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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

Sophie Farley MMS, PA-C

Abstract

Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive movement disorder characterized by the degeneration of dopamine producing neurons in the substantia nigra. The loss of these neurons results in the characteristic symptoms of PD such as tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, shuffling gait, and postural instability among others. While these are perhaps the better-known symptoms of PD, patients with the condition often present with autonomic dysfunction years prior to the diagnosis. The precise etiology of PD has long been elusive, however, recent research has re-examined the possibility of microbes underpinning the development of the disease. If microbial infection could account for an origin of PD, it may also explain the early, non-neurological symptoms of the disease.

Additional Files

Poster Presentation Template.pptx (1001 kB)

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Parkinson’s Disease: Exploration of Microbial Origins and the Future of Treatment

Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive movement disorder characterized by the degeneration of dopamine producing neurons in the substantia nigra. The loss of these neurons results in the characteristic symptoms of PD such as tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, shuffling gait, and postural instability among others. While these are perhaps the better-known symptoms of PD, patients with the condition often present with autonomic dysfunction years prior to the diagnosis. The precise etiology of PD has long been elusive, however, recent research has re-examined the possibility of microbes underpinning the development of the disease. If microbial infection could account for an origin of PD, it may also explain the early, non-neurological symptoms of the disease.