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Date of Award
Spring 2022
Degree Name
Master of Medical Science (Physician Assistant)
Department
Physician Assistant; College of Health Sciences
First Advisor
Kimberly Erikson MSPAS, PA-C
Abstract
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurocognitive disease that has an insidious and progressive nature. The disease is characterized by the classic, pill-rolling tremor, bradykinesia, cogwheel-like rigidity, and shuffling gait. The pathophysiology of PD is rooted in the depletion of the neurotransmitter dopamine and proliferation of Lewy bodies. There is no current treatment that will cure PD. Current treatments like Levodopa-Carbidopa, aim for symptomatic control with the goal of increasing a patient’s quality of life. Patients will require more support and depend on others for care as their motor, autonomic, memory, and psychiatric function progressively and inevitably declines.
Recommended Citation
Dasca, Alyssa, "Parkinson’s Disease: An Updated Approach to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Adjunct Care" (2022). Capstone Showcase. 42.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2022/pa/42
Parkinson’s Disease: An Updated Approach to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Adjunct Care
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurocognitive disease that has an insidious and progressive nature. The disease is characterized by the classic, pill-rolling tremor, bradykinesia, cogwheel-like rigidity, and shuffling gait. The pathophysiology of PD is rooted in the depletion of the neurotransmitter dopamine and proliferation of Lewy bodies. There is no current treatment that will cure PD. Current treatments like Levodopa-Carbidopa, aim for symptomatic control with the goal of increasing a patient’s quality of life. Patients will require more support and depend on others for care as their motor, autonomic, memory, and psychiatric function progressively and inevitably declines.