Parkinson's Disease Glossary

 

á       Acetylcholine - A chemical messenger released by cholinergic nerves. Normally in many parts of the body, including the brain, and necessary to normal body functioning. There appears to be a reciprocal seesaw relationship between acetylcholine and dopamine and their respective nerve cell systems.

 

á       Action Tremor - Rhythmic, involuntary movement of a limb when movement is initiated, e.g., when writing or lifting a cup. Not usually seen in the earlier stages of Parkinson's.

 

á       Adrenaline (epinephrine) - The neurotransmitter of the adrenal gland which is secreted in moments of crisis. It stimulates the heart to beat faster and work harder, increases the flow of blood to the muscles, causes an increased alertness of mind, and produces other changes to prepare the body to meet an emergency.

 

á       Agonist - A chemical or drug that mimics neurotransmitter activity.

 

á       Akinesia - Absence of body movements.

 

á       Alpha-Tocopherol - Chemical name for biologically active form of Vitamin E.

 

á       Amantidine - A drug which stimulates the release of available Dopamine in the brain.

 

á       Anticholinergic - Adjective applied to a substance (medication) that reduces the action of acetylcholine.

 

á       Anticholinergic Drugs (Artane, Cogentin) - The group of drugs which decreases the action of acetylcholine. The specified drugs may help reduce rigidity, tremor, and drooling in Parkinson's.

 

á       Antihistamines - Drugs opposing the actions of histamine; commonly used to treat allergies. Used in the past for Parkinsonism as they sometimes had beneficial effects on symptoms due to their anticholinergic properties.

 

á       Apomorphine - A derivative of morphine and a Dopamine agonist. Currently experimentally used as injectable treatment for severe Parkinson's.

 

á       Ataxia - Loss of balance

 

á       Athetosis - Dyskinesias in which there are slow, repetitive, sinuous involuntary movements.

 

á       Autonomic Nervous System - The branch of the nervous system that controls internal organs in the body, i.e., heart, lungs.

 

á       Basal ganglia or Nuclei - Deeper structures in the brain, concerned with normal movement and walking. The caudate nucleus, putamen and Substantia Nigra are basal ganglia affected in Parkinson's.

 

á       Benign Essential Tremor - A condition characterised by tremor of the hands, head, voice, and sometimes other parts of the body. Essential tremor often runs in families and is sometimes called familial tremor. It is sometimes mistaken for a symptom of Parkinson's . However, this is an action tremor and there is no rigidity or bradykinesia.

 

á       Beta-Blockers - Drugs which block the action of epinephrine at certain sites. Usually used to treat hypertension and heart disease, they may be effective in the treatment of benign essential tremor.

 

á       Bilateral - Occurring on both sides of the body.

 

á       Blepharospasm - Spasmodic blinking or involuntary closing of the eye lids; a type of dystonia.

 

á       Bradykinesia - Slowing down of a movement and involves slowness of initiating and executing movements and fine motor movements and difficulty in performing repetitive movements. It is a major symptom of Parkinson's.

 

á       Carbidopa - The ingredient in Sinemet which prevents the breakdown of the Levodopa in the body before it can reach the brain.

 

á       Central Nervous System (CNS) - Consists of the brain and spinal cord.

 

á       Cerebellum - Part of the brain that is involved in coordination.

 

á       Cerebral Cortex - The largest part of the brain; responsible for thought, reasoning, memory, sensation, voluntary movement.

 

á       Choline - A naturally occurring substance which is a precursor of acetylcholine.

 

á       Chorea - A type of dyskinesia (abnormal movement), characterised by continuing, rapid, dance-like movements. May result from high doses of Levodopa and/or long term Levodopa therapy.

 

á       Choreocthetosis - A dyskinesia characterised by choreic and athetoid movements.

 

á       Cogwheel Rigidity - Stiffness in the muscles, with a jerky quality when arm and leg joints are repeatedly moved.

 

á       Constipation - Diminished ability of intestinal muscles to move faeces (stool), often resulting in very hard stool. A common problem in Parkinson's.

 

á       Deprenyl (Eldepryl, Selegiline, Jumex) - A drug that slows the breakdown of chemicals like dopamine by inhibiting the action of certain enzymes. It increase effects of dopamine in the brain.