Other Forms of Parkinsonism

There are various different types of Parkinson's, which vary according to their severity and the impact they have on each individual patient. There are seven main derivates of the condition, which can all be as debilitating and frustrating for the sufferer, and all have a whole host of unanswered questions surrounding their nature.

One such form of the condition is known as post encephalitic parkinsonism, a notably severe movement disorder which causes many patients to develop disabling symptoms. This condition arose from the spread of a rapid spread of a viral condition, known as 'sleeping sickness', and was the subject of the 1990 film 'Awakenings'. The by-product of this viral condition is these parkinsonian symptoms which affect different patients in differing ways.

A form of Parkinson's which can be helped and sometimes reversed is that derived from ingesting prescribed drugs for psychiatric disorders. Additionally, some medications for the stomach can also lead to similar symptoms, although they should subside after the cessation of treatment. Striatonigral degeneration is another condition with like symptoms, although this affects largely different areas of the brain, and shows further damage to the brain than patients with Parkinson's. Patients suffering Parkinson's in this form common degenerate at a faster pace, and suffer from heightened muscular rigidity.

Another form of the disease, known as psuedoparkisonism pertains to brain damage as a result of numerous minor strokes. This mainly affects mental agility, and patients with this form of the condition rarely suffer from a tremor. Sadly with this condition, medications are of very little help in alleviating the symptoms.

Parkinson's can also be triggered by the ingestion, or exposure to toxins from various elements. Physicians are now even aware of a drug which can specifically induce Parkinson's, and this has been harnessed to allow for further testing of the condition, and perhaps the development of further treatments.

Parkisonian symptoms can also occur in patients with other related conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease and Huntington's Disease, which can serve to augment the symptoms of these conditions within the sufferers. Additionally, an isolated form of Parkinson's known as the Parkinsonism-dementia complex of Guam affects the population of Guam and its contemporary Islands. The disease takes its course over a very short period of time, and is linked with a toxin which is specific to that region from a staple diet used in times of food shortage.

The symptoms of each of these types of the condition vary in their nature and in the severity of their impact on patients and their daily lives. Not only do these conditions alter the patients' lifestyles, but they also cause a rapid degeneration process which can be particularly hard for patients and their families and friends alike. Whilst these conditions are so severe, the advancement of technology and the increased knowledge of Parkinson's and its related conditions could soon pave way to a better understanding of its causes and more effective treatments for the many sufferers of this dreadful condition.

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