Question

Joe is an 88-year-old man with a long history of Parkinson disease. In the last year, his family has noticed that his ability to care for himself has deteriorated. He rarely engages in activity and often fails to make to the bathroom in time. His speech has become progressively more difficult to understand. He has been on levodopa for many years to manage the symptoms of his illness. The drug has worked well for a long time, although the dosage has been increased periodically. Joe’s family wants to know why he is getting worse instead of better.

How would you explain to his family the reason why the medication is no longer as effective?

Some of his family members are worried about their risk of getting the illness. What explanation would you provide them when it comes to familial risk?

Answer 1

1. Levodopa is the most effective drug for treating parkinson's disease. Symptoms of levodopa overdosage may occur in parallel with increasing parkinsonian symptoms ( slow movement , tremors , freezing gait etc. ) . Joe has been on levodopa for many years ,it is effective in early stages of the disease , as the condition progresses, the symptoms of postural and gait dysfunction starts , the drug becomes ineffective.

2. Hereditary causes of this disease are rare. Only 15 % of those who have Parkinson's disease have a family history of it. Most cases of Parkinson's have an unknown cause. Some Parkinson's disease are caused by genetic mutations . Some genetic diseases are caused by random mutations that are not inherited from the parents.