Transcript Patient #4 - Parkinson*s Disease

Patient #4 - Parkinson’s Disease
By: Tori Smith and Satya Moolani
Scenario and Background
John, 55 years old, comes into your office with his wife, Rita. She is concerned
because she has seen some changes in her husband. She reports that at some
points he seems to be moving in slow motion. Getting dressed and ready to leave
the house in the morning seems to take longer every day. She has also noticed
that he often loses his balance and when he thinks she is not looking, he often
keeps a hand on the wall for support. John keeps relatively quiet and when asked,
claims nothing is wrong, but as he passes you his paperwork, you notice that his
hand is shaking. You look down at the paper and notice that his handwriting is so
tiny that it’s almost illegible.
Diagnosis
After understanding and reviewing the patient and his symptoms, we have came
to the conclusion that our patient has Parkinson’s Disease.
There is no particular test to make a definite diagnosis of Parkinson’s, such as
brain scan or blood work, doctors check patient’s medical history and perform
an exam to see if they have Parkinson’s.
The main purpose of this exam is to see if it is truly Parkinson’s, or if it is
another disease that imitates Parkinson's, such as stroke or hydrocephalus.
Area of Brain Affected and Communication Error
According to the patient’s symptoms - including slowed movements, shakiness,
and loss of balance - we diagnosed him with Parkinson’s Disease. This
diagnosis determines that nerve cell damage has occurred, causing
dopamine levels to drop.
This affects communication between the cerebellum and the brain stem.
Prognosis
There is no cure to Parkinson’s disease.
The goal of treatment is to control the symptoms.
Medications control symptoms, mostly by increasing the levels of dopamine in
the brain. During the day, the helpful effects of the medications can wear off,
causing the return of the symptoms.
John’s life expectancy might decrease with Parkinson’s disease.
Other symptoms that may occur later on include stiff muscles, difficulty rising
from a sitting position, and light headedness or fainting may occur.
Biomedical Career #1- Movement Disorder Specialist
A movement disorder specialist is a neurologist specializing in diseases that
affect how one moves. They will have more in-depth knowledge about the
disease, its symptoms, and how to treat it.
A movement disorder specialist will treat the patient by prescribing them antiParkinson medicine or recommending them further treatment, such a seeing
a physical therapist.
Biomedical Career #2 - Physical Therapist
A physical therapist can help John in many ways.
1. They can help set up a plan, outlining John’s goals and his planned
treatments.
2. Use exercises, hands-on therapy, and equipment to help John increase his
ability to move.
3. Educate John and Rita about what to expect with the recovery from the illness
and and how to cope and deal with that.