Causes And Treatment Of Parkinson s Disease - 1636 Words

Introduction Parkinsonism is a clinical syndrome associated with tremor, rigidity, akinesia, postural disturbances, so it is also known as TRAP syndrome. It involves a lesion of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system that, in some cases, it is induced by drugs and toxins. The principle cause of Parkinsonism is Parkinson’s disease, which affects mainly males than women (3:2) over 60 years and it is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder (after Alzheimer’s disease). It affects 0,1% people in general population and 1% of the population after 65 years. Other diseases such as multiple system atrophy, postencephalitic parkinsonism, progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration can be related to Parkinsonism.†¦show more content†¦They receive input information from the cortex and send information back to it. The circuits of the basal ganglia are connected with the corticospinal cerebellar system, with the the motor cortex, with the thalamus and with the premotor and supplemental motor association areas for movement control. In fact, when associated with the corticospinal system, the basal ganglia control complex patterns of motor activity such as writing a letter, cutting paper with scissors, vocalization and controlled movements of the eyes. The relations between this circuits are complex, but it has to be said that the caudate and the putamen send information back to the cortex by passing first at the ventrolateral and ventroanterior nuclei of the thalamus. One thing that is important to keep in mind about these circuits are the release of neurotransmitters. The image 1 summarizes it. Note the secretion of dopamine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in most parts of the brain, from the substantia nigra to the caudate nucleus and putamen. It’s also important to mention that GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a inhibitory neurotransmitter that provides loops of negative feedback within the central nervous system. Figure 1 - â₠¬Å"Neuronal pathways that secrete different types of neurotransmitter substances in the basal ganglia. Ach, acetylcholine; GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid† (found on reference 1,