When I started working at the Good Samaritan Society in Moscow, I had three patients suffering from Parkinson's disease. I didn't know much about the disease at the time, other than the fact that people who have the disease usually suffer from constant tremor. I knew I had to do more research on this disease because how could I care for my patients if I didn't even understand their disease? The senior project was the perfect opportunity for me to study Parkinson's in its entirety. My goals for this semester are to learn what Parkinson's disease is, understand what causes it, and spend some time with one of my patients who has Parkinson's and get their perspective on what they are going through. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Parkinson's is an incurable, progressive disease of the central nervous system that predominantly affects the neurons that produce dopamine, causing difficulty with movement. When most people think of Parkinson's disease, they usually associate it with older people, but now the disease is increasingly affecting younger people. In Parkinson's disease, some nerve cells in the brain gradually deteriorate or die. The true cause of Parkinson's disease is still unknown, but researchers have discovered some key factors that play a role in determining who gets the disease and who doesn't. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease typically start on one side of the body and remain worse on that side, even after it affects the entire body. Some of the most common symptoms of Parkinson's disease are tremors, slow movement, joint stiffness, muscle stiffness, incontinence, altered posture/movement, loss of automatic movements (blinking or swallowing), sleep disturbances, difficulty speaking, and difficulty writing. There are thousands of symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but they are not as widely experienced as the previously mentioned symptoms. Many patients first experience a constant or recurring tremor, then they usually begin to experience muscle and joint stiffness. Overall, there are approximately 1.5 million Americans who suffer from Parkinson's disease and approximately 4 million people worldwide. Parkinson's disease is 150% more common in men than women, and among people diagnosed with the disease, men's symptoms progress faster in most cases. I research receiving a diagnosis of Parkinson's. There are many types of treatments available to reduce the severity of symptoms. These treatment methods include deep brain stimulation, medications, and regular exercise. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the option that many patients will consider only after their medications start to stop working, but it is usually not the first option. DBS is performed by implanting electrodes deep into the brain, to help reduce the tremors that patients feel. Medication can help relieve the pain of some Parkinson's disease symptoms, often very effectively. In the middle and advanced stages, drugs are most commonly used to control dyskinesia (involuntary spasms), freezing (the sudden inability to move), and festination (short, almost running steps), because they can become much more widespread. Unlike many other diseases, Parkinson's is a very individualistic and unique disease. The effects of Parkinson's disease play an important role in a patient's physical and mental well-being and can vary greatly from person to person. Although complete prevention is not possible, it is therethings everyone can do to reduce their chances of being affected. from Parkinson's disease. Exercise is a very important part of preventing Parkinson's disease. After diagnosis it is highly recommended to do some physical exercise to relax muscles and joints. Exercises considered “most effective” by Parkinson's disease patients include: swimming, walking and yoga. Many believe that vitamin D3, eating organic produce, eating plenty of fresh, raw vegetables, green tea, omega 3 fatty acids, and CoQ10 can help prevent Parkinson's disease. CoQ10 is an enzyme that helps cells produce more energy, PD drains cells of energy, leaving PD patients tired and unmotivated. After someone is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, it doesn't mean their life is over, they are still able to do anything they want, they just need to be more aware of what and how they are doing things. As the rapid quest to find a cure for Parkinson's disease is always ongoing, many avenues and new research are always being put on the table. One of the most controversial “cures” is the use of ecstasy/MDMA. Since Parkinson's disease is the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain, it would make sense that ecstasy would help temporarily eliminate most, if not all, of the physical symptoms of Parkinson's. Obviously, ecstasy use is not only temporary but also dangerous. British film stuntman Tim Lawrence had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease when he was 34, his body alternating between stiffness and uncontrollable spasms, almost the only physical recreation Lawrence had left was going out with friends in London clubs. In one of the London clubs is where Tim Lawrence tried the illegal drug ecstasy, for the first time in years he was able to control his body, his spasms had disappeared. After believing it was some kind of freak accident or coincidence because Parkinson's disease is unpredictable, he tried again a few days later. Once again he had total control of his body and still didn't move. For a while he kept quiet about his revolutionary new discovery because ecstasy use is a criminal offence, but much later he saw a documentary about two researchers trying to understand why ecstasy has such an impact on ecstasy sufferers. Parkinson. He immediately stepped up and started helping in any way he could. Professor Alan R. Crossman and Dr. Jonathan M. Brotchie of the University of Manchester were the researchers with whom Tim Lawrence began working. Not long after they believe they can modify the drug to eliminate negative aspects such as brain cell death, memory loss and depression, while still allowing the good parts of the drug to work. This temporary "cure" is still very controversial and not fully understood. Many people say that ecstasy can help people with Parkinson's, but others also say that long-term use of ecstasy can actually cause Parkinson's disease. At John Hopkins University, George Ricaurte tested this theory on rat brains in 2002. He injected rats with three consecutive doses, just as all nightclub goers use the drug. A few weeks later Ricaurte examined the animal's brain and found evidence of severe damage to the neurons that produce dopamine. The damage to dopamine-producing neurons is exactly the same as the effect on the brain of Parkinson's disease. Ecstasy use caused the brain to produce excessive amounts of dopamine and certain "transporter" proteins, but after the drugs' effect wore off, the brain was deprived of both dopamine and some proteins. The.