Parkinson's Disease Research Paper

In the past century, scientific research and technological advancement has lead to the development of treatments and cures for many human diseases. However, one mystery that scientists have yet to solve is Parkinson’s disease. Approximately 7 to 10 million people are living with Parkinson’s disease worldwide (“Immune”), and about 60, 000 Americans are diagnosed with this disease every year (“Parkinson’s Disease National”). Parkinson’s disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder that affects movements of the human body. Symptoms typically appear at the age of 60 (“Reference”). These symptoms may vary between individuals, but symptoms often begin with a conspicuous tremor in one hand, a lack of facial expression, and a softening of …show more content…
These toxins include herbicides and pesticides like organochlorines and rotenone (“Pesticide”). Further, men are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease due to a greater exposure to toxins than women (“Parkinson’s Disease - Risk Factors”).
Unfortunately, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. However, there are a multitude of medications, surgeries, and physical therapies to help treat the disease. Medications are usually used to control the symptoms, and surgeries can be used in the later stages of the disease.
In terms of medications, Carbidopa-Levodopa is the most effective (“Parkinson's Disease – Treatments”). Levodopa is a chemical that is passed to the brain and is converted to dopamine. People usually combine Levodopa and Carbidopa together to prevent early conversion of dopamine outside of the brain. These medications are especially useful for treating Parkinson’s tremors in the early stage of the disease (“National”). Despite this, the medicine has many side effects, including nausea and dizzy (“Parkinson's Disease – Treatments”). Other medications include “Dopamine agonists”, “MAO-B Inhibitors”, “Anticholinergic”, and “Amantadine”, which all work on the dopamine system (“Parkinson's Disease – …show more content…
For example, in Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), doctors implant electrodes into a specific part of the brain. These electrodes are connected with a generator that is implanted in the chest. By sending electrical pulses to the brain, DBS can control some of the side effects of levodopa. Despite this, DBS doesn’t prevent the disease from progressing. Surgery also has other risks including infections, stroke, and brain damage (“Parkinson's Disease – Treatments”).
Lastly, lifestyle changes and some physical therapies, like aerobic exercise, can help to improve balance, mobility, and flexibility of muscles.
While, many of these therapies provide relief from the symptoms of Parkinson’s, a cure for the disease remains elusive. Today, research is aimed towards finding treatments with fewer side effects. A research team in Georgetown University Medical Center has found out that the Leukemia drug, Nitotinib, can also treat Parkinson’s disease (“Zillman”). They’ve tested it with 11 people with PD. After treatment, one patient bound to a wheelchair was able to walk again, and 3 patients who could not speak were able to talk again. The research group is currently planning to do a larger clinical trial in

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