Course Business Writing Assignment 8 was due before class today. Don’t forget your official course evaluation…worth 1% of final grade. Send us a screenshot. Research participation should be DONE. Final exam is MONDAY 8-10. Just over the last section of the course.

Neurological Disorders

Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia is the permanent loss of multiple intellectual functions: memory, problem solving, etc. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common type of dementia 4.5 million people across the nation 60,000 in Alabama alone Slightly more common in women than men What is AD?

Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms Memory impairment (Amnesia) Aphasia: loss of ability to understand spoken or written word (receptive) and/or the inability to speak (expressive) Apraxia: Loss of the ability to perform remembered motor tasks, for example, buttoning a shirt, turning a door know, eating or walking Agnosia: loss of the ability to recognize sensory messages (e.g. what things look or feel like) or visual agnosia (e.g. the face of a close relative or the feel of car keys)

Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms Executive functioning disturbance Depression (25%) Hallucinations and Delusions (false beliefs) Poor judgment, irritability, inappropriate behavior Major personality changes Wandering, hoarding, undressing Resisting care, hostility Patients appear healthy Different mixtures of symptoms The Face of AD

Alzheimer’s Disease Prognosis 8-10 years after onset of symptoms Longer survivals because organ systems are not damaged New Treatment Ways to protect yourself: Stay mentally and social active Stay physically fit Control blood pressure and heart disease Visit your doctor regularly Treat depression

Parkinson’s Disease Around 1 million 1% of people over 60 Average age of onset 60

Parkinson’s Disease Dopamine Cause unknown Required for normal body movement PD brain cells lose ability to produce enough dopamine for normal body movement Could be inherited or environmental (toxins and/or infections) Cause unknown Signs: frozen shoulder, pain in one limb, no lab tests available, brain scans to rule out other conditions Michael J. Fox Muhammad Ali Love and Other Drugs

Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms Develops slowly over many years Motor and non motor symptoms Each patient is unique and develops unique symptoms Motor: muscle stiffness/rigidity, tremor, slowness, and walking change, freezing episodes, Brady kenesia, loss of posture Non motor: sweating, anxiety, constipation, low mood, and panic attacks, experience hot and cold, changes in sensation Parkinson's Gait

Parkinson’s Disease Treatment: Physiotherapy Exercise Surgery Medications: replace or imitate dopamine Levodopa and MOA-B inhibitors Dopamine agonists: activate dopamine receptors (tricking the brain into believing it has dopamine) Must take medications regularly throughout day to stave off symptoms

Huntington’s Disease Genetic disease 1 in 10,000 Chromosome #4 Autosomal dominant (only one parent needs to have it for a child to be at risk) Gene discovered in 1993 1-3% of cases occur with no family history 1 in 10,000 About 30,000 in the UA

Huntington’s Disease Begins in middle age Degenerative Basal Ganglia Motor control Organize thoughts Regulate emotions

Huntington’s Disease Symptoms Movement Clumsy, restless, twitches, muscle spasms Difficulty walking, talking Chorea: writhing and twisting movements Huntington's Movement Thinking Hard to start conversations and understand what’s said Dementia Mood Depression, apathy, aggression, anxiety, sexual changes Partially due to life changes and partially due to biological changes

Huntington’s Disease There is no cure. Living well can help to deal with symptoms Exercise, diet, speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, support groups

Huntington’s Disease If a parent has it, you have a 50% chance of having it A family struggles Would you want to know?