Per Wikipedia, Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease result from the death of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain; the cause of this cell death is unknown. Early in the course of the disease, the most obvious symptoms are movement-related; these include shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait. Later, cognitive and behavioural problems may arise, with dementia commonly occurring in the advanced stages of the disease. Other symptoms include sensory, sleep and emotional problems. By the time the first visible symptom of PD occurs, 80% of the brain cells in question (dopamine generating cells) have already died. Currently, there is no known cure for PD.
What is Dopamine? (Psychology Today)
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, and it enables us not only to see rewards, but to take action to move toward them.
Depression is one of the most common symptoms of PD.
Below, a long but highly informative lecture on depression by Dr. Robert Sapolsky:
No comments:
Post a Comment