells work overtime but eventually cannot meet the needs of the striatum in terms of the amount of dopamine they are able to produce. This therefore causes disturbances in the function of the substantia nigra. Although the effects of Parkinson's disease can be devastating to the patient and can completely destroy his or her career, there has development in research at the National Human Genome Research Institute. Scientists have, for the first time, precisely identified a gene abnormality that is the cause of some cases of Parkinson's disease. This gene contains instructions for a protein called alpha synuclein. In the abnormal version of this gene, researchers found a mutation in a single base pair. The mutation is one incorrect letter in a string of more than 400 that are responsible for making the protein. Finding this abnormality gives researchers an understanding in cellular abnormalities in Parkinson's disease. and demonstrates a connection between Parkinson's disease research and research into other neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. When Parkinson's disease hi
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1562
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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