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Santhrani Thaakur

PARKINSON’S DISEASE





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CONTENTS

  1. INTROCUTION
  2. TYPES OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE
  3. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE
  4. TREATMENT OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE
  5. ANIMALS MODELS OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE
  6. REFERENCES

1. INTROCUTION

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease, affecting 1% and 2% of the population over the age of 65 and 80 respectively (Walker and Edwards, 2003).

The main pathological mechanism of this disease is damage to dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) resulting in a specific dys-organisation of the complicated basal ganglia circuits. These neurons are required for appropriate motor function, and their loss is associated with symptoms, such as tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability. The abnormal lewy bodies formation, oxidative stress, inhibition of mitochondrial complex-1 are identified as the primary mechanism involved in the development of Parkinson’s disease. It is not clear why Lewy body formation causes neuronal cell death. These pathological changes are seen in the locus coeruleus and autonomic and postganglionic neurons, pedunculopontine nucleus, raphe nucleus, and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagal nerve.

The dopamine depletion theory was confirmed by post mortem biochemical studies on PD patients showing decreased levels of dopamine and its metabolites in the nucleus caudatus, putamen, nucleus accumbens, substantia nigra and globus. (Horny, 2006). Parkinsonian symptoms occur under wide variety of conditions (Gybels, 1994) as in post encephalitic Parkinsonism and certain drugs also produce Parkinsonian symptoms such as DA receptor blocking agents used in the treatment of Schizophrenia (Robert et al., 1997)

L-dopa is the most efficacious antiparkinsonian drug and virtually all patients respond to its administration. However, a major limitation to the chronic use of L-dopa is the development of motor complications such as motor fluctuations and dyskinesia (Lang & Lozano, 1998). Parkinson’s disease is mainly connected to excessive oxidative stress that damages brain areas and triggers the process of neurodegeneration, especially in the nigrostriatal region. This process is crucial breakpoint for controlling the disease.