...Instructor: Ty Little 11/23/2013 Parkinson’s disease can take a toll on the patient and the family members. This disease can make a person feel like there is no hope, but there is. There are many people out there; about 1 million Americans have been diagnosed. There is research happening every day to try and find a cure for this. In the 21st century it shows genetics are what causes this with 6 different genes but they have yet to pinpoint what causes. Nerve cells make an important chemical called dopamine. Dopamine sends signals to the part of your brain that controls movement. It lets your muscles move smoothly and do what you want them to do. There are four major signs that you may have Parkinson’s: Tremors, which means shaking or trembling. Tremor may affect your hands, arms, or legs. Stiff muscles. Slow movement. Problems with balance or walking. There are many factors in what can cause Parkinson’s; this is why there is such a hard search for a cure. According to the video, a person who shot up Heroin gave him instant Parkinson’s, it was tainted. It is hard to figure out how to cure since it can happen to people in different ways. There is a drug out there that many people with Parkinson are prescribed, this is called Sinement (Carbidopa/Levodopa) there is extended release and immediate release of this drug and has been shown to not cure but to help with the symptoms. Now they are doing stem cell research to help people they are cells that can be put back...
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...Disorder Paper LaTridia M. Chambers Psych/575 November 15, 2012 Dr. Fred Benner Disorder Paper One of the mostly commonly know neurological disorders within society today is Parkinson’s disease. It is classified as a neurodegenerative disorder (Healthwise, 2010). As of today there isn’t a known cure for Parkinson’s disease. Most patients are diagnosed after age of 60, but symptoms can begin much sooner. The most well-known case of this happening is the case of celebrity Michael J. Fox that was diagnosed at the age of 30 with Parkinson’s disease (MedicineNet, 2004). In order to understand treatment methods, it is essential to understand the history, causes, symptoms and pathology of Parkinson’s disease. The disease received its name from James Parkinson, an English doctor (Jankovic, 2008). Parkinson wrote a paper in 1817 entitled “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy.” In the essay, Parkinson reviewed the cases of 6 of his patients who exhibited symptoms of what is now known as Parkinson’s disease. The disease is complicated to explain. It is caused by a defect in nerve cells in the brain. In normal brains, nerve cells make dopamine. Dopamine in turn is the chemical that tells parts of the brain to send signals that control movement. The disease takes place because there is a deficiency of dopamine because of a defect with the nerve cells that create the chemical (Freed, 2001). Dopamine in a healthy brain travels between two areas of the brain: The Substantia Nigra...
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...disorders or illnesses that involve genetics, brain structure and behavior the most fascinating is Parkinson’s disease. In this paper the following information will be approached, what defines the illness of Parkinson’s disease, how Parkinson’s disease can change the structure of the brain and an individual’s behavior, what the current problems with diagnosing Parkinson’s disease are, what the current issues are with the preventive therapies related to Parkinson’s, what are the future therapies that may be used to diagnose and treat Parkinson’s. The last thing that will be discussed is any questions that are left to be answered about Parkinson’s that is to say what the scientific and medical field do not know about Parkinson’s. According to "Pubmed Health" (2013), “Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the brain that leads to shaking (tremors) and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination.” Also according to “Pubmed Health” (2013), “nerve cells use a brain chemical called dopamine to help control muscle movement. Parkinson's disease occurs when the nerve cells in the brain that make dopamine are slowly destroyed. Without dopamine, the nerve cells in that part of the brain cannot properly send messages. This leads to the loss of muscle function. The damage gets worse with time. Exactly why these brain cells waste away is unknown.” There are several symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and they are blinking slowly, constipation, difficulty swallowing, drooling, problems with balance...
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...Drug Information Paper: Levodopa/Carbidopa: Sinemet Kristin Curcione Daemen College This drug information report will explore in detail the medication Levodopa. Levodopa is the most effective drug for the symptomatic treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Levodopa works when it is absorbed in the blood from the small intestine and travels through blood to the brain where it is converted to dopamine (Parkkinen, O'Sullivan, Kuoppamäki, et al., 2011). It is intended for the purpose of treating chronic neurodegenerative diseases. It is primarily used in neurology practice for patients who are experiencing idiopathic Lewy body degenerative disease of the central nervous system. This paper will also discuss use of Carbidopa as it is used...
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...effects. II. For centuries the use of caffeine has been a subject of controversy. Many researchers have blamed caffeine for potential health harms. But is it true? Can caffeine have more negative effects on you rather than positive effects? III. I am here today to discuss why I think caffeine should be included in your everyday diet. I am going to tell you what exactly caffeine is, its negative effects, and the curative effects of caffeine and how it can improve your overall health. I. What is Caffeine? A. According to the University of Michigan Caffeine is possibly the most popular and widely used drug. 1. It is considered a drug because it stimulates the central nervous system. a. Stimulates the central nervous system, the brain and spinal cord. 2. Once the central nervous system is relax b. People may experience an increase in alertness, improvement in mood and a temporary boost of energy. II. What are the negative side effects of caffeine? A. Caffeine blocks adenosine a chemical that tells your body to shut off when you tired. Caffeine overdose can lead to the following side effects: a. dizziness, hypoglycemia, fruit-like breath odor, troubled breathing, muscle tremors, nausea, diarrhea, increased urine, ketones in urine, drowsiness, thirst, anxiety, confusion, irritability, insomnia, changes in appetite, dry mouth, and blurred vision. b. caffeine may increase:...
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...been eight states since 1996 that have approved the medical use of marijuana. Although there are some people who simply dismiss the idea of medical marijuana as a subterfuge enabling liberalization, which they are afraid that there is a small chance that it will spread the plague of drug abuse. Having marijuana legalized could legitimate the drug as both safe and effective . Marijuana's industrial, medical, and recreational uses has definitely played an important role in regards to increasing its fame, there are even some presidential candidates that have even acknowledged the fact that they have even smoked marijuana before. Marijuana is an extremely safe drug simply because of its primary active ingredients THC along with other cannabinoids produce psychoactive effects and there is no fatal dose at all. However, there are other psychoactive drugs like alcohol, opiates, nicotine, and caffeine that can have fatal overdoses. This is why marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest, therapeutically active substance that is known to mankind. Although, there are some people who may feel morally violated in regards to legalizing marijuana and doing drugs may be a victimless crime but it is still viewed in a negative fashion by some people. But the utilitarianism thing to do would be to legalize marijuana because it will give a better outcome for the largest amount of people by helping to create jobs, helping to bring more economy to the government, and helping with medicinal...
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...individuals, and your race, culture, ethnicity, or background has no effect on whether you will develop this disease. Schizophrenia usually begins in adolescence or early adulthood, there are rare cases that it starts after this point. “The symptoms and treatment for schizophrenia are difficult to define.” (Heinrichs,2005; Krueger and Markon, 2006) Some of the following are common symptoms, not all of them appear in each person who is diagnosed. The symptoms are so random and rare that if a symptom appears more than once in a month, then you have grounds to determine that the subject has schizophrenia. (Tamminga and Holcomb, 2005; Walker et al, 2004): Delusions- Feeling as if there is someone or some other force controlling you, you feel as if someone is trying to persecute you, and a positive of the delusional group is feeling grandeaur. Inappropriate Effect- Not being able to give off the correct or thought to be correct amount of emotion to a positive or a negative situation. Hallucinations- Hearing voices that are not actually there, the voices telling you what to do or how awful of a person you are. Incoherent thought- Not thinking logically, belief in supernatural forces. Odd behavior- Being catatonic, lack of personal hygiene, constant talking in rhymes, echolalia, none or avoiding social interaction. Drugs The first ever antischizophrenic drug was an accidental discovery. Chlorpromazine was developed as an antihistamine, but after a surgeon noticed...
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...day; however, people do not know what goes into making these products suitable for human use. These products have to be safe for humans to use so researchers have decided that testing products on animals is the best way, but that is the worst way. Millions of animals die everyday from testing cosmetic products. In fact, testing a single ingredient for deodorant can easily cause the death of 1,400 animals (Manila Times). Scientists need to put an end to animal...
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...Drug use in today’s world is exposed all around us. It is shown on TV, in newspapers and all over social media. Drug use has become a trend that to most people is seen as ‘cool’ whilst many drug users are unaware of the detrimental and irreversible effects that drugs can have on ones health. Young people are increasingly taking drugs in socials settings in an attempt to enjoy the party more and ignoring the possible risks involved. A drug is a chemical substance that has known biological effects on humans. Recreational drug use has always been a dilemma facing our society. Recreational drug use is the use of psychoactive substances to have fun, for the experience. Recreational drugs affect the central nervous system, such as depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens. Irresponsible and illegal use of drugs can result in physical and mental addictions causing long term damage to ones bodily function and health for example, drug use interferes with the functioning of ones brain function as well as disrupt the natural functioning cycles of all vital organs in ones body. Depressants are drugs that slow down the functions of the central nervous system. It cause the user to feel more relaxed when it is used in small quantities, although when used in larger quantities...
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..."Embryonic stem cells...are in effect, a human self-repair kit," (Christopher Reeve, activist – Larry King show). For the advancement of science, stem cells are infinitely valuable, especially when considering all the potential applications in the field of medicine. Stem cells usage is a very controversial topic, because most people think of abortions, cloning, and other negative topics when they here the term stem cells. However I think those thoughts are because they don't understand what a stem cell is, where it comes from, or its monumental possibilities that could greatly benefit the medical field. In today’s medical world there is so much that can be done with stem cells whether it is generating new organs or saving an individual with terminal disease? There are already demonstrations of Stem cells possibilities, because treatment with stem cells has already begun. They have been taken from umbilical cords and become healthy red cells used to cure sickle-cell anemia. Stem cell therapy is also being used against certain types of cancer. Stem Cells are valuable due to the fact that they are non-designated and they have the ability to divide and multiply indefinitely. Thus, theoretically stem cells could fix and even replace any damaged or lost specific cells within a body. They are easily found in early embryos, but their numbers variety for development seems to become less in the adult stem cells. The information above is only what we know right now, but that's just the...
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...Marijuana is illegal because people say it’s a bad drug and it can kill you. There has NEVER been a case of someone dying because of marijuana. Honestly, marijuana is a miracle drug waiting to happen. Let me show you why. Marijuana is a miracle waiting to happen because it can help our bodies recover quicker, and it can cure some diseases. I think marijuana should be legal because it can be used as medical marijuana, it can be used as a stress reliever for patients going through a rough time, and it can loosen up tight muscles for people such as athletes. Marijuana has been known to help with cancer, also known as medical marijuana. Doctors say they can’t find a cure to cancer, but marijuana helps stop it! So why not take marijuana, investigate it, and add on to it to find the cure to cancer! Marijuana can also be used to treat Glaucoma, it can also help reverse the carcinogenic effects of tobacco and improve lung health, it can help control epileptic seizures, it can also decrease the symptoms of Dravet’s syndrome....
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...Edexcel GCE Biology Advanced Unit 5: Energy, Exercise and Coordination June 2010 Scientific Article for use with Question 7 Do not return the Insert with the question paper. Paper Reference 6BI05/01 Turn over N37096A ©2010 Edexcel Limited. 1/1/1/1/1/ *N37096A* Scientific Article for use with Question 7 It’s All in the Mind The link between the brain as a physical organ and what we feel in our conscious mind has long been the subject of research, particularly where we appear to be unable to control aspects of mood or behaviour and where normal life is affected. Stress, pain and depression can be explained in terms of nerve impulses and brain chemistry, and the causes of Parkinson’s disease are well understood, but finding reliable ways of correcting problems has proved elusive. Understanding more about how the brain works may well lead to new methods for treating such problems. Dancing Worms and Deep Depression In a laboratory in Germany, a tiny worm dances to flashes of light. A flash of yellow and it darts forward. A flash of blue and it jerks back. Yellow, forward, blue, back – right on cue every time. The worm is not a toy or a robot but a living creature. It has been engineered so that its nerves and muscles can be controlled with light. With each flash of blue its neurons fire electric pulses, causing the muscles they control to clench. A flash of yellow stops the nerves firing, relaxing the worm’s muscles and lengthening its body once again. The worm is in the vanguard...
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...cause undesirable effects. Some health benefits of caffeine are reduced risks of Parkinson's disease, a lower risk of developing gallstones, improved mental performance, physical performance, a reduced time of headzches, and improved heart health. Caffeine is full of sugar so for people with diabetes it can cause the disease to be much worse for that person. Caffeine has a negative effect on sleep, you should not drink coffee late at night then try and go to sleep. It can have a negative effect on your bone density, which gets worse with age and maked it that much easier for broken bones. 2. Drinking coffee but, not over doing it can prevent some cardiovascular problems. It always helps with inflammation which of course helps to prevent certain heart related illness. Most people don't realize that coffee is actually good for the body and for our heart's because, coffee contains antioxidants. Coffee can also help burn fat and improve physical performance. The reason you find caffeine in commercial fat burning supplements is due to it's stimulant effect on the central nervous system, both raises metabolism and increases the oxidation of fatty acids. Caffeine can also improve athletic performance by several mechanisms, including by mobilizing fatty acids from the fat tissues. Caffeine was found to increase exercise performance by 11-12 percent on average but, caffeine is also considered a drug and too much can become addictive and you can become dependent. 3. In the one...
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...of this research can lead to new, more effective treatments for human ailments. Stem cell therapy has alleviated the suffering of thousands of people. Unused stem cells are being discarded instead of being used for research. (“Frequently asked questions.” 3) Stem cells are quite resourceful. They can easily be taken from our own bodies and stored just like blood. During radiation or chemotherapy, white and red blood cells can get damaged. These affected cells can easily be replaced with healthy stem cells that adapt. (Pros and cons of stem cell research, 1)The biggest debate about this topic isn’t about whether stem cells work, but who’s going to pay for the research. It’s not a matter of pro-life or pro-choice, it’s pro-science. If my family had the finances for stem cell therapy, we would have made sure that my grandmother was in as little as pain as possible when she was diagnosed with myeloma. No matter what type of injury or disease, cells can easily be replaced with healthy stem cells. (Pros and cons of stem cell research, 1) Stem cells are their own navigators in the body. When an area is affected by any type of disease or injury, they know exactly what to do. Stem cells have capability of growing into almost any type of cell. (Pros and cons of stem cell research, 1)Stem cells can be used in aiding those with Parkinson’s disease for the pain, they can be used in face lifts to...
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...Assignment Week 8 Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases, and Drugs Christina Schwartz Schizophrenia disorder is a serious mental disorder that is easily misdiagnosed with other disorders that have similar symptoms. These symptoms usually occur around early adolescent ages and continue into adulthood. The symptoms of this disorder include hallucinations, delusions, goal directed behavior, and emotional expressions. (Andreasen, 1995) The symptoms can also be categorized into positive and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms are those that represent an excess or distortion of normal function, whereas negative symptoms are those that make reduce the ability to function normally. An example of a positive symptom would be not having the ability to react with the proper emotion to positive or negative events. An example of a negative symptom would be the loss of motivation, or being unable to experience pleasure. (Pinel, 2011) Statistics show that although only 1% of American’s are diagnosed with the disorder it is shown that that chances of inheriting the disorder rise in twins (identical) and even in an adopted child who is brought into a healthy family atmosphere shortly after birth. The belief according to (Pinel, 2011) is that some people inherit the potential for schizophrenia however; experiences may or may not activate it. Chlorpromazine is the first medication that was prescribed to those with schizophrenia disorder. The medication was actually found by complete...
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