What are the causes of Parkinson's disease

summary

A colleague has Parkinson's disease recently. It can be seen that his movement is not stable, and there will be limb shaking. So, what are the causes of Parkinson's disease? Here is a brief introduction.

What are the causes of Parkinson's disease

The first reason is aging. The incidence rate and prevalence of PD increased with age. PD usually occurs over 60 years old, which suggests that aging is related to the onset of PD. The data show that the number of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra of normal adults decreases gradually with age. However, the prevalence of PD is not high in the elderly over 65 years old. Therefore, aging is only one of the risk factors of PD.

Second, genetic factors. More and more attention has been paid to the role of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of PD. Since the discovery of the first Parkinson's disease pathogenic gene α - synuclein (Park1) in the late 1990s, at least six pathogenic genes have been associated with familial Parkinson's disease. But only 5-10% of Parkinson's disease have family history, most of them are sporadic cases. Genetic factors are only one of the causes of PD.

Third, environmental factors. In the 1980s, American scholars such as Langston found that some drug addicts would quickly develop typical Parkinson's disease like symptoms, and they were effective on levodopa preparations. It is found that the synthetic heroin used by drug addicts contains a neurotoxic substance 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). The substance is transformed into highly toxic 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridine ion MPP + in the brain and selectively enters into the substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons, which inhibits the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I and promotes oxidative stress response, leading to the degeneration and death of dopaminergic neurons. Therefore, it is suggested that mitochondrial dysfunction may be one of the pathogenic factors of PD. In the follow-up studies, it was also confirmed that the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I decreased selectively in substantia nigra of patients with primary PD. The chemical structures of some herbicides and insecticides are similar to MPTP. With the discovery of MPTP, people realized that some MPTP like chemicals in the environment may be one of the pathogenic factors of PD. However, only a small number of drug users exposed to MPTP developed PD, suggesting that PD may be the result of multiple factors.

matters needing attention

After getting Parkinson's disease, we should pay attention to the timely treatment, and pay attention to the method in the usual treatment. There is no special requirement for the diet of patients with Parkinson's disease. Patients should drink more water and eat more food rich in fiber. Proper exercise can help patients recover their function.