ROMA (ITALPRESS) – Parkinson is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that mainly affects the motor system, but it can also involve cognitive and behavioral functions: at the biological level it manifests with the progressive degeneration of neurons that produce dopamine in a specific area of the brain, the nigra substantia; the dopamine deficiency compromises the regulation of movements. The main symptoms of Parkinson are resting tremors, muscle stiffness, slowness in movements and instability: in some cases there are also changes in sleep, depression, loss of smell and cognitive difficulty, especially in the most advanced stages. In Italy it is estimated that the disease affects about 250 thousand-300 thousand people, with an incidence that increases with age especially after sixty years: the causes are not yet entirely clear, in most cases it is forms related to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
“While Parkinson’s disease is still diagnosed on some motor symptoms, such as slowing down movements and stiffness, we really know that there are many other non-motor symptoms that create different problems to those who suffer from it: these symptoms are among the most varied, from the loss of smell to the disorders of the Rem phase of sleep; also patients can have problems of mood, depression, pain, stipsi” said Ioannis Isa Park.
Although Parkinson’s disease tends to rise in quite advanced age, particularly between 60 and 65 years, Isaias points out that “there are several patients who have a youth debut, even before forty years: these symptoms should not alarm, but it must be taken into account. Rem’s sleep for those who do not have Parkinson’s disease is something very relaxing, on the contrary, those who live it with great movements, sometimes even giving punches or kicks, or with great vocalizations.”.
Great progress has been made in understanding the disease: yet, explains the director of the Parkinson Centre of Pini, “we still have no conclusive answer: surely there are two factors that are genetic, which are prevalent in those youth forms, and environmental ones, which are equally important. There is a lot of research on Parkinson, mainly aimed at the study of a protein: we are about to start new projects and pharmacological studies with drugs that attack it, with the aim of slowing down the progression of the disease. In Italy studies talk about 300 thousand people who suffer from it, but they are certainly much more: in the last period the incidence has grown over 60-65 and is destined to increase. Ten years ago it would have been difficult to prevent Parkinson, but now we have two suggestions in particular: physical activity, which can also be done from home for half an hour a day, and nutrition, with the return to a Mediterranean diet. This is very important, in fact we have noticed a kind of association between a pre-diabete and Parkinson’s disease: so, even if the onset of the disease is not prevented, it moves forward 5-10 years. In cases such as that of Muhammad Alì we talk about Parkinson traumatic, in the specific pugilistic: the hits received may have given vascular damage that have affected those regions that produce dopamine”.
At Pini, he added, “we offer the possibility to bring directly into the intestine the most effective drug for Parkinson’s disease, i.e. levodopa, thanks to an infusion with pumps that are worn by the patient: this intervention can be subcutaneous or precisely in the intestine, where the drug is absorbed in order to stabilize its benefit; in this way they avoid sudden motor blocks or involuntary movements. The drugs are of great help in controlling symptoms: this means ensuring the patient the possibility to keep work, interests, hobbies active and in this way to act on aging.”.
Equally important, Isaias concludes, the advances of therapeutic character on “infusion therapies, neuromodulation, preventive strategies to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease: the important thing is to rely on specialist centers to immediately manage the various problems, to ensure patients an excellent quality of life”.
– photos taken from video Medicine Top –
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