This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------56B34C1DC7BAAD13F6115C6D Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit large attachment is a glossary that someone asked about. -- Ron Vetter 1936, 1984 PD dz ... "money is coined liberty" ... Dostoevsky e-mail: [log in to unmask] http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~rfvetter --------------56B34C1DC7BAAD13F6115C6D Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="424F424F"; name="pdglossary.txt" Content-Description: ClarisWorks Document Content-Disposition: inline; filename="pdglossary.txt" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by ridgecrest.ca.us id OAA21677 Acetylcholine: A chemical messenger released by cholinergic nerves. Norma= lly in many parts of the body, including the brain, and necessary to norm= al body functioning. There appears to be a reciprocal seesaw relationship= between acetylcholine and dopamine and their respective nerve cell syste= ms. 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 e= arlier stages of Parkinson=92s. 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 i= ncreased alertness of mind, and produces other changes to prepare the bod= y to meet an emergency. Agonist: A chemical or drug that mimics neurotransmitter activity. Akinesia: Absence of body movements. Alpha-Tocopherol: Chemical name for biologically active form of Vitamin E. Amantadine: A drug which stimulates the release of available dopamine in = the brain. Anticholinergic: Adjective applied to a substance (medication) that reduc= es the action of acetylcholine. Anticholinergic Drugs (Artane, Cogentin): The group of drugs which decrea= ses the action of acetylcholine. The specified drugs may help reduce rigi= dity, tremor, and drooling in Parkinson=92s. Antihistamines: Drugs opposing the actions of histamine; commonly used to= treat allergies. Used in the past for Parkinson=92s as they sometimes ha= d beneficial effects on symptoms due to their anticholinergic properties. Apomorphine: A derivative of morphine and a dopamine agonist. Currently e= xperimentally used as injectable treatment for severe Parkinson=92s. Ataxia: Loss of balance Athetosis: Dyskinesias in which there are slow, repetitive, sinuous invol= untary movements. Autonomic Nervous System: The branch of the nervous system that controls = internal organs in the body, i.e., heart, lungs. Basal Ganglia or Nuclei: Deeper structures in the brain, concerned with n= ormal movement and walking. The caudate nucleus, putamen and Substantia N= igra are basal ganglia affected in Parkinson=92s. Benign Essential Tremor: A condition characterised by tremor of the hands= , head, voice, and sometimes other parts of the body. Essential tremor of= ten runs in families and is sometimes called familial tremor. It is somet= imes mistaken for a symptom of Parkinson=92s . However, this is an action= tremor and there is no rigidity or bradykinesia. Beta-Blockers (=DF-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. Bilateral: Occurring on both sides of the body. Blepharospasm: Spasmodic blinking or involuntary closing of the eye lids;= a type of dystonia. Bradykinesia: Slowing down of a movement. Bradykinesia involves slowness = of initiating and executing movements and fine motor movements and diffic= ulty in performing repetitive movements. It is a major symptom of Parkins= on=92s. Carbidopa: The ingredient in Sinemet which prevents the breakdown of the = levodopa in the body before it can reach the brain. Central Nervous System (CNS): Consists of the brain and spinal cord. Cerebellum: Part of the brain that is involved in coordination. Cerebral Cortex: The largest part of the brain; responsible for thought, = reasoning, memory, sensation, voluntary movement. Choline: A naturally occurring substance which is a precursor of acetylch= oline. Chorea: A type of dyskinesia (abnormal movement), characterised by contin= uing, rapid, dance-like movements. May result from high doses of levodopa= and/or long term levodopa therapy. Choreoathetosis: A dyskinesia characterised by choreic and athetoid movem= ents. Cogwheel Rigidity: Stiffness in the muscles, with a jerky quality when ar= m and leg joints are repeatedly moved. Constipation: Diminished ability of intestinal muscles to move feces (sto= ol), often resulting in very hard stool. A common problem in Parkinson=92= s. Deprenyl: (Eldepryl, Selegiline, Jumex) A drug that slows the breakdown o= f chemicals like dopamine by inhibiting the action of certain enzymes. It= increase effects of dopamine in the brain. Dopa Decarboxylase Inhibitors: Drugs that block the conversion of levodop= a to dopamine outside the brain.These include carbidopa and benserazide.=20 Dopamine: A chemical produced by the brain; it assists in the effective t= ransmission of electrochemical messages from one nerve cell to the next. = It is deficient in the basal ganglia and Substantia Nigra of a person wit= h Parkinson=92s. It governs actions of movement, balance and walking. Dopamine Agonist: Drugs that mimic the effects of dopamine and stimulate = the dopamine receptors. Dopaminergic: An adjective used to describe a chemical, a drug, or a drug= effect related to dopamine. Drug Holiday: A 3 to 14 day withdrawal of a drug after long term treatme= nt. Drug Induced Parkinsonism: Parkinson=92s symptoms which have been caused = by drugs used to treat other conditions, e.g., neuroleptic drugs, and res= erpine, used to be used to treat hypertension Dysarthria: Speech difficulties caused when the muscles associated with s= peech are affected. Dyskinesia: Abnormal movement of voluntary muscles. Dystonia, athetosis, = and chorea are types of dyskinesia. Dysphagia: Difficulty in swallowing. Dystonia: Involuntary spasms of muscle contraction that cause abnormal mo= vements and postures. May appear as a side effect of long term drug treat= ment in Parkinson=92s and may worsen in response to stress. Encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain usually caused by a virus infecti= on. Encephalitis Lethargica: (Sleeping Sickness) A specific kind of encephali= tis which occurred in scattered epidemics throughout the world during the= period 1916 to 1926; it usually caused sleepiness, double vision, troubl= e swallowing, and drooling. Many of those affected developed advanced Par= kinsonism as depicted in the movie =93Awakenings=94. Ethopropazine: (Parsidol/Parsitan) A drug sometimes used in the past for = Parkinson=92s due to its anticholinergic effects. Extrapyramidal Nervous System: Refers to the caudate, putamen, and Substa= ntia Nigra. It is affected in Parkinson=92s. Festination: Walking in rapid, short, shuffling steps. Flexion: A bent, curved posture. Freezing: Temporary, involuntary inability to move. Glaucoma: A sustained increase of pressure within the eyeball which can i= njure the optic nerve and cause impaired vision or blindness. Treatment w= ith anticholinergics may exacerbate glaucoma. Globus pallidus: The inner part of the lenticular nucleus. The lenticular= nucleus and the caudate nucleus form the Striatum. Heimlich Manoeuvre: A form of first aid for people who are choking. Hypokinesia: Abnormally diminished motor activity. Idiopathic: An adjective meaning =93of unknown cause=94. The usual form o= f Parkinson=92s is idiopathic Parkinson=92s. Intention Tremor: One occurring when the person attempts voluntary moveme= nt. Lenticular nucleus: This group of cells along with the caudate nucleus fo= rm the Striatum or Corpus Striatum. Levodopa: The international generic name for the medicinal formulation of= L-Dopa. It is contained in Sinemet and Prolopa. Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesias: A side effect of medication which may occur= with prolonged use. These abnormal, involuntary movements may be allevia= ted by reducing the amount of medication. Lewy Body: Pink, staining spheres on damaged brain cells: markers for Par= kinson=92s. Livido Reticularis: A purplish or bluish mottling of the skin seen usuall= y below the knee and sometimes on the forearm in persons under treatment = with the drug amantadine (Symmetrel). Micrographia: The tendency to have very small handwriting due to difficul= ty with fine motor movements in Parkinson=92s. MPTP: A toxic chemical, exposure to which can lead to Parkinson=92s. Myoclonus: Jerking, involuntary movement of arms and legs, usually occurr= ing during sleep. Neostriatum: Vital part of the brain comprised of two basal ganglia (caud= ate and putamen). Neuroleptic Drugs: (Also called major tranquilizers) A class of drugs whi= ch act as dopamine antagonists (by blocking some dopamine receptors). The= y can aggravate symptoms of Parkinson=92s. This class includes Haloperido= l (Haldol), and the phenothiazines, e.g., Compazine, Stelazine, Chlorprom= azine, etc. Neuron: A nerve cell. Neurotransmitter: A specialised chemical produced in nerve cells that per= mits the transmission of information between nerve cells . Nigrostriatal Degeneration: Degeneration of the nerve pathways from Subst= antia Nigra to the striatum. These pathways are normally rich in dopamine= and are those affected in PS. Norepinephrine (Noradrenalin): Chemical transmitter found mainly in two a= reas of the brain involved in governing the involuntary autonomic nervous= system. On-Off Fluctuations: Fluctuations that occur in response to levodopa ther= apy in which the person=92s mobility changes suddenly and unpredictably f= rom a good response (on) to a poor response (off). Orthostatic Hypotension: A drop in blood pressure during rapid changes in= body position (e.g., from sitting to standing). Palilalia: A symptom of Parkinsonism, especially the postencephalitic for= m, in which a word or syllable is repeated and the flow of speech is inte= rrupted. Pallidectomy: Excision or destruction of the Globus Pallidus, which is pa= rt of the Lenticular Nucleus, which is part of the Striatum. Paraesthesia: Sensations, usually unpleasant, arising spontaneously in a = limb or other part of the body, variously experienced as =93pins and need= les=94 or a feeling of warmth or coldness (thermal paresthesias). Parkinson=92s Disease: That form of Parkinsonism originally described by = James Parkinson=94 as a chronic, slowly progressive disease of the nervou= s system characterised clinically by the combination of tremor, rigidity,= bradykinesia, and stooped posture, and pathologically by loss of the pig= mented nerve cells of the Substantia Nigra in the brain. Parkinson=92s Facies: A stolid masklike expression of the face, with infr= equent blinking; it is characteristic of Parkinson=92s. Parkinsonism: A clinical state characterised by tremor, rigidity, bradyki= nesia, stooped posture, and shuffling gait. The more common causes of Par= kinsonism are Parkinson=92s Disease, striatonigral degeneration, and a re= versible syndrome induced by major tranquillising drugs. Paralysis agitans: The Latin form of the older, popular term =93shaking p= alsy=94, which was used to designate Parkinson=92s in James Parkinson=92s= time. Parlodel (Bromocriptine): A dopamine agonist useful in treating all of th= e primary symptoms of Parkinson=92s. It may be used alone or with other a= ntiparkinson medications. Permax (Pergolide): A drug similar in action to Parlodel but more potent. Postural Deformity: Stooped posture. Postural Instability: Difficulty with balance. Postural Tremor: Tremor that increases when hands are stretched out in fr= ont. Precursor: Something that precedes, e.g., a sign or symptom that forewarn= s of another, such as muscle aching may be the precursor of a tremor. Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP): A degenerative brain disorder somet= imes difficult to distinguish from Parkinson=92s especially in the early = stages. PSP symptoms are rigidity and akinesia, difficulty looking up and= down, speech and balance problems. Those with PSP often have poor respon= se to antiparkinson medications. Prolopa: Trade name for the antiparkinson drug composed of levodopa and b= enserazide. This drug combination contains a ratio of 4 mg. of levodopa t= o 1 mg. of benserazide (Prolopa 50-12.5, 100-25, 200-50). Propulsive Gait: Disturbance of gait typical of Parkinsonism in which, du= ring walking, steps become faster and faster with progressively shorter s= teps that pass from a walking to a running pace and may precipitate falli= ng forward. Range of Motion: The extent that a joint will move from being fully strai= ghtened to completely bent. Receptor: A sensory nerve ending that responds to a stimulus. Resting Tremor: Shaking that occurs in a relaxed and supported limb. Retropulsive Gait: Walking that is propelled backwards. Rigidity: Refers in medical usage to a type of muscular stiffness encount= ered when examining people with Parkinson=92s. It is characterised by a c= onstant, even resistance to passive manipulation of the limbs. Seborrhoea: Increased discharge of the oily secretion sebum from the seba= ceous glands of the skin. Seborrhoeic Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin sometimes associated wit= h seborrhoea. Shaking Palsy: Old popular term which James Parkinson employed to designa= te the specific disorder we now call Parkinson=92s. Shy-Drager Syndrome: This is a condition in which the symptoms are the re= sult of abnormalities in motor function and problems in the autonomic ner= vous system. A person with Shy-Drager Syndrome has Parkinsonism, extremel= y low blood pressure which worsens upon standing, bladder problems, sever= e constipation, and decreased sweating. This condition is quite rare. Sialorrhea: Drooling of saliva. Side Effect: A drug=92s effect that is different from the beneficial effe= ct for which the drug is being taken. Sinemet: Trade name for the antiparkinson drug that is a mixture of levod= opa and carbidopa. This drug combination contains a ratio of levodopa 4 m= g. or 10 mg. to carbidopa 1 mg. (Sinemet 100/25, Sinemet 250/25). Sinemet CR: Controlled-release Sinemet. 200 mg. Levodopa with 50 mg. Carb= idopa in a capsule contained in a matrix (outer layer) releasing the drug= more slowly in the body. These capsules are not to be taken all at once,= but rather in separate doses over the course of a day. Stereotactic Surgery: Surgical technique that involves placing a small el= ectrode in an area of the brain to destroy a tiny amount of brain tissue. Striatonigral Degeneration: This is a degeneration of the nerve pathways = travelling from the striatum to the Substantia Nigra. People with this de= generation also appear to have Parkinsonism. However, they respond differ= ently to drug therapy than people with Parkinson=92s. Striatum: Area of brain controlling movement, balance, and walking. Conne= cts to and receives impulses from Substantia Nigra. Substantia Nigra: Black pigmented area of the midbrain where cells manufa= cture the neurotransmitter dopamine. Sustention or Postural Tremor: Tremor that increases when hands are stret= ched out in front. Symmetrel (Amantadine): A drug that releases dopamine and is useful in PS. Tardive Dyskinesia: This is a movement disorder associated with long-term= use of neuroleptic drugs such as Chlorpromazine, Haloperidol, Loxapine, = etc. Movements of a person with tardive dyskinesia are similar in appeara= nce to those of a person with levodopa induced dyskinesias, but the cause= s of the two conditions are different. Thalamotomy: Operation in which a small region of the thalamus is destroy= ed, achieved by stereotactic techniques. Tremor and rigidity in Parkinson= ism and other conditions may be relieved by thalamotomy. Thalamus: Anatomical term designating a mass of grey matter centrally pla= ced deep in the brain near its base and serving as a major relay station = for impulses travelling from the spinal cord and cerebellum to the cerebr= al cortex. Toxin: A poisonous substance. Tremor: Rhythmic shaking and involuntary movement of part(s) of the body = as a result of sequential muscle contractions. Unilateral: Occurring on one side of the body. Parkinson=92s symptoms usu= ally begin unilaterally. Vomiting Center: Term referring to an area of the brain where the nausea = and vomiting reflex may be triggered by some medications. =93Wearing Off=94 Phenomenon: Waning of the effect of the last dose of le= vodopa, associated with abrupt reduction or loss of mobility. Modified from the glossary published by The Parkinson=92s Society of Sout= hern Alberta --------------56B34C1DC7BAAD13F6115C6D--