Parkinson’s Disease and Medical Treatment Options Essay

Parkinson’s Disease and Medical Treatment Options For many 50 year olds, tasks such as writing or walking can be easily preformed without much attention. In fact, the term â€Å"task† seems to stress that there is a greater level of effort than is truly exerted in order for the average person to perform these actions. However, for a patient of Parkinson’s Disease who is diagnosed on average at the age of 50, these every day activities take a great deal of time, attention, and effort to be preformed (Huston). With the growth of research about this disease, a variety of treatment options ranging from medication to surgery are currently available to patients who suffer from the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s†¦show more content†¦Parkinson’s patients also suffer from difficulties associated with speech, spontaneous movements, gait, and cognitive processing. Johnson et. al (2004) studied these cognitive processing deficits to determine whether they were a result of motor impairment or a cognitive processing impairment within itself. Through two trials of testing, once with patients who were medicated for motor impairment and a second time with unmedicated patients, both compared to non-Parkinson participants of similar age groups, Johnson et. al found that both medicated and unmedicated Parkinson’s patients scored lower in the testing than the non-Parkinson’s patients. Therefore, it was determined that the cognitive processing impairment is separate from the typical motor impairment associated with the disease. Diagnosis of Parkinson’s is based solely on clinical evaluation and observation rather than blood and laboratory testing. If a patient displays two of the three primary symptoms, he may be diagnosed with and placed on medication for Parkinson’s Disease. If the medication improves these symptoms, the diagnosis of Parkinson’s is then confirmed (American Parkinson Disease Association, 2004; National Parkinson Foundation, 1999). The cause of the degeneration of cells within the substantia nigra is unknown and therefore no cure exists for the disease. Extensive research is being conducted in an attempt to determine the cause and find a cure for Parkinson’s. AShow MoreRelatedParkinson s Disease As A Medical Condition1437 Words   |  6 PagesParkinson’s disease has been known about since ancient times. In AD 175, the physician Galen described it as â€Å"shaking palsy† in Western medical literature. It wasn’t until 1817 that a London doctor, named James Parkinson, wrote a detailed medical essay on this disease. This essay established Parkinson’s disease as a recognized medical condition. He based the essay off of six cases he had observed previously and hoped that it would encourage others to study the disease. 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