Parkinson's disease is a progressively worsening disorder that affects the central nervous system; in particular the substantia nigra compacta located both in the basal ganglia and in the brainstem. The substantia nigra compacta is made up of dopaminergic neurons. These DA neurons create dopamine; the main neurochemicals originate in our body. DA signaling, the chemical transmitter, plays a key role in both motivation and the reward system; activated by the ventral tegmental area (VTA), balance and motor movement; they activate the basal ganglia (BG), the red nucleus, the reticular formation, the substantia nigra (SNc) and the cerebellum which are part of the extrapyramidal system. In this article we will see how the extrapyramidal system for movement is continuously interrupted due to the lack of dopamine in the brain; which leads to the disease called Parkinson's. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay All known conditions of Parkinson's disease likely emerge from an intricate interplay of territorial influence and genomic composition. These conditions are classified as sudden and occur in the population without any apparent history of the disorder in their family. The causes of the sporadic cases remain unclear as they are still the subject of speculation. Approximately 15% of the Parkinson's population has a family history of this disorder which makes this disease successful. Similar cases of Parkinson's disease can be caused by changes in the LRRK2, PARK7, PINK1, PRKN, or SNCA genes that trigger PD along with other factors; such as differences in food consumption and environment. Parkinson's disease has an autosomal recessive pattern. This type of inheritance means that two copies of the gene in each cell are altered. Almost always, the parents of an individual with autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease each carry one copy of the altered gene but show no signs of the disease. Mutations occur when transcription in cells goes awry leading to malformed proteins. Transcription is a process in which the segment of gene expression in which our deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) segment is transcribed or copied into the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA); and the mRNA created by this procedure plays a key role in protein synthesis. It is a tedious but at the same time so complex process that occurs in every living cell. Meticulously improving and regulating creates mature mRNA that can function as an amino acid encoder; just like building a house. Parkinson's disease is the second known nervous disorder in humans; characterized by the aggregation of the α-synuclein protein. This protein plays a key role in the kinase domain; and may not function properly due to alteration during RNA transcription that occurs in the SNCA gene. As a result, α-synuclein proteins become clusters known as Lewy bodies; and can make it non-functional. These malformed protein clusters can be present in various regions of the brain and can cause other nerve disorders. Accumulation of Lewy bodies in neural cells of the dopaminergic SNc leads to more profound nonmotor symptoms; preceding the motor symptom in PD victims. Using the genetic remedy early on could prevent Parkinson's disease as there is no known cure for it yet. The most important pathological feature caused by α-synuclein aggregation is the disruption of calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis. Calcium is an essential ion required for the adaptive nature of the cell as it involves manycellular functions such as neural network, second messenger and vesicular docking. The intracellular level of calcium ion concentration is lower than the extracellular area. This change in concentration gives rise to the driving force of neural signaling that leads to rapid adaptation. L-type calcium channels are high-voltage gated channels (Cav1 family) that involve burst activation and rhythmic pacing. To date, research shows that dopamine neurons in the striatum require stimulation signals to maintain the DA level. Unlike the Cav1.2, Cav1.3 channels involved in the pacification process in the above process, they have a range of wider opening which makes them unable to close completely. For this reason, a greater influx of calcium occurs internally. Due to the sudden increase in calcium influx, the intracellular calcium concentration increases abnormally where cells become less capable of producing homeostasis within themselves and more Cav1.3 channels are expressed through the DA neurons of the striatum causing a greater influx of calcium. This constant exposure leads to apoptosis; or DA cell death producing neuronal cells. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Currently, patients have no known remedy, but therapies such as the precursor L-dopa, dopamine agonists, MAO inhibitors and anticholinergics are used to alleviate the manifestation. A familiar symptom of Parkinson's disease is tremor of a limb. Other characteristic features of Parkinson's disease are inflexibility of the limbs and torso, "bradykinesia" or "akinesia" and impaired postural stability. These prodromes become evident slowly over time. Sporadic disease conditions make age restriction more difficult; but most people recognized are over 50 when it is detected or when the trait manifests itself (late onset). Furthermore, there are patients with early onset (before age 50) and even juvenile onset (before age 20) which raises the question of how well we know our genome. As I stated previously, this disorder is influenced by the level of dopamine triggered by the extinction of DA neuronal cells in the substantia nigra compacta; which in turn influence different regions of the brain. Due to the crucial level of DA in the neural connection as a whole, PD affects not only movement, emotions and cognition. Parkinson's disease is estimated to affect more than one million Americans; and approximately sixty thousand people are identified with Parkinson's disease; every year in America. Bibliography “141: Parkinson's disease”. Clinical Gate, May 22, 2015, clinicalgate.com/141-parkinson-disease/. "Essay on Parkinson's Disease: A Progressive Neurodegenerative Disease." Cram, www.cram.com/essay/Parkinson-Disease-A-Progressive-Neurodegenerative-Disease/PK5WXCR9U64E5.Heyn, Sietske N., and Charles Patrick Davis. "Early and later symptoms of Parkinson's disease, 5 stages and prognosis". MedicineNet, www.medicinenet.com/parkinsons_disease/article.htm.Mayfield Brain & Spine. “Parkinson's disease (PD).” Mayfieldclinic.com, mayfieldclinic.com/pe-pd.htm.“Depth Movement Disorders | Boston Children's Hospital." Boston Childrens Hospital, www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/m/movement-disorders/symptoms-and-causes. “PARK7 Gene - Genetics Home Reference - NIH”. National Library of United States Medicine, National Institutes of Health, ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/PARK7. “Parkinson Disease - Genetics Home Reference - NIH”.,.
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