Parkinson’s Disease Has Different Types

For more information:ali.ma@wecistanche.com

Parkinson's disease (click for anti-Parkinson's disease products)is a neurodegenerative disease common in middle-aged and elderly people. Parkinson's disease has different types and severity of symptoms at different stages of pathological changes, and drug-induced side effects and complications are often mixed after taking drugs. Therefore, the scientific treatment of Parkinson's disease should be systematic engineering throughout the entire disease process. Treatment methods vary depending on the patient's age, occupation, different stages of the disease, different symptoms and effects of drugs, side effects, and complications.

Early-onset: correct understanding and psychotherapy

In the early stage of Parkinson's disease, if the symptoms are not obvious and have no impact on work and life, you should continue to work, actively participate in social activities, supplement nutrition, and strengthening exercise. You can take anti-Parkinson's disease drugs in a hurry, especially levodopa. Drugs, you can take some neuroprotective drugs, pay attention to clinical follow-up.

Once diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, most of the patients are not mentally prepared, and they often try to deny it in their hearts. At this time, doctors and family members should persuade the patient, seek the help of professional psychologists and psychiatrists when necessary, and give appropriate psychological treatment. A person's power is too small, and having Parkinson's disease is not only a matter of the patient alone but the matter of the entire family. Through the common care and help of the family and society, the effect of united efforts can be achieved. Patients and their family members should learn more about Parkinson's disease science. There are also many QQ groups for Parkinson's disease patients. Patients and family members should be encouraged to exchange their anti-Parkinson's disease experience and experience in the group frequently and encourage each other to reduce loneliness. , avoid detours, a positive attitude is conducive to enhancing the confidence to overcome the disease.

Symptomatic period: aggressive drug treatment

Parkinson's disease symptoms include motor symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and abnormal posture and gait, and non-motor symptoms such as hyposmia, insomnia, constipation, and depression. If symptoms affect the patient's daily life or work, or if the patient requires early control of symptoms due to specific circumstances such as work, symptomatic treatment should be started.

Parkinson's disease progresses faster in the early stage than in the late stage, which may be due to the existence of harmful compensatory mechanisms in the early stage. Starting symptomatic drug therapy as soon as possible may interrupt the harmful compensation and delay the development of the disease. Not only that, but drug therapy can improve motor function and quality of life. Therefore, drug therapy should be intervened as soon as possible.

Levodopa can effectively supplement the synthesis of dopamine in the brain of patients with Parkinson's disease, and it is the most effective drug for the treatment of motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. According to the patient's condition, age, occupation, economic conditions, drug effects, and side effects, the best-individualized treatment plan is adopted. In the early stage of drug treatment, when drug-motor complications have not yet appeared, the goal of drug treatment should be to improve motor symptoms for a long time, prolong the "time window" of effective treatment, and prevent the occurrence of motor complications.

The choice of drug therapy should take into account the patient's age: if the age is younger (under 65 years old), and the duration of drug therapy is very long in the future, receptor agonists, monoamine oxidase inhibitors or amantadine, anticholinergic drugs are the first choice. , postpone the use of levodopa; if the symptoms are not improved or the social work requirements are higher, low-dose levodopa can be used in combination; if the age is over 65 years old, compound levodopa is preferred. It is advisable to start with a small dose of levodopa, adhere to the principle of "dose titration", and gradually increase the dose slowly, and strive to "achieve satisfactory clinical effects with a small dose as much as possible".

Treatment of non-motor symptoms

Non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as loss of smell, sleep disturbance, constipation, depression, etc., can occur 10 to 20 years before motor symptoms appear. Doctors pay more and more attention to how to deal with them correctly.

Sleep disorders: Difficulty falling asleep, dreaming, waking up easily, waking up early, etc. If the sleep disorder of Parkinson's disease is caused by the worsening of the disease at night, controlled-release levodopa can be added before going to bed at night; if the patient has restless legs syndrome at night, which affects sleep, a receptor agonist can be added before going to bed; If the sleep cannot be improved after adjusting anti-Parkinson's disease drugs, sedative and sleeping pills can be used.

Constipation: This is a common complication in patients with Parkinson's disease. Constipation is related to many factors such as drug side effects, decreased exercise, and changes in diet. If constipation occurs, drink more water, eat more fiber-rich foods, and reduce the dose of anticholinergic drugs or take laxatives.

Depression: psychological counseling should be strengthened for depressed patients, and if necessary, they should be diagnosed and treated by specialists, and they should be treated with antidepressant drugs such as paroxetine and sertraline.

Drug therapy after the honeymoon period: aggressive use of 'pacemaker' therapy

Since the timeliness of Parkinson's disease drug treatment and the occurrence of complications of movement disorders are inevitable, daily activities and quality of life are seriously reduced due to movement complications. So are these patients at the end of their lives? In fact, it is not. "The devil is one foot high, and the road is one foot high." Deep brain stimulation (commonly known as a brain pacemaker, DBS) has brought "another village" to the treatment of Parkinson's disease, especially the complications of movement disorders. Patients should be aware that "holding Parkinson's drugs in one hand and a pacemaker in the other" is the best treatment for the middle and late stages of Parkinson's disease. DBS therapy has been carried out internationally for nearly 30 years, and it has also been carried out in my country for nearly 20 years. , therapy and surgical experience are very mature.

The brain pacemaker is a neurostimulator implanted subcutaneously in the chest and a minimally invasive electrode implanted in the brain. It can effectively control Parkinson's disease patients by sending electrical impulses to the relevant nerve nuclei that control movement and regulate abnormal neurons. Symptoms such as tremor, stiffness, and slowness of movement can also be eliminated, and side effects caused by drug treatment can also be eliminated.

In recent years, the timing of brain pacemaker therapy has tended to advance, and it is suggested that brain pacemaker therapy should be performed after Parkinson's disease drug treatment once the complications of movement disorders occur. After 2 years of follow-up, it was found that the symptom control of the "early electrode stimulation" group was significantly better than that of the drug treatment group. The dose of drugs in the stimulation group was significantly reduced. The operation did not affect the patient's cognition and did not cause neuropsychological damage. Therefore, early stimulation of the brain pacemaker may bring patients a second "honeymoon period" of treatment.