What is the advantage of combining levodopa with carbidopa? What is the benefit of anticholinergic drugs in the management of Parkinson disease? Parkinson disease involves the destruction of the substantia nigra and the nigrostriatal pathway. Where are these structures anatomically?
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder that primarily damages the nervous function, leading to multiple problems such as changes in muscle control and gait. Levodopa and carbidopa combination belong to a group of medications known as dopaminergic agents, which are fundamental for Parkinson's patients (Ramaker et al., 2017). Levodopa is converted in the brain into the dopamine chemical, where dopamine helps reduce the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Some of the benefits of combining levodopa with carbidopa include the capacity of carbidopa to block the conversion of levodopa to dopamine in the bloodstream (Grimes et al., 2022). Carbidopas helps in reducing the side effects of levodopa that is caused by dopamine in the bloodstream. The other advantages of combining levodopa and carbidopa include minimizing the nausea and vomiting experiences, markedly reduces dosage sizes, plus lowers motor fluctuations and off-times (Ferbinteanu, 2022). Levodopa needs to be combined with carbidopa, as it helps alleviate other symptoms related to the disease it is acting against other dopamine agonists. Dopamine is crucial in communication and coordination between different parts of the brain in controlling the speed and cadence (Ebrahimi, 2022). All these advantages are the main reasons why carbidopa is combined with levodopa to control Parkinson's disease symptoms.
What is the benefit of anticholinergic drugs in the management of Parkinson's disease?
Anticholinergic drugs are crucial and fundamental in the management of Parkinson's disease (PD) as a medication used to help address the motor symptoms of the disease (Grosset, 2019). The main benefit of the anticholinergic drugs in the management of Parkinson disease includes helping reduce saliva, tremors, and drooling (Valentino & Koshy, 2022). The anticholinergic is administered to the patient to help slow the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The other advantages of the anticholinergic drug help improve bladder control and cognitive abilities (Grosset, 2019). This is helpful in the management of Parkinson's disease because when the patients' bladder is controlled, it reduces the frequent coughing that is experienced, and this is because of frequent intake of the anticholinergic drugs. Thus, the anticholinergic drugs would help reduce these symptoms, indicating that they can help the management of Parkinson's symptoms.
Parkinson's disease involves the destruction of the substantia nigra and the nigra-striatal pathway. Where are these structures anatomically located?
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On the other hand, the nigrostriatal pathway is a principal component of the dopaminergic system linking the substantia nigra compacta to the striatum nucleus in the forebrain (De Maat, 2018). The nigrostriatal pathway is mainly composed of the cell bodies of the substantia nigra compacta that produce dopamine, which sends their projections to the striatum. Striatum is a critical part of the outer shell, also referred to as the caudate nucleus and the outer pallidum.
Typically, the PD patient presents with a mask-like facial expression. Why do individuals with Parkinson's disease have a mask-like facial expression? How does the disease impact the mouth, laryngopharynx, and eyes?
This mask-like facial expression is scientifically referred to as hypomimia, which is a medical word used to depict facial immobility. This is an involuntary and complex emotion that entails multiple face-smoothing muscles and features in parkinsonian syndromes. Some parkinsonian traits, including mask-like hypomimia, may predict increased handicap and resources expenditure. The main cause of the mask-like facial expression among Parkinson's disease patients is a reduction in muscle control within the brow muscles, eyelids, plus mouth (Smith et al., 2019). It is important to note that Parkinson's disease (PD) limits the patient's emotions that the facial muscles can portray, and this is shown in this mask-like facial expression. In addition, the individual would have an unblinking stare, have limited facial movement, and problems speaking and eating. The reduction in muscle control within the laryngopharynx can lead to swallowing difficulties (Leow et al., 2019). The inability to swallow may increase the chances of aspiration pneumonia. Regarding the eyes, the Parkinson's disease impede the muscle control of the eyelids. This would lead to the patient having dry eyes, which increases the risk of ocular surface impairments. Therefore, it is observable that patients suffering from PD will have reduced blinking, facial expressions, and speech output.
Discuss some of the treatment options available for patients with Parkinson's d