Research Proposal by Cadence Mclin
Parkinson’s Disease is known for the four cardinal signs being tremors, bradykinesia, rigidity, & postural instability. The disease is defined as the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra area of the brain, which causes an overall decrease in dopamine (Armstrong & Okun, 2020). Many Parkinson’s patients, specifically newly diagnosed, do not have an in-depth understanding of Parkinson’s symptoms, physical manifestations, and why treatment is ever-changing. While Parkinson’s is commonly seen in the United States, treatment and symptom management can differ from patient to patient. Armstrong & Okun established how each neurotransmitter is affected by specific drugs used in treatment and management. For example, since the brain lacks Dopamine, the Levodopa/Carbidopa medication is often used as a dopamine agonist; agonists mimic the body’s natural response. Levodopa/Carbidopa aids in the motor impairment and function seen in Parkinson’s patients, i.e., tremors and muscle rigidity (Armstrong & Okun, 2020). Uncovering the signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s and understanding symptom management and treatment is crucial for patient success.
Parkinson’s is known to be a highly complicated and diverse disease because each person experiences it differently. For example, each person can have different psychosocial symptoms such as dementia, hallucinations, and most commonly depression. Depression is an unfortunate adverse effect to Parkinson’s because not only is this detrimental on the patient, it is overwhelming for the caregivers, family, and friends of the patient. Identifying this altered mental status as soon as it develops is important to help begin to manage it appropriately. Allowing depression to become untreated will likely lead to a dangerous situation for the patient to be in.
The sex and age of the individual will drastically change the treatment course and outcomes as well. Men twice are more likely to develop Parkinson’s, however women can develop it as well (Cerri, et.al., 2019). Women with Parkinson’s have their own unique challenges and experiences with symptom management because often women’s needs are more overlooked than men’s because of the cultural upbringing women have faced for hundreds of years. They are traditionally the “caretaker” of the home and tending to their sick husbands, so when women are sick, they are less likely to have the same level of care as a male due to the natural tendency (Cerri, et.al., 2019). The characteristics of the two sexes will show different progressions and developments of motor symptoms in men vs women. Women often experience later symptom development.