Parkinson's Disease Case Study

Parkinson’s Disease

by: Justin Freolo, Valerie Apelin, Jackie Agyemang, Megan Samaroo, Thelma Olobo, Michelle Bagasbas

Background

John, a 55 year old man, comes in the office with his wife, Rita. His wife is concerned about some changes in her husband. She reports that sometimes he seems to be moving in slow motion while doing daily routines such as getting dressed, and leaving the house. She has also noticed that John loses his balance quite often, and claims there’s nothing wrong with him despite keeping his hand on the wall for support. Finally, Rita has observed that her husband has unsteady hands and his handwriting has become small and almost illegible.

Symptoms of Patient

55 year old man

Slow movements-getting slower and slower everyday

Loss of balance-need support

Shakiness/Shaky hands;

handwriting illegible
Won't confide in close members of family, like his wife
Areas of the brain affected
Midbrain- white matter
Death of dopamine producing cells (substantia nigra)
Basal Ganglia: nerve cells that control movement becomes either undersaturated or oversaturated (causes the motion rigidity)
Evidence
John, is a 55 year old man.

He comes into the office with his wife, who explains that she has been concerned since seeing some changes happening to her husband. John has been moving in slow motion, takes longer to get ready in the morning, loses his balance, and needs to put his hand on the wall for support. John is reluctant to admit that anything is wrong, but it is noticed that his hand is shaking and his handwriting is almost illegible.

These pieces of evidence led to the conclusion of John having Parkinson’s Disease. The fact that he is an old man, who has difficulty with motor movement, tremors in his hand, and has almost illegible writing led to the diagnosis of Parkinson’s, which includes these symptoms.

Diagnosis

Parkinson's disease may reduce your ability to move and slow your movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming.

A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers.

Your posture may become stooped, or you may have balance problems as a result of Parkinson's disease.

It may become hard to write, and your writing may appear small.

Amnesia/Dementia

Distorted or loss of sense of smell

Anxiety or apathy,

Depression
Prognosis
Parkinson’s disease is not a fatal illness, you die with it, not from it. However, it is a degenerative disorder that damages the brain cells as you grow older. The disease does worsen on an average of 15 years which John can die from, but John is not alone.
John must not stress about having Parkinson’s --- stress worsens the disease.
Exercise
He should learn more about Parkinson’s rather than getting scared by it
Be aware of new-found symptoms and immediately tell your doctor
Live life to the fullest (YOLO)
Visuals to show the “break in communication”
Treatment options
Amantadine-helps to release dopamine
Other treatments: Benztropine, Bromocriptine (Parlodel ), Selegiline (Eldepryl), Cabergoline, Carbidopa​/​levodopa, Rivastigmine (Exelon), Ropinirole (Requip), Entacapone (Comtan), Tolcapone (Tasmar), Pramipexole (Mirapex), Rotigotine through the skin, Rasagiline (Azilect)
Biomedical Profession
Neurologist - Treats nervous system disorders.
Education/Training:
year long internship
3 year residency in neurology
undergraduate
4yrs med school
M.D degree
Responsibilities:
diagnosing and identifying the brain, cns disorders, and diseases
develop a treatment for patient with identified disorder
D.O.S: The Duties of a Neurologist. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2015, from http://work.chron.com/duties-neurologist-12344.html
Physician - Prevents, diagnoses, and treats diseases.
Education/Training:
bachelor's degree in biology/pre-med
completion of residency
M.D degree, 4 yrs
Responsibilities:
prevent, treat, and diagnose injuries and illness in patients
counsel patients with their health
examining patients and prescribing medicines
D.O.S: Physician Education and Degree Program Requirements. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2015, from http://study.com/physician_education.html