Case StudyFour years ago, my grandfather usually got headache and felt painful in his body. He used aspirin and different pain relief medications to reduce his symptom. However, the drugs did

not work well, so he came to see his doctor. After having general tests, the doctor did not find the reason that lead to

his symptom. He gave my parents different medicines to reduce his problem. He kept using these drugs more than a

year until one day, he found that he had difficult to hold something with his hands and started to forgot things. He

came to his doctor again and his doctor said he had Parkinson’s disease. When my grandparent heard the new, he

was surprising because he had a healthy life style.

What is Parkinson’s disease?

• Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition that typically causes stiffness in movement.

• It occurs in people over the age of 60 years and increases as we age.

• It is relative to family history

Parkinson’s disease• There are seven genes that cause Parkinson’s disease. All of

them are mutation genes. But the genes: SNCA-PARK1, UCHL1-PARK5, LRRK2-PARK 8 and another mapped gene PARK 3 are dominant inheritance in families.

• Genetic material, which is also know as gene, is stored in the center of every cells in our bodies. Genes carry the information the body needs to make proteins, which are important substance for human life and growth.

• We have thousands of genes. Genes are made up of DNA . Each chromosome contains many genes.

• DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is hereditary material in humans and all other organisms. Most DNA is located in the nucleus of the cells.

• The information in DNA is stored at four chemical bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C ) an thymine (T).

• DNA bases pair up with each other by hydrogen bonds. A with T and C with G. Each base is attached to a sugar molecule and a phosphate molecule.

• A base, sugar and phosphate are made of nucleotide. Nucleotides are arranged in two long strands that form a spiral called double helix.

• DNA is a double helix formed by base pairs attached o sugar-phosphate backbone. DNA can replicate or make copies of itself. This is the way that DNA can pass information to a new cell.

DNA

Parkinson’s disease and the impacts

What tests did the doctor use to my grandfather to determine Parkinson’s disease?

• There is no specific test to diagnose Parkinson’s disease.

• Genetic testing has recently become available for determining Parkinson’s disease at early age. However, the testing is not common because the Parkinson's gene is large and difficult to test.

• PET Scan, CT Scan and MRI are used for the patients with Parkinson’s disease. PET Scan is used to assess activity and function of brain regions involved in movement. CT is used to look for signs of disease like Parkinson’s in the body. MRI is used to produce clear images of human body without the use of X-rays.

What are mediations to treat Parkison’s disease?

• Parkinson’ disease can’t be cured, but mediations can help patient control their symptoms.

• People with Parkinson’s disease have low brain dopamine concentration. The mediations would increase dopamine.

• Dopamine is a specific signaling chemical in the brain. It cannot be given directly, as it can’t enter to the brain.

• Dopamin is monoamine because it has one amine group. It is neurotransmitters and is also a hormone.

• Carbidopa-levidopa is the most effective Parkinson’s disease medication. It is a natural chemical that passes to the brain and is converted to dopamine via an enzyme known as aromatic amino acid decarboxylase.

• Another mediations are MAO-B inhibitors, catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors… They prevent the breakdown of dopamine in brain.

Reference• What is a gene? - Genetics Home Reference. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2016, from https://

ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/basics/gene

• What is DNA? - Genetics Home Reference. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2016, from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/basics/dna

• H. (2015). What is Parkinsons Disease [infographic] - Infographics - Data Visualization. Retrieved

December 11, 2016, from http://www.infographicspedia.com/what-is-parkinsons-disease-infographic/

• Medicines in Development for Parkinson's Disease 2014. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2016, from

http://www.phrma.org/report/medicines-in-development-for-parkinson-s-disease-20141

• Learning About Parkinson's Disease. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2016, from https://www.genome.gov/10001217/learning-about-parkinsons-disease/

• Back to Basics 4: Dopamine! (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://scicurious.scientopia.org/2010/08/26/back-to-basics-4-dopamine/