Patient/caregiver was educated on pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease as follows:
- Parkinson’s disease is caused by low levels of a neurotransmitter, dopamine, in the brain.
- Dopamine is synthesized and secreted by certain nerve cells in the brain. Dopamine helps with transmission of nerve impulse between the brain cells and regulate smooth initiation and execution of movements.
- Secondary to use of various drugs or infections or chemicals, these dopaminergic neurons in the brain could be damaged. This damage to the dopaminergic neurons result in reduced dopamine synthesis in the brain.
- Deficiency is dopamine in the brain results in poor conduction of nerve impulses in the brain, thus contributing to poor regulation of movements.
- This results in the characteristic initial symptoms of Parkinson’s disease as follows:
- Akinesia: Patients find difficulty with initiating movements
- Dyskinesia: Patients present with involuntary movements
- Rigidity: Patients experience rigidity during movement, which makes smooth execution of a movement difficult.
- Tremor: Patients present with tremor in the extremities. Tremor is significantly experienced during rest, which gradually wanes off during execution of the movement.
- Further progression of the disease can lead to serious dementia and deficiency in cognitive functioning. Patients also present with postural instability, which contributes significantly to poor balance and falls.
