The Psychological Toll of Parkinson`s Disease

Approximately four million people in the world suffers from Parkinson 's disease (Parkinson 's Disease Society , 2007 , a slowly progressive dis of the central nervous system that affects movements like walking , talking , and writing , muscle control , and balance (Medifocus 2007 Parkinson 's Disease Society , 2007 . This disease is named after HYPERLINK "http /www .parkinsons .org .uk /about_parkinsons /dr_james_parkinson_1755-1 824 .aspx " Dr . James Parkinson , the doctor who first identified it as a specific condition (Parkinson 's Disease Society , 2007

Parkinson 's occurs as result of a loss or destruction of nerve cells in

br the brain stem known as substantia nigra . These cells are the ones responsible for producing dopamine , the chemical that allows messages to be sent to the parts of the brain that coordinate movement . Because of reduction in the number of dopamine-producing cells , these parts of the brain fail to function normally (Parkinson 's Disease Society , 2007

Possible Causes

The exact reason behind the loss of dopamine in people 's brain is still unknown . However , researchers believe that environmental and genetic factors play important roles in the cause of Parkinson 's disease . The mutation of nine genes has been linked to the rare inherited form of Parkinson 's . One of these genes is parkin , which is most commonly associated with the familial form of Parkinson 's (Parkinson 's Disease Society , 2007

Meanwhile , there is also evidence pointing to environmental factors such as toxins , as the ones causing dopamine-producing cells to die leading to the onset of Parkinson 's . Some studies also link the use of herbicides and pesticides to the development of the disease . But further researches are yet to find the real causes of Parkinson 's (Parkinson 's Disease Society , 2007

Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms of Parkinson 's are classified into motor and non-motor . Motor symptoms include tremor that usually begins with one hand , bradykinesia or slowness of movement , and stiffness or rigidity of muscles . Non-motor symptoms include sleep disturbances , constipation , urinary depression (Parkinson 's Disease Society , 2007

Effects to the Person

Parkinson 's is a very individual condition , with each person experiencing different symptoms (Parkinson 's Disease Society , 2007 that is why patients with this disease experience a lot of problems

Depression , which is a non-motor symptom , is a common psychological effect of Parkinson 's and can occur at any stage of the disease . This depression is caused by the chemical changes in the brain . Depression is also triggered by the knowledge that one has the condition and that this affects his /her lifestyle (Parkinson 's Disease Society , 2007

Moreover , depression increases the physical effects that a person with Parkinson 's experiences and may even cause a progression of the condition (Haines , 2005 . Among these physical effects are low mood or self-esteem , lack of interest in or pleasure from usual activities or interests , restlessness and fatigue , difficulty in sleeping , changes in appetite , and thoughts on death (Parkinson 's Disease Society , 2007 Haines , 2005

These physical effects , in turn , produce more psychological issues for the person suffering from...