Index
- Recognizing and understanding the motor signs of Parkinson's disease
- The three most characteristic motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease
- Stiffness of movement
- The tremor
- The slowness of movement
- Other motor disorders
- The three most characteristic motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease
Recognizing and understanding the motor signs of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a fairly common disease among senior citizens. Like Alzheimer's disease, it is a neurodegenerative disease. As such, it is caused by the destruction of dopaminergic neurons. As this destruction is progressive, the disease also takes time to take hold. Unfortunately, the first symptoms only occur when a large part of the dopamine neurons is destroyed. Moreover, there is currently no curative treatment for this condition. The medication taken simply relieves the symptoms. This neurodegenerative pathology is characterized by very characteristic motor symptoms. In what follows, the motor manifestations of this disease will be reviewed.
The three most characteristic motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is more common from the age of 65. It affects both women and men. The lesions that cause this disease mainly concern the dopamine neurons of the brain's dark matter. The role of these neurons is to produce dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the nervous system. It is mainly involved in the control of movement. This is why the motor signs of Parkinson's disease appear.
Stiffness of movement
Rigidity of movement is a common sign in Parkinson's disease. It is the result of a high degree of tension in the muscles. This can cause cramps and pain in the tendons. This symptom is also known as hypertonia. Its effects are felt and observed when the patient is at rest. His posture is, indeed, very tense and hunched forward. He also has his head down. All the muscles of the body are affected by this rigidity. However, it is those located along the spine that are most affected. In any case, the feet and hands can also be affected by this stiffness. It should be remembered that this stiffness is very sensitive to the emotional state of the patient. Thus, when the patient is under stress, the stiffness of movements increases.
Relieving the stiffness associated with Parkinson's disease requires the skills of a physiotherapist. Also, a consultation with a neurologist can also help you find solutions to relieve muscular problems.
The tremor
This is the most well known motor sign of Parkinson's disease. The tremor in question only occurs during rest. This means that when the affected limb is not involved in a movement, it starts to shake. Most of the time, this symptom affects only one side of the body. It usually begins in the upper limbs such as the wrist and hand. Specific treatments can correct this type of symptom. However, the tremor may resurface when the patient is overwhelmed by emotion. It should be noted here that although tremors are the most common signs known to the general public, not all Parkinson's patients may be affected. According to statistics, only 64% of patients suffer from this motor symptom.
The slowness of movement
Also known as akinesia, slowness of movement is one of the most common motor signs of this disease. The patient has difficulty initiating certain complex movements. This is the case for movements requiring coordination of various limbs. The sick person then feels numbness, blockage and fatigue in relation to the inability to perform certain gestures. This slowness of movement is linked to other symptoms that are very typical of Parkinson's disease. Such is the case of the loss of the swaying of an arm and the micrography. The first corresponds to the inability to swing one's arm automatically while walking. As for the micrograph, it corresponds to a writing that shrinks considerably.
Other motor disorders
Apart from the three major motor signs of Parkinson's disease mentioned above, other motor disorders are also specific to this neurodegenerative disease. More information about them is provided below.
- Disturbance of balance - loss of balance is a motor sign that is often seen in patients with Parkinson's disease. It often leads to a Often, these falls are related to difficulty controlling one's posture. Physiotherapy can help the patient avoid them.
- Swallowing problems - more than 50% of patients have swallowing problems. This difficulty in swallowing mainly concerns patients who have reached the advanced stage of the This is caused by the slowing down of all automatic movements. At this stage, the patient must be helped by cutting food finely. In any case, speech therapy can help the patient to promote the closure of the larynx and reduce swallowing difficulties.
- Trampling - also known as freezing, trampling is a motor sign that characterizes Parkinson's disease. It corresponds to a dragging leg that alternates with periods of trampling and phases of fairly brutal acceleration of walking.
